Managing print jobs based on planned routes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017123737-A1
Application number	US-201514928708-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method performed by a print service provider (PSP) for printing, including: (a) obtaining from a network a print job issued by a mobile device and specifying a printer feature; (b) obtaining a first location on a planned route of a user of the mobile device; (c) determining a first printer having the printer feature and located within a predetermined distance of the first location; (d) sending a notification identifying the first printer to the mobile device; (e) determining if a deviation from the planned route exists; (f) if the deviation exists, repeating the steps (b) through (e) for a revised route; and (g) if the deviation does not exist: receiving a confirmation for the first printer; and sending the print job to the first printer in response to the confirmation. The first printer generates a hardcopy document from the print job using the printer feature.

First claim

1 . A method performed by a print service provider (PSP) for printing, comprising:
(a) obtaining from a network a print job issued by a mobile device and specifying a printer feature; (b) obtaining a first location on a planned route of a user of the mobile device, wherein the planned route takes the user past a plurality of buildings and intersections; (c) determining a first printer comprising the printer feature and located within a predetermined distance of the first location; (d) sending a notification identifying the first printer to the mobile device; (e) determining if a deviation from the planned route exists; (f) if the deviation exists, repeating the steps (b) through (e) for a revised route; and (g) if the deviation does not exist:
receiving a confirmation for the first printer; and
sending the print job to the first printer in response to the confirmation,
wherein the first printer generates a hardcopy document from the print job using the printer feature.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the first location comprises:
parsing a schedule of the user, wherein the schedule comprises a plurality of appointments for the user and a plurality of times and a plurality of addresses for the plurality of appointments; and determining a destination of the user in the schedule, wherein the first location is the destination.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining that the deviation exists comprises:
identifying a mismatch between the destination and a geographical coordinate of the user at a time specified in the schedule, wherein the geographical coordinate is obtained from the mobile device.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining that the deviation exists comprises:
obtaining a revised schedule from the mobile device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining the planned route from the mobile device; obtaining a second location on the planned route; and determining a second printer comprising the printer feature and located within the predetermined distance of the second location, wherein the notification further identifies the second printer, and wherein the confirmation is a selection of the first printer by a user of the user mobile device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the second location comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a landmark passed on the planned route and an intersection encountered on the planned route.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining that the deviation exists comprises:
obtaining the revised route from the mobile device, wherein the planned route and the revised route are generated by navigational software executing on the mobile device.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining that the deviation exists comprises:
obtaining a current location of the user from the mobile device; determining that the current location is not on the planned route.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the print job further specifies an authentication credential, and wherein the user inputs the authentication credential at the first printer before the first printer generates the hardcopy document.

10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) storing computer readable program code embodied therein that causes a print service provider (PSP) to:
(a) obtain from a network a print job issued by a mobile device and specifying a printer feature; (b) obtain a first location on a planned route of a user of the mobile device, wherein the planned route takes the user past a plurality of buildings and intersections; (c) determine a first printer comprising the printer feature and located within a predetermined distance of the first location; (d) send a notification identifying the first printer to the mobile device; (e) determine if a deviation from the planned route exists; (f) if the deviation exists, repeating the steps (b) through (e) for a revised route; and (g) if the deviation does not exist:
receive a confirmation for the first printer; and
send the print job to the first printer in response to the confirmation,
wherein the first printer generates a hardcopy document from the print job using the printer feature.

11 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 10 , wherein obtaining the first location comprises:
obtaining a schedule of the user, wherein the schedule comprises a plurality of appointments for the user and a plurality of times and a plurality of addresses for the plurality of appointments; and determining a destination of the user specified in the schedule, wherein the first location is the destination.

12 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 11 , wherein determining that the deviation exists comprises:
identifying a mismatch between the destination and a geographical coordinate of the user at a time specified in the schedule, wherein the geographical coordinate is obtained from the mobile device.

13 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 10 , further storing computer readable program code embodied therein that causes the print service provider (PSP) to:
obtain the planned route from the mobile device; obtain a second location on the planned route; and determine a second printer comprising the printer feature and located within the predetermined distance of the second location, wherein the notification further identifies the second printer, and wherein the confirmation is a selection of the first printer by a user of the user mobile device.

14 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 13 , wherein determining that the deviation exists comprises:
obtaining the revised route from the mobile device, wherein the planned route and the revised route are generated by navigational software executing on the mobile device.

15 . A system for printing, comprising:
a buffer that stores a print job issued by a mobile device and specifying a printer feature, wherein the mobile device is operated by a user; a geographic routing engine that:
(a) obtains a first location on a planned route of the user, wherein the planned route takes the user past a plurality of buildings and intersections; and
(b) determines if a deviation from the planned route exists;
a matching engine that:
(c) determines a first printer located within a predetermined distance of the first location; and
a messaging engine that:
(d) sends a notification identifying the first printer to the user mobile device,
wherein the steps (a), (c), and (d) are repeated for a revised route if the deviation exists;
(e) receives a confirmation for the first printer from the mobile device if the deviation does not exist; and
(f) sends the print job to the first printer in response to the confirmation,
wherein the first printer generates a hardcopy from the print job using the printer feature.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a printer repository that stores a plurality of coordinates of a plurality of printers and a plurality of features of the plurality of printers.

17 . The system of claim 15 ; wherein the geographic routing engine obtains the first location by parsing a schedule of the user, wherein the schedule comprises a plurality of appointments for the user and a plurality of times and a plurality of addresses for the plurality of appointments, and wherein the first location is an address of an appointment.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the geographic routing engine determines the deviation exists by identifying a mismatch between the address of the appointment and a geographical coordina

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Laboratory Usa Inc

Inventors

• Januszewski Michael
• Hayami Isao

Classifications

• G06F3/1207

  resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission · CPC title

• G06F3/1292

  Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing · CPC title

• G06F3/126 Primary

  Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device · CPC title

• H04N2201/0082

  Image hardcopy reproducer (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/1204

  resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data · CPC title