EA004998B1 - Remote printing - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A system of remote printing, comprising: a local computer having a first processor and a first memory encoded with a first set of programming instructions executable by said first processor to: execute a first instance of an application having at least one native data format; and accept a request to print a first print job associated with the application; a remote printer; and a remote computer, in communication with said local computer and said remote printer, having a second processor and a second memory encoded with a second set of programming instructions executable by said second processor to: execute a second instance of the application; receive the request; and in response to said receiving, automatically print the first print job on the remote printer using said second instance; wherein the first print job is communicated from the local computer to the remote computer in one or more of the at least one native data formats. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a relay computer, configured and adapted to: receive the first print job from said local computer; send the first print job to said remote computer. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said remote computer: periodically polls said relay computer to determine whether one or more print jobs intended for said remote printer are waiting to be sent; and if said one or more print jobs are waiting to be sent, retrieving said one or more print jobs, and printing them on said remote printer. 4. A system of remote printing, comprising: at least one remote printer; a network; and a local computer, connectable to at least one local printer, and in communication with said at least one remote printer via the network, comprising: means for detecting whether one or more local printers are connected; a processor; and a memory encoded with programming instructions executable by said processor to: maintain an ordered list of at least two printers, including at least one of said one or more local printers, and including at least one of said at least one remote printer; accept a request to print a document; automatically traverse the ordered list to find a destination printer, the first printer on the ordered list that is then accessible to said local computer; and print the document on the destination printer. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein a first one of said local printers is directly connected to the local computer. 6. The system of claim 4, wherein a first one of said local printers is connected to the local computer through a local-area network. 7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a remote computer in communication with said local computer; and wherein said remote printer is connectable to said local computer through said remote computer. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said remote printer is directly connected to said remote computer. 9. The system of claim 4, wherein the ordered list comprises a printer identifier identifying information for one or more printers in the ordered list. 10. The system of claim 4, wherein the ordered list comprises a group identifier for one or more printers in the ordered list. 11. A method of remote printing, comprising: receiving a print job from a source computer; accepting a polling signal from a destination computer; responding to the polling signal by sending the print job to the destination computer for printing on a printer that is directly connected or LAN-connected to the destination computer; receiving a print job result signal from the destination computer; and sending the print job result signal to the source computer. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the print job comprises document data and printing parameters. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the print job comprises document data in a format not directly printable by the remote printer. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the format is a word processing application data format. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the format is a spreadsheet application data format. 16. A method of remote printing, comprising: receiving a print job from a source computer; detecting an enabling signal; and after said detecting, sending the print job to a remote printer that is neither directly connected nor LAN-connected to the source computer. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said receiving, detecting, and sending are performed by a relay server. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein: the enabling signal is a polling signal from a destination computer; and said sending comprises transmitting the print job to the destination computer for printing. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: receiving a print job result signal from the destination computer; and sending the print job result signal to the source computer. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the print job comprises printable data and envelope data. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the envelope data comprises document type information. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the envelope data comprises authentication information. 23. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote printer is selected from a plurality of remote printers before said receiving. 24. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote printer is selected from a plurality of remote printers after said receiving. 25. The method of claim 16, wherein: the print job is originated by a user associated with a user identifier; and the remote printer is selected from a plurality of remote printers based on the user identifier. 26. The method of claim 16, wherein: the source computer has a network address; and the remote printer is selected from a plurality of remote printers based on the network address. 27. The method of claim 16, further comprising: exposing a user interface to a user at the source computer; displaying a list of available remote printers through the user interface; accepting a selection of an available remote printer by the user through the user interface; and transmitting the selection with the print job.

Description

Links to related applications

Priority is claimed for simultaneously pending preliminary application for American patent No. I.8. 60 / 248,467, filed November 13, 2000, and the application for an American patent No. I.8. 09 / 747,457, filed December 22, 2000

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the remote receipt of a printed copy of electronic documents. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for printing documents at a distance, the use of which is almost as convenient as printing on the spot.

