Methods and systems for network printing with user selectable settings

Abstract

Methods and systems for network printing using user selectable printer settings. A printing system such as a multi-function printer/device receives user input providing a document identifier (e.g., a release code) identifying a document stored in a network storage server. The printing system also identifies a finisher unit associated with the printing system. The printing system sends the document identifier and a finisher identifier to a print server. The print server determines available printer settings associated with the identified finisher unit and transmits a presentation to the printing system prompting the user to select a desired printer setting. The selected printer settings are transmitted to the print server. The print server retrieves a copy of the identified document and modifies the copy based on the selected printer setting. The modified copy of the document is sent to the printing system to be printed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a printer, options installed at the printer;   presenting, by the printer to a user, a user interface presentation of the determined options installed at the printer;   receiving, by the printer from the user, input at the user interface presentation selecting an option for a document;   transmitting, by the printer to a print server, the selected option for the document;   receiving, by the printer from the print server, a modified document that is based on the selected option for the document; and   generating, by the printer, a printed output of the modified document based on the selected option.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the options are finishing options available at the printer; and 
 generating the printed output further comprises:
 printing the modified document; and 
 performing the selected finishing option on the printed modified document. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein determining the finishing options installed at the printer further comprises:
 identifying a finishing unit configured at the printer; and 
 determining the finishing options based on the finishing unit. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein:
 receiving input at the user interface further comprises:
 receiving input at the user interface presentation selecting a finishing option for the document; 
 
 receiving the modified document further comprises:
 receiving the modified document that is based on a Job Control Language (JCL) command for performing the selected finishing option for the document; and 
 
 performing the selected option further comprises:
 performing, by the finishing unit configured at the printer, the selected finishing option for the modified document based on the JCL command. 
 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the method further comprises:
 determining, by the printer, a system model identifier for the printer; and 
 transmitting, by the printer to the print server, the system model identifier; and 
 
 receiving the modified document further comprises:
 receiving the modified document that is based on the selected option for the document and the system model identifier. 
 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the modified document further comprises:
 receiving the modified document that is based on a Job Control Language (JCL) command for performing the selected option for the document. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein:
 the selected option comprises finishing options for the document. 
 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 a printer configured to determine options installed at the printer, to present a user interface presentation of the determined options installed at the printer to a user, and to receive input at the user interface presentation from the user selecting an option for a document;   the printer further configured to transmit the selected option for the document to a print server, and to receive a modified document from the print server that is based on the selected option for the document;   the printer further configured to generate a printed output of the modified document based on the selected option.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein:
 the options are finishing options available at the printer; and 
 the printer is further configured to print the modified document, and to perform the selected finishing option on the printed modified document. 
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein:
 the printer is further configured to identify a finishing unit configured at the printer, and to determine the finishing options based on the finishing unit. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein:
 the printer is further configured to receive input from the user at the user interface presentation selecting a finishing option for the document, to receive the modified document that is based on a Job Control Language (JCL) command for performing the selected finishing option for the document, and to direct the finishing unit to perform the selected finishing option for the modified document based on the JCL command. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein:
 the printer is further configured to determine a system model identifier for the printer, to transmit the system model identifier to the print server, and to receive the modified document that is based on the selected option for the document and the system model identifier. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein:
 the printer is further configured to receive the modified document that is based on a Job Control Language (JCL) command for performing the selected option for the document. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein:
 the selected option comprises finishing options for the document. 
 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a processor of a printer, direct the processor to:
 determine options installed at the printer;   present a user interface presentation to a user of the determined options installed at the printer;   receive input at the user interface presentation from the user selecting an option for a document;   transmit the selected option for the document to a print server;   receive a modified document from the print server that is based on the selected option for the document; and   generate a printed output of the modified document based on the selected option.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  wherein:
 the options are finishing options available at the printer; and 
 instructions directing the processor to generate the printed output further comprise instructions to:
 print the modified document; and 
 perform the selected finishing option on the printed modified document. 
 
 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16  wherein instructions that direct the processor to determine the finishing options installed at the printer further comprise instructions to:
 identify a finishing unit configured at the printer; and 
 determine the finishing options based on the finishing unit. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17  wherein:
 instructions that direct the processor to receive input at the user interface presentation further comprise instructions to:
 receive input at the user interface presentation selecting a finishing option for the document; 
 
 instructions that direct the processor to receive the modified document further comprise instructions to:
 receive the modified document that is based on a Job Control Language (JCL) command for performing the selected finishing option for the document; and 
 
 instructions that direct the processor to perform the selected option further comprise instructions to:
 perform, by the finishing unit configured at the printer, the selected finishing option for the modified document based on the JCL command. 
 
 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  wherein:
 the instructions further direct the processor to:
 determine a system model identifier for the printer; and 
 transmit the system model identifier to the print server; and 
 
 instructions that direct the processor to receive the modified document further comprise instructions to:
 receive the modified document that is based on the selected option for the document and the system model identifier. 
 
 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 15  wherein instructions that direct the processor to receive the modified document further comprise instructions to:
 receive the modified document that is based on a Job Control Language (JCL) command for performing the selected option for the document.