Repository-based print services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715360-B2
Application number	US-201615056875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

An approach is provided for a service provider to identify documents to include in a client's repository and for the client to print the documents from the client's repository. In an embodiment, a computing device receives authentication information identifying a first user, receives first user information identifying a second user, receives information indicating selection of a one or more particular documents, from a set of one or more documents, and sends document information that at least identifies the one or more particular documents to a repository associated with the second user. A printing device receives second user information identifying the second user, and, in response to receiving the second user information, retrieves the one or more particular documents from the repository based, at least in part, on the second user information. The printing device processes at least one document of the one or more particular documents for printing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing device configured to:
receive information identifying a user;
in response to receiving the information identifying the user:
retrieve, via one or more networks and based at least in part on the information identifying the user, document information that identifies one or more particular documents from a particular repository associated with the user,
wherein the particular repository is remote from the printing device, and the printing device is communicatively connected to the particular repository via the one or more networks; and

based on both (a) at least a portion of the document information, which identifies the one or more particular documents, and (b) particular print data that represents the one or more particular documents: print the particular print data;
wherein the particular print data is generated based on the one or more particular documents; and
after printing the particular print data:
in response to logging the user out, cause the one or more particular documents to be erased from the particular repository associated with the user.

2. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the printing device is a multi-function peripheral that is configured to perform printing and one or more of: copying, facsimile, and scanning.

3. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the particular repository is part of a cloud storage service.

4. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the document information retrieved from the particular repository identifies a plurality of documents that includes the one or more particular documents;
the printing device is further configured to:
prior to logging the user out, send a particular document, of the plurality of documents, to an email account associated with the user; and
in response to logging the user out, cause said particular document, of the plurality of documents, to be erased from the particular repository associated with the user.

5. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the printing device being configured to retrieve document information that identifies the one or more particular documents from the particular repository comprises the printing device being configured to:
send a request, to a repository service that manages one or more repositories, for documents stored at a repository associated with the user,
in response to receiving the request, the repository service:
identifies the particular repository as associated with the user, and
in response to identifying the particular repository as associated with the user, the repository service sends the document information identifying the one or more particular documents, stored at the particular repository, to the printing device.

6. The printing device of claim 5 , wherein the repository service is a cloud service.

7. The printing device of claim 5 , wherein the repository service is configured to:
before sending the document information that identifies the one or more particular documents to the printing device, convert the one or more particular documents to printable format; and
wherein the document information retrieved from the particular repository comprises printable versions of the one or more particular documents.

8. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein:
the printing device is communicatively connected to a scanner that is one of: a camera; a bar code scanner; a Quick Response (QR) code scanner; a card reader; a magnetic strip scanner; a device using Near Field Communication; and a document scanner; and
the printing device being configured to receive the information identifying the user comprises the printing device being configured to receive scan data, from the scanner, that includes a digital representation of a user identifier that identifies the user.

9. The printing device of claim 1 , further configured to:
in response to receiving the information identifying the user:
display a list of the one or more particular documents at a display device;
receive user selection information that identifies the one or more particular documents; and
wherein printing the particular print data is performed in response to receiving the user selection information.

10. The printing device of claim 1 , wherein the document information that identifies the one or more particular documents, further includes one or more of:
information identifying one or more locations of the one or more particular documents,
print data that represents the one or more particular documents,
one or more document files for the one or more particular documents,
one or more renderings of the one or more particular documents, or
metadata for the one or more particular documents.

11. The printing device of claim 1 , further configured to:
retrieve content information for the one or more particular documents; and
based on the content information, create the particular print data.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:
receiving, at a printing device, information identifying a user;
in response to receiving the information identifying the user, the printing device:
retrieving, via one or more networks and based at least in part on the information identifying the user, document information that identifies one or more particular documents from a particular repository associated with the user;
wherein the particular repository is remote from the printing device, and the printing device is communicatively connected to the particular repository via the one or more networks; and

based on both (a) at least a portion of the document information, which identifies the one or more particular documents, and (b) particular print data that represents the one or more particular documents: printing the particular print data; and
wherein the particular print data is generated based on the one or more particular documents; and
after printing the particular print data:
in response to the printing device logging the user out, the printing device causing the one or more particular documents to be erased from the particular repository associated with the user.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein:
the document information retrieved from the particular repository identifies a plurality of documents that includes the one or more particular documents;
the one or more sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:
prior to the printing device logging the user out, the printing device sending a particular document, of the plurality of documents, to an email account associated with the user; and
in response to logging the user out, causing said particular document, of the plurality of documents, to be erased from the particular repository associated with the user.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein:
the printing device retrieving the one or more particular documents from the particular repository comprises the printing device:
sending a request, to a repository service that manages one or more repositories, for documents stored at a repository associated with the user,
in response to receiving the request, the repository service identifying the particular repository as associated with the user, and
in response to identifying the particular repository as associated with the user, the repository service sending the document information identifying the one or more particular docum

Assignees

• Shimizu Tomohito
• Motoyama Tetsuro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Tomohito
• Motoyama Tetsuro

Classifications

• G06F3/1206

  resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• G06F21/6218

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title