Image forming device that prepares and transmits formatted order data to web server

• US 20030236713A1
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Kuwabara, Satoru, Sato, Yuji, Aoki, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

When a user inputs a URL character string indicating data for an order document, the CPU receives data for the order document indicated by the URL and reading method data from the web server at the URL destination and prints the order document on a recording unit. The user then fills in circles on the order document to indicate desired content and feeds the order document into the manual-feed paper tray on the facsimile device. At this time, the facsimile device reads a user number and data regarding printing details and scrapbook entry details and transmits order data described as a URL to the web server.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising:

a communication unit that communicates bi-directionally with a web server on the Internet, the communication unit receiving an order-sheet data including a document data and a method data;

an acquiring unit that acquires the document data and the method data from the order-sheet data;

a memory that stores the method data;

an image forming unit that forms images on a recording medium based on the document data, thereby providing an order sheet, the order sheet including a request specifying area enabling a user to record an order for predetermined data;

a scanner that scans the order sheet on which the user has recorded the order in the request specifying area to generate an image data of the order sheet; and

an order data creating means for creating an order data from the image data based on the method data stored in the memory, wherein

the communication unit transmits the order data to the web server.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the order data includes a transmission request data, the transmission request data requesting the web server to transmit a data content corresponding to the transmission request data to the communication unit, and the communication unit receives the data content which the web server has transmitted in response to the transmission request data.

3. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the order data includes a temporary save request data, the temporary save request data requesting the web server to temporarily save a data content corresponding to the temporary save request data, and the communication unit receives the data content which the web server has transmitted in response to the temporary save request data.

4. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the request identifying area of the order sheet is a mark in a prescribed format printed at a prescribed position of the order sheet.

5. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a determining unit, wherein the communication unit receives a data from the web server, and the determining unit determines whether the data received by the communication unit is the order-sheet data or different data.

6. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the order data is described by a URL.

7. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a specify unit that specifies an identification data, wherein:

the order-sheet data further includes an identification data;

the acquiring unit acquires the document data, the method data, and the identification data from the order-sheet data;

the memory stores a plurality of sets of the method data and the identification data; and

the order data creating unit creates the order data from the image data based on the method data corresponding to the identification data specified by the specify unit.

8. The image forming device according to claim 7, wherein the order sheet is printed with an identification data, and the specify unit specifies the identification data printed on the order sheet with reference to the image data of the order sheet.