With the increasing use of computers to solve personal problems and carry out business operations in various fields, there is often a need to obtain a printed copy of documents in places remote from the workstation, or you need to transfer a document (or copy of a document) to a remote place. For example, a letter can be composed using a text editor program on a computer installed at the workplace, and is intended only for sending it by mail to another city or to another office. In other situations, a person traveling on a business trip can only have a laptop computer, which allows him to create and edit documents outside his office. To get a hard copy of the document, a person traveling on a business trip, in addition to a laptop computer, must also carry a printer with him. This leads to an undesirable increase in the weight and volume of equipment that you need to carry. These and other problems can be solved using a system that allows the user to receive a hard copy at a distance, that is, on a printer that does not have a direct connection to the user's computer.

State of the art

In the prior art, some examples of remote printing systems are described, and all of them have inherent disadvantages in various situations where the user needs to print a copy of a document on a printer that is not directly connected to his computer. One example presents several direct connection options using, for example, leased dedicated telephone lines, through which a workstation can be connected to a remote printer. This method has the disadvantage that it requires the use of data lines that are constantly connected between devices (and often expensive). In situations where the user moves to different places, such a solution can be so expensive that it becomes unprofitable for use in practice.

This solution is also disadvantageous for economic reasons when a hard copy is required to be printed at multiple destinations.

An alternative system uses telephone lines calling by number to provide communication between the computer and the printer. This solution eliminates many of the problems described above, but this method also does not allow to satisfy all the needs of many users. In this case, it is required to use modems and network equipment, the connection through which is often difficult and difficult to manage. Network connection options used for similar purposes using WAN equipment (^ ΑΝ) for connecting local area networks (ΤΑΝ) located in different places are also difficult to manage and expensive.

Another remote printing system uses e-mail technology over the Internet. In one of these arrangements, the computer sending the data uses special software designed to convert the print job into a form intended for transmission by e-mail. Compatible software must be installed on the receiving side of the receiving computer and / or printer for receiving and executing print jobs sent by e-mail. In yet another such system, the mail server converts print jobs sent by e-mail to fax messages sent over telephone lines using fax transmission protocols. The compatibility problems and the complexity associated with the implementation of such systems make them difficult to administer and use.

A simpler known method by which a printed copy of a document at a remote location can be obtained is that the document is attached to an e-mail message. In this method, human intervention is required, for example, in order to open a document and to issue a print command. In many forms of execution of this system, the recipient may also modify the document, which may not be desirable for the sender.

Thus, there is a need for further refinement and improvement of remote printing technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved remote printing system and method. In addition, the present invention is directed to an improved system and method that allows a registered user to receive a printed copy of a document from a given computer on a printer that does not have a direct connection to this computer or to the local network to which the computer is connected.

These and other objectives are achieved by various embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for remote printing;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the interaction of devices during data transmission in the remote printing system of FIG. one;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of software components in the remote printing system of FIG. 1, representing data streams between them;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of software components in an alternative embodiment of the remote printing system of FIG. 1, representing data streams between them;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of software components in an alternative embodiment of the remote printing system of FIG. 1, representing data streams between them.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To present and explain the principles underlying the present invention, we will consider a specific description of the embodiment shown in the drawings. Moreover, it should be understood that in this way it is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention; any changes and further modifications to the described or presented embodiments, as well as any other applications of the present invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

In general, the remote printing system shown in FIG. 1-5, provides the user of the local computer system 20 to which the local printer 22 is connected, the ability to print on the remote printer 26, which is connected to the remote computer system 24. Data between the computer systems is transmitted through the network 30. In one embodiment, the intermediate server 28 stores and transmits data as it passes between the various components of the entire system 32.

Two different embodiments of a remote printing system in accordance with the present invention will be described below. The hardware components and their interaction in transmitting data for the first embodiment using an intermediate server will be described with reference to FIG. 2. It should be understood that in each case, when describing the transfer of data between components, when it is not indicated that it is performed using a direct connection, in addition to the presented or described means designed to ensure such data transfer, one or several additional components, such as bridges, routers, as well as other computers.

In addition, the term “direct connection” between a printer and a processor or computer, as used herein, refers to an arrangement in which data can be transferred between these components, but data is not transmitted through network hardware such as a router or network switch. The term local area network connection between a printer and a processor or computer refers to a configuration in which data is transferred between components, while data transfer passes through network components belonging to one organization or under its control.

