Method of discovering and installing clients for digital copier services

• US 20040064532A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patois Telecom Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Constantin, Michael, Schacht, Bryan Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a network in which a potential user may be notified of the presence of at least one intelligent peripheral device and, upon the potential user'"'"'s request, his workstation may be configured to use the selected intelligent peripheral device. The present invention is also directed to an installation method for notifying at least one potential user of the availability of at least one intelligent peripheral device and, if requested, configuring potential users'"'"' workstations to use the requested intelligent peripheral device. In one preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of sending an announcement to at least one potential user, receiving a response to the announcement from the potential user, and configuring the potential user'"'"'s workstation to use the intelligent peripheral device.

Claims

1. In a network comprising a directory server, a mail server, a deployment server, at least one workstation, and at least one intelligent peripheral device, an installation method for notifying at least one potential user of the availability of said at least one intelligent peripheral device and configuring said at least one workstation to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device, said installation method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending an announcement to at least one potential user;

(b) receiving a response to said announcement; and

(c) configuring at least one workstation associated with said at least one potential user to use at least one intelligent peripheral device.

2. The installation method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said at least one intelligent peripheral device with the identity of a directory server, said directory server containing a potential-users file.

3. The installation method of claim 2, further comprising the step of getting a potential user from said potential-users file.

4. The installation method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said at least one potential user is a current user.

5. The installation method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said at least one potential user is included in a potential-users-decline-service file.

6. The installation method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said at least one potential user wants to have said at least one workstation configured to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

7. The installation method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said at least one potential user wants to have said at least one workstation configured to use the services of said at least one intelligent peripheral device at a later time.

8. The installation method of claim 7, further comprising the step of sending a subsequent announcement to said at least one potential user at a later time.

9. The installation method of claim 1, wherein said step of sending said announcement further comprises the step of sending a link to a configuration service.

10. The installation method of claim 9, further comprising the step of clicking on said link.

11. The installation method of claim 10, further comprising the step of configuring at least one workstation to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device in response to said clicking on said link.

12. The installation method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adding said potential user to a current-users file.

13. The installation method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending an announcement to said at least one potential user further comprises the step of sending said at least one potential user an e-mail message.

14. The installation method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending an announcement to said at least one potential user further comprises the step of sending a chat message.

15. The installation method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending an announcement to said at least one potential user further comprises the step of sending a broadcast message.

16. In a network comprising a directory server, a mail server, a deployment server, at least one workstation, and at least one intelligent peripheral device, an installation method for notifying at least one potential user of the availability of said at least one intelligent peripheral device and configuring said at least one workstation to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device, said installation method comprising the steps of:

(a) examining an all-users file stored in a directory server;

(b) creating and storing a potential-users file in said directory server having a network address;

(c) providing at least one intelligent peripheral device with said network address of said directory server;

(d) getting at least one potential user from said potential-users file;

(e) determining whether said potential user is a current user;

(f) determining whether said potential user has previously declined an offer to have at least one workstation configured to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device;

(g) sending an announcement to said at least one potential user;

(h) receiving a response to said announcement;

(i) determining whether said at least one potential user wants to have said at least one workstation configured to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device;

(j) determining whether said at least one potential user wants to have said at least one workstation configured to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device at a later time;

(k) configuring said at least one workstation to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device; and

(l) adding said at least one potential user to a current-users file.

17. A network in which at least one potential user is notified of the presence of at least one intelligent peripheral device and at least one workstation is conveniently configured to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device, said network comprising:

(a) at least one intelligent peripheral device communicatively coupled to said network, said at least one intelligent peripheral device including a device memory for storing a process for determining potential users of said intelligent peripheral device and sending an announcement to each said potential user, said device memory for storing a message protocol and a protocol for linking a target object to a client;

(b) at least one workstation, said at least one workstation communicatively coupled to said network, said at least one workstation including a workstation memory for storing said message protocol and said protocol for linking to a target object to a client; and

(c) at least one deployment server computer for serving said target object to said at least one workstation, said at least one deployment server computer communicatively coupled to said network.

18. The network of claim 17, wherein said message protocol is SMTP.

19. The network of claim 17, wherein said protocol for linking a target object to a client is HTTP.

20. The network of claim 17, wherein said deployment server computer is integrated with said intelligent peripheral device.

21. The network of claim 17, wherein said intelligent peripheral device is a multifunction peripheral device.

22. The network of claim 17, wherein said target object is a process for configuring a workstation to use said at least one intelligent peripheral device.

23. A network in which at least one current user is notified of the presence of at least one configuration upgrade for at least one intelligent peripheral device and at least one workstation is conveniently configured to use said at least one configuration upgrade, said network comprising:

(a) at least one intelligent peripheral device communicatively coupled to said network, said intelligent peripheral device having a memory for storing a process for determining whether at least one current user of said intelligent peripheral device needs said at least one configuration upgrade and sending an announcement to said at least one current user;

(b) at least one workstation, said at least one workstation communicatively coupled to said network, said at least one workstation including a workstation memory for storing a message protocol and a protocol for serving a target object to a client; and

(c) at least one deployment server computer for serving a target object to said at least one workstation, said at least one deployment server computer communicatively coupled to said network.

24. The network of claim 23, wherein said target object is a process for configuring said at least one workstation to use said at least one configuration upgrade.