Method and system to recommend an application

Abstract

In one embodiment, first data pertaining to a software application is obtained at a server system. Second data indicative of capabilities of a web-enabled printer is received at the server system. Third data comprising usage information is received at the server system. An application recommendation is created based at least in part on the first, second, and third data. The recommendation is sent, from the server system and over a web, Internet, or intranet to a receiving destination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
 receive usage information of applications accessible at the printer;   identify applications that are most frequently used by the printer based on the usage information;   generate a recommendation of a recommended application based at least on similarity of printable content of the recommended application to printable content of the most frequently used applications; and   send the recommendation to a receiving destination.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the processor to:
 receive data indicative of capabilities of the printer; and   generate the recommendation of the recommended application further based on the data indicative of the capacities of the printer.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the processor to:
 obtain data descriptive of applications accessible by the printer; and   generate the recommendation of the recommended application further based on the data descriptive of the applications accessible by the printer.   
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 3 , wherein to obtain data descriptive of the applications accessible by the printer, the processor is to extract metadata from the applications. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 3 , wherein to obtain data descriptive of the applications accessible by the printer, the processor is to extract printable content within the applications. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the usage information of applications accessible at the printer includes information indicative of usage of the recommended application at other printers of a same model as the printer. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the usage information of applications accessible at the printer information of a type of printable content accessed by the printer. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving destination is the printer. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving destination is a web site accessible to a computing device distinct from the printer. 
     
     
         10 . A method to recommend a software application accessible at a web-enabled printer, comprising:
 receiving usage information of applications accessible at the printer;   identifying applications that are most frequently used by the printer based on the usage information;   generating, by a processor, a recommendation of a recommended application based at least on similarity of printable content of the recommended application to printable content of the most frequently used applications; and   sending, by the processor, the recommendation to the printer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving data indicative of capabilities of the printer,   wherein generating the recommendation of the recommended application is further based on the data indicative of the capacities of the printer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 obtaining data descriptive of applications accessible by the printer,   wherein generating the recommendation of the recommended application is further based on the data descriptive of applications accessible by the printer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein obtaining the data descriptive of the applications accessible by the printer includes extracting metadata from the applications. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the usage information of applications accessible at the printer includes information indicative of usage of the recommended application at other printers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the usage information of applications accessible at the printer includes information of a type of printable content accessed by the printer. 
     
     
         16 . A web-enabled printer comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory storing a set of instructions that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
 transmit, to a server, usage information of applications accessible at the printer; 
 receive, from the server, a recommendation of a recommended application based at least on similarity of printable content of the recommended application to printable content of most frequently used applications as indicated by the usage information; and 
 obtain the recommended application from the server. 
   
     
     
         17 . The web-enabled printer of  claim 16 , wherein the usage information of applications accessible at the printer includes information indicative of usage of the recommended application at other printers. 
     
     
         18 . The web-enabled printer of  claim 16 , wherein the usage information of applications accessible at the printer includes information of a type of printable content accessed by the printer. 
     
     
         19 . The web-enabled printer of  claim 16 , wherein the set of instructions further causes the processor to:
 transmit, to the server, data indicative of capabilities of the printer,   wherein the recommendation of the recommended application is further based on the data indicative of the capacities of the printer.