Apparatus and method for configuration of an electronic device using a user-fillable configuration sheet

• US 20030231368A1
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Skurdal, Vincent C., Nelson, Marvin Duane, Brown, Mark Louis
• Granted Patent: US 6,976,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/539
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00366 Marks in boxes or the like, e.g. crosses or blacking out H04N1/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00

Abstract

An electronic device includes a scanning device for converting indicia and markings on a printed medium into scan data and a configuration device that receives the scan data. The scanning device is capable of scanning a user-fillable configuration sheet marked by a user of the electronic device and creating the scan data, with the scan data including one or more configuration indicia. The configuration device is capable of decoding the one or more configuration indicia to create one or more corresponding configuration values and configuring the electronic device with the one or more configuration values.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a scanning means for converting indicia and markings on a printed medium into scan data; and

a configuration means that receives said scan data;

wherein said scanning means is capable of scanning a user-fillable configuration sheet marked by a user of said electronic device and creating said scan data, with said scan data including one or more configuration indicia, and wherein said configuration means is capable of decoding said one or more configuration indicia to create one or more corresponding configuration values and configuring said electronic device with said one or more configuration values.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said electronic device further identifies a particular user-fillable configuration sheet of one or more user-fillable configuration sheets as part of said decoding.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface capable of accepting user inputs and generating visual outputs.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a printer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a copier.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a facsimile.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface capable of conducting digital communication.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, with said configuration means storing one or more blank user-fillable configuration sheets.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a scanner capable of scanning a printed medium and generating scan data;

a memory including one or more configuration settings, a configuration decode routine, and a configuration mapping data structure; and

a processor communicating with said memory and said scanner and receiving said scan data;

wherein said electronic device is capable of scanning a user-fillable configuration sheet marked by a user of said electronic device and creating said scan data, with said scan data including one or more configuration indicia, decoding said one or more configuration indicia to create one or more corresponding configuration values, and configuring said electronic device with said one or more configuration values.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein said electronic device further identifies a particular user-fillable configuration sheet of one or more user-fillable configuration sheets as part of said decoding.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a user interface capable of accepting user inputs and generating visual outputs.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a printer.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a copier.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a facsimile.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a communication interface capable of conducting digital communication.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, with said memory further including one or more blank user-fillable configuration sheets.

17. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein said configuration mapping data structure maps a marked fillable target area to a configuration value.

18. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein said configuration mapping data structure comprises a table.

19. A user-fillable configuration sheet, comprising:

a printable medium;

one or more fillable target areas formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet at predetermined locations, with a fillable target area being capable of receiving a marking;

one or more target indicia formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet and corresponding to said one or more fillable target areas; and

one or more alignment marks formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet;

wherein said predetermined locations of said one or more fillable target areas specify predetermined configuration values and wherein said user-fillable configuration sheet is capable of accepting markings that specify configuration values.

20. The user-fillable configuration sheet of claim 19, wherein an alignment mark of said one or more alignment marks is formed substantially in a corner region of said user-fillable configuration sheet.

21. The user-fillable configuration sheet of claim 19, wherein an alignment mark of said one or more alignment marks is non-symmetric.

22. The user-fillable configuration sheet of claim 19, further comprising one or more identification marks that identify a particular user-fillable configuration sheet of one or more user-fillable configuration sheets.

23. The user-fillable configuration sheet of claim 19, with said user-fillable configuration sheet comprising a user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet, wherein a fillable target area of said one or more fillable target areas is capable of receiving a telephone number digit marking.

24. The user-fillable configuration sheet of claim 19, with said user-fillable configuration sheet comprising a user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet including a plurality of writable target areas capable of accepting hand or machine written fax speed dial numbers.

25. A user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet, comprising:

a printable medium;

one or more fillable target areas formed on said user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet at predetermined locations, with a fillable target area being capable of receiving a telephone number digit marking;

one or more target indicia formed on said user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet and corresponding to said one or more fillable target areas; and

one or more alignment marks formed on said user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet;

wherein said predetermined locations of said one or more fillable target areas specify predetermined configuration values and wherein said user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet is capable of accepting markings that specify fax speed dial numbers.

