Print driver apparatus and methods for forwarding a print job over a network

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for forwarding a print job over a communications network. In particular, the present invention enables a user to obtain print jobs at a location which may be unspecified, and which may be remote from the source of the print job. A print driver is provided which is capable of forwarding one or more print jobs over a network. The print driver may be interfaced with any suitable print job source (e.g., a client device capable of generating a printable document, such as a computer) to obtain a print job. The print job is forwarded from the print driver, over the network, to a spooling server. A printer polling device, which may be used at a location remote from the client device, is capable of polling a spooling server via the network to identify whether any print jobs associated with the printer polling device are available for printing at a printer currently associated with the printer polling device. The spooling server need not initiate contact with the printer through a firewall, since it is polled by the printer polling device. Thus, network security is maintained.

1 . A method for communicating a print job over a network, the method comprising: 
 providing a print driver adapted to forward the print job to a spooling server via the network; and    providing a printer separated from the spooling server by a first gateway firewall, wherein the spooling server is adapted to forward the print job to the printer in response to a polling request, such that reconfiguration of the first gateway firewall is not required.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polling request is automatically forwarded to the spooling server from a printer polling device associated with the printer.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the print driver forwards the print job to the spooling server as web-style traffic.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spooling server forwards the print job through the first gateway firewall as web-style traffic.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the print driver is located within a second gateway firewall;    the spooling server is located outside of the first and second gateway firewalls; and    the print driver forwards the print job to the spooling server such that reconfiguration of the second gateway firewall is not required.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 providing a personal identification number (PIN) with each print job forwarded to the spooling server; and    storing one or more print jobs at the spooling server according to the PIN.    
   
   
       7 . A print driver for communicating a print job over a network, the print driver comprising: 
 an interface for receiving the print job from a client device; and    a transmitter adapted to forward the print job to a spooling server via the network, wherein:    the spooling is separated from a printer by a first gateway firewall; and    the spooling server is adapted to forward the print job to the printer such that reconfiguration of the first gateway firewall is not required.    
   
   
       8 . The print driver of  claim 7 , wherein the polling request is automatically forwarded to the spooling server from a printer polling device associated with the printer.  
   
   
       9 . The print driver of  claim 7 , wherein the spooling server forwards the print job through the first gateway firewall as web-style traffic.  
   
   
       10 . The print driver of  claim 7 , wherein: 
 the print driver is located within a second gateway firewall;    the spooling server is located outside of the first and second gateway firewalls; and    the print driver forwards the print job to the spooling server such that reconfiguration of the second gateway firewall is not required.    
   
   
       11 . The print driver of  claim 7 , wherein the print driver is adapted to provide a personal identification number (PIN) with each print job forwarded to the spooling server, and the spooling server is adapted to store one or more print jobs according to the PIN.