As shown in FIG. 2, the local computer system 20 comprises a processor 41, a storage device 43, a monitor 45, a network interface 47, zero or more input devices 48 installed if necessary, and zero or more additional output devices 49 installed if necessary. The intermediate server 28 contains a processor 51, a storage device 53, and a network interface 57. Like the local computer system 20, the remote computer system 24 includes a processor 61, a storage device 63, a monitor 65, a network interface 67, zero or more if necessary, input devices 68 and zero or more output devices 69. The processor 41 is directly connected to the local printer 22 through a parallel port or an I8V port, or a serial port of type K.8232. K.8422, Ngshuis (1EEE 1394 high-performance serial bus standard) or a similar connection protocol known to those skilled in the art. The processor 41, in the alternative, may transmit data to the printer 22 over a local area network. The processor 61 also provides data transfer to the remote printer 26 using a direct connection or a LAN connection, as is known in the art.

It should be understood that the local computer 20 may contain more than one processor or CPU, and storage devices of more than one type, while the storage device 43 may be represented by one or more types of storage devices. In addition, it should be understood that, although the drawing shows one local computer 20, in alternative embodiments, several computers may be connected to it. The processor 41 may comprise one or more components presented as a single unit. Alternatively, in multicomponent form, the processor 41 may have one or more components located remotely with respect to others. One or more components of the processor 41 may be various electronic devices comprising, for example, a digital circuit, an analog circuit, or both types of circuit. In one embodiment, the processor 41 is a conventional microprocessor unit on an integrated circuit, such as one or more processors ΡΕΝΤίυΜ III or ΡΕΝΤίυΜ 4 manufactured by UTEG Sogrogayoi.

The storage device 43 may include, among others, one or more types of solid state electronic storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or optical storage devices. By way of non-limiting example, the storage device 43 may comprise a solid state electronic random access memory (Κ.ΆΜ), a sequential-access storage device (8ΆΜ) (such as a first-in-first-out memory device (зап) or a last-in-memory storage device first came out ”(YRO)), programmable read-only memory (ΡΚ.ΟΜ), programmable read-only memory (ΕΡΚ.ΟΜ), or programmable erasable read-only memory The present device (ΕΕΡΚ.ΟΜ); a storage device on an optical disk (such as B UB or SB Κ.ΟΜ); a magnetically encoded hard disk, media on a floppy disk, tape, or cartridge; or a combination of any of these types of storage devices. In addition, the storage device 43 may be a volatile storage device, a non-volatile storage device, or may be a hybrid combination of a volatile and non-volatile storage device.

The network 30 can be built in the form of a local area network (ΕΆΝ), a global network (^ ΆΝ), such as the Internet, or it can be a different type of network, as is obvious to those skilled in the art. The local computer 20 includes a monitor 45. The local computer 20 may also include one or more operator input devices 48, such as a keyboard, mouse pointer, trackball, light pen and / or microphone, which are just a few representative examples not shown in drawing for clarity of the image In addition, in addition to the monitor 45, zero or more other output devices 49, such as a speaker (speakers), can be installed.

In the intermediate server 28, the processor 51, the storage device 53, and the network interface 57 can be of any form described above with respect to the processor 41, the storage device 43, and the network interface 47, respectively. Each component can be the same as the corresponding component of the local computer 20, or others. Similarly, as components of a host printing computer 24 (processor 61, memory 63, monitor 65, network interface 67, zero or more other input devices 68 and zero or more other output devices 69), one or more forms of components can also be used, described above with respect to the respective components 41, 43, 45, 47, 48, and 49 of the local computer 20. Furthermore, although in FIG. 2 shows the basic structure of data transfer between hardware components in the presented embodiment, any data transmission channels shown can be constructed using additional components not shown in FIG. 2, such as network 30 (see FIG. 1), ports, connectors, switches, etc., as is obvious to those skilled in the art.

In FIG. 3 shows primary software components in one of the described embodiments. Application 42 generates or collects printable data, such as, but not limited to, text editor documents, graphic presentations, images, worldwide web content, spreadsheets, and email messages. If the user of the local computer 20 wants to print such data on the remote printer 26, he or she selects the Print command in the user interface of the application 42. Application 42 includes a search process for the printer, as a result of which application 42 obtains information related to local and remote printers available for local computer 20. In the illustrated embodiment, application 42 sends a document to file management program 44 with a specific destination printer designation and installation information print. The file management program 44 connects to the intermediate server 28 and sends the print data to one of several transfer processes 55. Transfer Process 55

Ί saves data in queue 56 for later use.