26. The user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet of claim 25, wherein an alignment mark of said one or more alignment marks is formed substantially in a corner region of said user-fillable configuration sheet.

27. The user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet of claim 25, wherein an alignment mark of said one or more alignment marks is non-symmetric.

28. The user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet of claim 25, further comprising one or more identification marks that identify a particular user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet of one or more user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheets.

29. The user-fillable fax speed dial configuration sheet of claim 25, further comprising a plurality of writable target areas capable of accepting hand or machine written fax speed dial numbers.

30. A configuration method for an electronic device that includes a scanner, comprising the steps of:

scanning a user-fillable configuration sheet marked by a user of said electronic device to create scan data including one or more configuration indicia;

decoding said one or more configuration indicia to create corresponding configuration values; and

configuring said electronic device with said configuration values.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the preliminary step of storing one or more blank user-fillable configuration sheets in a digital memory of said electronic device, wherein said one or more blank user-fillable configuration sheets may be printed out and marked.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the preliminary step of marking one or more fillable target areas on said user-fillable configuration sheet to create a filled configuration sheet.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of decoding further comprises mapping a selected fillable target area to a configuration value.

34. The method of claim 30, with the decoding step further comprising the steps of:

locating one or more alignment marks on said user-fillable configuration sheet;

registering said user-fillable configuration sheet using said one or more alignment marks;

locating one or more identification marks on said user-fillable configuration sheet; and

identifying said user-fillable configuration sheet as being a particular user-fillable configuration sheet of said one or more user-fillable configuration sheets using said one or more identification marks.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein said user-fillable configuration sheet comprises:

a printable medium;

one or more fillable target areas formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet at predetermined locations, with a fillable target area being capable of receiving a marking;

one or more target indicia formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet and corresponding to said one or more fillable target areas;

one or more alignment marks formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet; and

one or more identification marks formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet;

wherein said predetermined locations of said one or more fillable target areas specify predetermined configuration values and wherein said user-fillable configuration sheet is capable of accepting markings that specify configuration values.

36. A configuration method for an electronic device that includes a scanner and a printer, comprising the steps of:

creating a user-fillable configuration sheet;

scanning a filled configuration sheet that has been marked in one or more fillable target areas on said user-fillable configuration sheet to create a filled configuration sheet;

decoding marked tillable target areas of said filled configuration sheet to create corresponding configuration values; and

configuring said electronic device with said configuration values.

37. The method of claim 36, with the creating step further comprising the steps of:

storing one or more blank user-fillable configuration sheets in a digital memory of said electronic device; and

printing out said user-fillable configuration sheet from said one or more blank user-fillable configuration sheets stored in said electronic device.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the preliminary step of marking one or more fillable target areas on said user-fillable configuration sheet to create said filled configuration sheet.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of decoding further comprises mapping a selected fillable target area to a configuration value.

40. The method of claim 36, with the decoding step further comprising the steps of:

locating one or more alignment marks on said user-fillable configuration sheet;

registering said user-fillable configuration sheet using said one or more alignment marks;

locating one or more identification marks on said user-fillable configuration sheet; and

identifying said user-fillable configuration sheet as being a particular user-fillable configuration sheet of said one or more user-fillable configuration sheets using said one or more identification marks.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein said user-fillable configuration sheet comprises:

a printable medium;

one or more fillable target areas formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet at predetermined locations, with a fillable target area being capable of receiving a marking;

one or more target indicia formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet and corresponding to said one or more fillable target areas;

one or more alignment marks formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet; and

one or more identification marks formed on said user-fillable configuration sheet;

wherein said predetermined locations of said one or more fillable target areas specify predetermined configuration values and wherein said user-fillable configuration sheet is capable of accepting markings that specify configuration values.