File printing method and system using e-mail

Abstract

Provided is a file printing method and system using e-mail. The method includes transmitting a file to a document server; transmitting an e-mail to a printing device through an e-mail server, the e-mail containing link information of the file transmitted; and retrieving the file from the document server using the link information and printing the retrieved file. Accordingly, a large print file can be printed regardless of the size of a file. In addition, since user authentication is performed every time a print file is downloaded, security is improved.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a file printing method using e-mail according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an e-mail containing link information of a document server according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detailed flowchart illustrating operation 16 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart illustrating operation 18 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a file printing system using e-mail according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A file printing method using e-mail, the method comprising: (a) transmitting a file to a document server;(b) transmitting an e-mail to a printing device through an e-mail server, the e-mail containing link information of the file transmitted to the document server; and(c) retrieving the file from the document server using the link information and printing the retrieved file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising (d) determining whether the e-mail server can receive the file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in operation (d), it is determined whether the e-mail server has enough capacity to receive the file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in operation (b), print setting information of the file is added to the e-mail.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the print setting information is one of header information, operating code, or a specific character stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein operation (b) comprises: transmitting the e-mail to the e-mail server;the printing device accessing the e-mail server; andthe printing device receiving the e-mail from the e-mail server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in operation (c), it is determined whether the file is a file to be printed using the link information or print setting information of the file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in operation (c), if the file is not a file to be printed, the e-mail is deleted.

9. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for the method of file printing using e-mail, the method comprising: (a) transmitting a file to a document server;(b) transmitting an e-mail to a printing device through an e-mail server, the e-mail containing link information of the file transmitted to the document server; and(c) retrieving the file from the document server using the link information and printing the retrieved file.

10. A file printing system using e-mail, the system comprising: a client for transmitting a file;a document server for receiving and storing the file;a printing device for printing the file; andan e-mail server for receiving an e-mail containing link information of the file transmitted to the document server from the client and transmitting the e-mail to the printing device,wherein the printing device receives the file from the document server corresponding to the link information and prints the received file.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the client determines whether the e-mail server can receive the file.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the client determines whether the e-mail server has enough capacity to receive the file.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the client adds print setting information of the file to the e-mail.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the print setting information is one of header information, operating code, or a specific character stream.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the printing device accesses the e-mail server and receives the e-mail from the e-mail server.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the printing device determines whether the file is a file to be printed using the link information or print setting information of the file.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the printing device deletes the e-mail according to a determination result indicating that the file is not a file to be printed.

18. A printing device for use with e-mail, the printing device comprising: an interface unit for receiving an e-mail comprising one of an attached file and link information of a remotely stored file, and for retrieving the remotely store file according to the link information if the link information is link information of a remotely stored file to be printed;an attached file examiner for determining whether the email comprises a attached file or link information of a remotely stored file; anda printing unit for printing one of the attached file and the retrieved file.

19. The printing device of claim 18, wherein the printing device further comprises: a print target examiner for determining whether the file is a file to be printed, if the attached file examiner determines that the e-mail comprises link information of a remotely stored file, wherein if it is determined that the file is to be printed the result of the determination is output to the interface unit.

20. The printing device of claim 19, wherein the printing device further comprises: an analyzer for analyzing the link information contained in the e-mail, if the attached file examiner determines that the e-mail comprises link information of a remotely stored file, and providing a result of the analysis to the print target examiner.

21. The printing device of claim 20, wherein the printing device further comprises: a print setting information examiner for determining whether print setting information comprised is attached to the e-mail in response to the attached file examiner determining that the file is not attached to the e-mail, and outputs the determination result to the analyzer.

22. The printing device of claim 19, wherein the printing device further comprises: an e-mail deletion unit for deleting the email if the print target examiner determines that the file is not to be printed.