The file management program 64 on the remote computer 24 periodically polls the intermediate server 28 for the presence of expected print jobs by connecting to one of the transfer processes 55 and sending a command to check for the presence of such jobs. If the data intended for printing on the remote printer 26 is queued, the file management program 64 selects this data and writes it to the print queue 66. When the remote printer 26 becomes available, the file management program 64 opens a copy of the application 62 with a request to print the data that has been written to the queue 66. The application 62 automatically opens and downloads the data and prints it to the remote printer 26.

The resulting code for the result of the print job is returned from the printer 26 to the application 62, which in turn generates information about the result (successful or unsuccessful completion of the print job) for the file management program 64. Application 62 is then closed to free up memory and processing resources. The file management program 64 transfers the result code to the transfer process 55. The file management program 44 periodically polls the transfer processes 55 to determine if a result code exists and, in this case, downloads this code. The file management program 44 may inform the user of the result of the print job through the application 42, directly through the user interface (not shown) provided by the operating system (s) of the local computer 20, by writing the results to one or more system log files, or it may Do not give this result to the user.

With the reliable operation of the various components and the sufficiently stable data line in some or all of the data elements described above, queue 56 and queue 66 may not be used, as well as the polling mechanism described in relation to the transmission process 55. Instead, communication between the components can be maintained (application 42, file management program 44, transfer processes 55, file management program 64, application 62 and remote printer 26), while the system transfers data and performs a print job, and returns codes result

In an alternative embodiment, which will be described below with reference to FIG. 4, the file management programs 44, 64 are connected directly, without using an intermediate server 28. In this embodiment, when the file management program 44 receives a print request from the print job, it directly connects to the file management program 64, transmits information about a print job and is awaiting receipt of a result code. Alternatively, as described with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the connection between the file management program 44 and the file management program 64 can be terminated during the job and then can be re-established after the completion of the print job to transfer the result code back to the file management program 44 and to the application 42.

Another embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the local computer 20 further comprises a connection detector 40, which allows you to determine whether the local printer 22 is actually connected to the local computer 20. Similarly, the connection detector 60 is configured and configured so that it detects the online connection of the remote printer 26 to program 64 file management. Various methods are known in the art for providing such a determination of connectivity, including methods that use hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

File management program 44 maintains a priority list of printers that it uses to complete a print job. This list can be an ordered list of one or more specific printers (using printer identifiers, for example, name, serial number, other unique identifier or port) and / or classes (by group identifier, for example, first local, then remote printers, first color, then black and white printers), or by routing information (based on the network through which the local computer 20 sends print jobs to a specific printer). When the application 42 sends the print job to the file management program 44, the file management program 44 searches the list until a printer is found on which the print job can be printed. Such a sequential search is performed by using a connection detector 40 to determine the availability of one or more local printers 22 and a connection detector 60 (via a file management program 64) to determine the availability of one or more remote printers 26. Alternatively or additionally, the file management program 44 may contain a list of remote printers 26 that are connected and / or can be connected to the local computer 20, for example, by receiving a registration signal / s drove the output and / or periodic polling of each printer when a print job arrives, and instead of trying to remotely determine the ability to connect to various remote printers 26, a local list can be used.

In another embodiment of the present invention, system 32 comprises a local computer comprising a first processor and a first storage device encoded using a first set of program instructions executed by a first processor to (1) operate the first copy of an application that has one internal data format, and (2) receiving a request to print the first data associated with this application. The system further comprises a remote printer and a remote computer connected to the local computer and the remote printer, comprising a second processor and a second storage device encoded by a second set of program instructions executed by the second processor to (1) ensure the operation of the second copy of the application, (2) receive the request and (3) automatic printing of the first data on a remote printer, in response to reception, using a second copy of the application In this form, the first data is transferred from the local computer to a remote computer using at least one internal format (s) of application data.

