Methods and systems for automatically printing files

Abstract

Disclosed are a system, an apparatus, and a method for automatically printing printable files stored inside an external storage device without any intervention of a user. The apparatus comprises a peripheral port for communicating with the external storage device and a control section comprising a memory for storing computer readable program code and a processor for executing the code to control the apparatus. The computer readable program code being configured to cause the apparatus to execute a process for determining availability of the optional instruction in the external storage device and printing at least one copy of the fetched printable files based on the determined availability of the optional instruction.

1 . A print device comprising:
 a peripheral port;   a processor; and   a non-transitory memory storing computer readable program code configured to cause the processor to execute a process for:
 detecting a trigger event caused by a portable storage device having connected with the peripheral port, wherein the portable storage device stores a printable file in a pre-designated folder, 
 scanning the pre-designated folder to identify the printable file, 
 fetching the printable file for printing from the portable storage device, 
 determining whether a print instruction defining one or more print settings is also available in the portable storage device, 
 if the print instruction is available in the portable storage device, printing at least one copy of the fetched printable file using the one or more print settings, and 
 if the print instruction is unavailable in the portable storage device, printing at least one copy of the fetched printable file using default print settings. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the program code comprises program code configured to print the at least one copy of the fetched printable file using pre-set printing preferences of a user logged into the device if the print instruction is determined unavailable. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pre-designated folder has a folder name indicative of a number of copies to be printed; and   the program code for printing the fetched printable file comprises program code configured to automatically print the fetched printable file the number of copies indicated by the folder name.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the print instruction is encoded to a name of a folder comprising the printable file. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the print instruction is encoded to a filename of the printable file. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the print instruction is encoded to a name of a sub-folder residing inside the pre-designated folder, the sub-folder further comprising at least one of the printable file and an access link to the printable file. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the print instruction comprises print layout settings. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the program code for fetching the printable file comprises program code configured to fetch the printable file from a remote location via a network. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the access link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator of the printable file, the printable file being stored at a remote location. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising additional program code configured to identify the at least one access link stored inside the portable storage device to access, retrieve, and print a printable file referred by the access link at a remote location. 
     
     
         11 . A method for automatically printing a printable file, comprising, by a processor of a print device:
 detecting a trigger event caused by a portable storage device having connected with a peripheral port of the print device, wherein the portable storage device stores a printable file in a pre-designated folder;   scanning the pre-designated folder to identify the printable file;   fetching the identified printable file for printing from the portable storage device;   determining whether a print instruction defining one or more print settings is also available in the portable storage device;   if the print instruction is available in the portable storage device, printing at least one copy of the fetched printable file using the one or more print settings; and   if the print instruction is unavailable in the portable storage device, printing at least one copy of the fetched printable file using default print settings.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein printing the at least one copy of the fetched printable file comprises printing the at least one copy of the fetched printable file using pre-set printing preferences of a user logged into the print device if the print instruction is determined unavailable. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the pre-designated folder has a folder name indicative of a number of copies to be printed; and   printing the fetched printable file comprises automatically printing the fetched printable file the number of copies indicated by the folder name.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the print instruction is encoded to a name of a folder comprising the printable file. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the print instruction is encoded to a filename of the printable file. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the print instruction is encoded to a name of a sub-folder residing inside the pre-designated folder, the sub-folder further comprising at least one of the printable file and an access link to the printable file. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the print instruction comprises print layout settings. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein fetching the printable file comprises fetching the printable file from a remote location via a network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the access link comprises a Uniform Resource Locator of the printable file, the printable filed being stored at a remote location. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising identifying the at least one access link stored inside the portable storage device to access, retrieve, and printing a printable file referred by the access link at a remote location.