In this embodiment, the intermediate computer is configured and configured to receive first data from a local computer and transmit the first data to a remote printer. In some embodiments of this embodiment, the remote computer periodically polls the intermediate computer to determine if there are one or more print jobs destined for the remote printer that is awaiting transmission. If such jobs exist, the remote computer receives print jobs and prints them to the remote printer

In another embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises at least one remote printer and a local computer that can be connected to one or more local printers and a remote printer (s) through the network. The local computer contains means for determining whether one or more local printers are connected, a processor and a memory device encoded by program instructions executed by the processor to (1) maintain an ordered list (by identifiers, categories, or capabilities) of at least two printers, including at least one local printer (s) and at least one remote printer (s), (2) receiving a request to print a document, (3) automatic tracking Bani ordered list to search for the printer destination, which is the first printer in the ordered list, which will be available for the local computer, and (4) to print a document to the destination printer.

In this embodiment, the first one of the local printers is directly connected to the local computer via the local network.

In another embodiment, the system also comprises a remote computer connected to the local computer, where the local computer can access the remote printer through the remote computer. In some embodiments of this embodiment, the remote printer is directly connected to the remote computer.

In addition, the present invention is directed to a method comprising (1) receiving a print job from a source computer, (2) receiving a polling signal from a destination computer, (3) generating a response to a polling signal by sending a print job to the destination printer for it execution, (4) receiving a signal of the result of the print job from the destination computer and (5) sending a signal of the result of the print job to the source computer. In one embodiment of the present invention, the print job contains document data and print settings. In another embodiment, the print job contains document data in a format that cannot be directly printed by a remote printer. In one embodiment of this embodiment, the format is the data format of the application — a text editor, while in other embodiments, this format is the data format of the application — a spreadsheet.

In some embodiments of the present invention, users of local computers 20 and host computers 24 for printing are authenticated using the registration procedure on the intermediate server 28. Users of host print computers 24 are registered in order to make their directly connected printers 26 or printers connected via a local network available to users of computers 20, or to revoke or remove such access. Such verification can use username / password combinations, digital certificates, biometric authentication, or other authentication techniques that are obvious to those skilled in the art. Access rights may be provided in accordance with an access control list, using group certificate-based management (for example, using ΡΚΙ (public key identifier) architectures), or other methods that are obvious to those skilled in the art. In various embodiments that allow access to the remote printer 26, users of the host print computers 24 can access specific individual users or groups of users of the system, such as users associated with a particular corporation, group, or class of users.

In some embodiments, the system processes data presented in one file format in all cases of data exchange intended for printing, while in other systems, the use of multiple formats is allowed. In the latter embodiment, various types of documents can be determined using the host computer 24 print using requisite information (such as type headers ΜΙΜΕ (multipurpose extensions of the Internet email), fields, or extensions), magic numbers, format and / or based on the content the data itself, or using other techniques that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. When data presented in a variety of formats passes through the system, various embodiments of the present invention employ various methods for translating these formats into data that can be directly interpreted by the printer. In some embodiments, the computer operator (local computer) does not directly interact with the remote printer, so it is not required that a driver be installed for each such remote printer with authorized access.

In addition, in some embodiments, the local computer may use a remote printer regardless of the operating system of the local computer, even if there is no printer driver for the remote printer in this operating system. In addition, in various embodiments of the present invention, the various functions described herein may be combined and / or separated in one or more objects, modules, applications, devices, and the like, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art technicians.

In some embodiments, the destination printer is selected by the user of the local computer 20 upon initialization of the print job. In these situations, the destination printer information is sent through the system as part of the print job. In other embodiments, a group of printers identified using unique identifiers, a class of printers identified by technical parameters, or a list of a class of printers is selected when a print job is initialized, and direct selection from this set is made by the intermediate server 28, using current information about available printers (or information on subsequent availability if there is currently no available printer within the selected group or class (s)).

In the system described above, specialists in the art can use data compression methods and information encryption methods, without the need for unnecessary experiments. As a non-limiting example, digital certificates, described above in conjunction with authentication functions, can also be used to encrypt information when transferring it between computers. Encryption is preferably used at least for those data areas that pass through open data networks such as the Internet. As an additional independent example, one or more documents intended for printing can be compressed and combined as a single file with a separate file of print modes using the well-known file format ΖΙΡ.

All publications, previously filed patent applications and other documents referenced in the present description, are hereby incorporated by reference in full, as if they were fully set forth here individually.

Although the present invention has been described in detail and presented in the drawings and in the above description, it should be considered as an illustration and not limiting example, and it should be understood that only preferred embodiments have been presented and described, and that protection applies to all changes and modifications that may be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (27)

CLAIM 1. A remote printing system comprising a local computer comprising a first processor and a first memory device encoded with a first set of software instructions executed by said first processor to execute a first copy of a software application having at least one internal data format; and receiving a print request for the first print job associated with the application; remote printer; and a remote computer connected to said local computer, said remote printer comprising a second processor and a second memory device encoded with a second set of software instructions executed by said second processor to execute a second copy of the software application; receiving the request and in response to the indicated receipt of the automatic printing of the first print job on the remote printer using the specified second copy of the program; wherein the first print job is transmitted from the local computer to the remote computer in one or more of at least one internal data format. 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an intermediate computer, configured and adapted to receive the first print job from said local computer; Send the first print job to the specified remote computer. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote computer periodically polls the intermediate computer to determine if there are one or more print jobs waiting to be sent for the remote computer; and if one or more print jobs are waiting to be sent, receiving one or more print jobs and printing them on a remote printer. 4. A remote printing system containing at least one remote printer; a network and a local computer connected to at least one local printer and connected to the specified at least one remote printer over the network, containing means for determining the connection of one or several local printers; a processor and a storage device encoded by software instructions executed by said processor to maintain an ordered list of at least two printers including at least one of said one or more local printers and at least one of said at least one remote printer; receiving a request to print a document; automatically viewing an ordered list to find the destination printer for the first printer in the ordered list, which will then be available to the specified local computer; and print the document to the destination printer. 5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one of said local printers is directly connected to the local computer. 6. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the first one of these local printers is connected to the local computer via a local network. 7. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a remote computer connected to a local computer; and the remote printer can be connected to the local computer through the remote computer. 8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that the remote printer is directly connected to the remote computer. 9. The system of claim 4, wherein the ordered list contains printer identifier information for one or more printers in the ordered list. 10. The system of claim 4, wherein the ordered list contains a group identifier for one or more printers in the ordered list. 11. A remote printing method comprising receiving a print job from a source computer; receiving a polling signal from the destination computer; responding to a polling signal by sending a print job to a destination computer for printing on a printer that is directly connected to a local area network connected to the destination computer; receiving the signal of the result of the print job from the destination computer and sending the signal of the result of the print job to the source computer. 12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the print job contains document data and printing parameters. 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the print job contains the document data in a format in which it cannot be directly printed on the remote printer. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the format is a data format of a text editor application. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the format is a data format of a spreadsheet application. 16. A remote printing method comprising receiving a print job from a computer source; determining the receipt of an enabling signal and after determining sending a print job to a remote printer that is not connected to the source computer, either directly or via a local network. 17. The method according to p. 16, characterized in that the reception, determination and sending are performed using an intermediate server. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the enabling signal is a polling signal from the destination computer, and the sending includes sending the print job to the destination computer for printing. 19. The method according to p, characterized in that it further comprises receiving a signal of the result of the execution of the print job from the destination computer and sending a signal of the result of the execution of the print task to the source computer. 20. The method according to p. 16, characterized in that the print job contains printable data and the requisite data. 21. The method according to p. 20, characterized in that the requisite data contain information about the type of document. 22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the requisite data contains authentication information. 23. The method according to p. 16, characterized in that the remote printer is chosen from a variety of remote printers before the specified reception. 24. The method according to p. 16, characterized in that the remote printer selects from a variety of remote printers after a specified reception. 25. The method according to p. 16, characterized in that the print job comes from the user associated with the user ID; and a remote printer is selected from among a plurality of remote printers, based on a user ID. 26. The method according to claim 16, wherein the source computer contains a network address and the remote printer is selected from among a plurality of remote printers, based on the network address. 27. The method according to p. 16, characterized in that it further comprises providing a user interface for the user on the source computer; displaying a list of available remote printers through the user interface; receiving a selection of an available remote printer by the user via the user interface and transmitting the selection along with a print job.