Hard imaging devices, and hard imaging device file system accessing and sharing method

• US 20040254955A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Reese, Curtis, Lay, Daniel Travis, Konsella, Shane
• Granted Patent: US 8,203,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

Hard imaging devices, hard imaging systems, articles of manufacture, hard imaging device file system accessing methods, hard imaging device file system sharing methods are described. According to one aspect, a hard imaging device comprises a communications interface configured to communicate with a communications medium external of the hard imaging device, an image engine configured to form hard images using media, a file system configured to store a plurality of electronic files, processing circuitry having a server system configured to communicate with the file system and at least an external management device or a computer device, and wherein communication with at least the external management device or the computer device is performed using a web sharing protocol.

Claims

1. A hard imaging device comprising:

a communications interface configured to communicate with a communications medium external of the hard imaging device;

an image engine configured to form hard images using media;

a file system configured to store a plurality of electronic files;

processing circuitry having a server system configured to communicate with the file system and at least an external management device or a computer device; and

wherein communication with at least the management device or the computer device is performed using a web sharing protocol.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the server system comprises:

a first server configured to receive user requests from the management device in the web sharing protocol format and produce information of a first format; and

a second server configured to receive the information of the first format for conversion into a second format compatible with the file system, the second server further configured to convert information retrieved from the file system in the second format into the first format.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first server is an embedded web server (EWS).

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the second server is an embedded virtual machine (EVM) server.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the web sharing protocol is a HTTP protocol.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more electronic files of the file system are configured as shared files.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein a user having access to the hard imaging device is enabled to map the shared files to a file system of the user'"'"'s local computer.

8. A hard imaging system comprising:

one or more client computers communicatively coupled to a communications medium;

a plurality of hard imaging devices individually comprising;

a communications interface configured to communicate with the communications medium external of the respective hard imaging device;

an image engine configured to form hard images using media;

a file system configured to store a plurality of electronic files;

processing circuitry having a server system configured to communicate with the file system and at least a management device or a client computer, the communication with the management device or the;

client computer performed using a web sharing protocol; and

the management device and the client computer individually comprising;

communications interface configured to communicate with the communications medium and the hard imaging devices; and

processing circuitry configured to access and display the file systems of the respective hard imaging devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the server system comprises:

a first server configured to receive user requests from the management device in the web sharing protocol format and produce information of a first format; and

a second server configured to receive the information of the first format for conversion into a second format compatible with the file system, the second server further configured to convert information retrieved from the file system in the second format into the first format.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first server is an embedded web server (EWS).

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second server is an embedded virtual machine (EWM) server.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the web sharing protocol is a HTTP protocol.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry of the management device is configured to designate contents of the file system of the respective hard imaging device as shared files, and wherein the shared files are configured for sharing with users of the one or more client computers configured to communicate with respective hard imaging devices.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein users of the one or more client computers are enabled to copy a new electronic file to the file system of the respective hard imaging device, configured as a shared file system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein users of the one or more client computers are enabled to map the file system, designated as the shared file system, of the respective hard imaging device to a file system local to the one or more client computers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein users of the one or more client computers are enabled to modify contents of the shared file system.

17. A hard imaging device file system accessing method comprising:

providing a hard imaging device configured to form hard copy images upon media;

providing a hard imaging management device;

communicatively coupling the hard imaging device and the hard imaging management device to permit communication of data therebetween;

enabling a user of the management device to access a file system of the hard imaging device, the accessing performed using a web sharing communication protocol;

enabling the user to browse contents of the file system of the hard imaging device, the contents having one or more electronic files; and

displaying the contents of file system to the user via a user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

enabling the user to interact with the file system via the user interface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the web sharing communication protocol is an HTTP protocol.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein interaction with the file system comprises enabling the user to navigate the file system.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

enabling the user to selectively designate the one or more electronic files of the file system for sharing with a user of a client computer having access to the hard imaging device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the sharing comprises enabling the user of the client computer to browse contents of the one or more electronic files configured as shared files.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the sharing includes enabling the user of the client computer to map the one or more electronic files of the file system of the hard imaging device to a file system local to the client computer.

24. A hard imaging device file sharing method comprising:

providing a hard imaging device communicatively coupled with a communication network;

configuring a management device to access the hard imaging device using an internet protocol;

enabling a user of the management device to browse and display a file system of the hard imaging device on a user interface of the management device; and

enabling the user to select contents of the file system for sharing with a user of a client computer having access to the hard imaging device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the accessing the hard imaging device comprising:

receiving internet protocol requests from the management device in a first server;

configuring the first server to convert the internet protocol requests into instructions of a first format;

receiving instructions of the first format from the first server in a second server; and

configuring the second server to convert the instructions in the first format into instructions of a second format compatible with the file system of the hard imaging device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

configuring the second server to receive and convert information from the file system of the hard imaging device into information of the first format;

configuring the first server to convert information of the first format received from the second server into a format compatible for display on the user interface of the management device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the internet protocol is an HTTP protocol.

28. A hard imaging device comprising:

imaging means for hard imaging images using media;

storage means for storing a file system comprising a plurality of electronic files pertinent to hard imaging operations of the hard imaging device for forming the hard images using media;

a server means configured to communicate with the storage means and an external management means, the server means further configured for implementing communications externally of the hard imaging device including outputting data regarding the file system and receiving a communication originated externally of the hard imaging device, and selecting one or more of the electronic files of the file system for sharing with other users of the hard imaging device responsive to the communication; and

wherein communication with the external management means is performed using a web sharing protocol.

29. An article of manufacture comprising:

processor-usable media comprising programming configured to cause a server system of a hard imaging device to;

access a file system of the hard imaging device responsive to a communication originating from externally of the hard imaging device;

output contents of the file system to an external management device responsive to the communication; and

select one or more electronic files of the file system for sharing with other users of the hard imaging device responsive to the communication.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the programming comprises programming configured to cause the server system to select one or more electronic files of the file system for sharing with other users of the hard imaging device.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the programming comprises programming configured to cause the server system to modify one or more of the electronic files selected for sharing.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the programming comprises programming configured to map the one or more files selected for sharing to a local computer file system of an external user having access to the hard imaging device.

33. A hard imaging device file sharing method comprising:

providing a management device, one or more client computers, and a hard imaging device, all communicatively coupled to a communication network;

accessing an electronic address of the hard imaging device using the management device;

browsing to the hard imaging device using the management device responsive to the accessing;

retrieving information regarding hard imaging device file system responsive to the browsing; and

displaying the retrieved information on a display device of the management system.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

enabling a user of the management device to selectively configure contents of the file system as shared files; and

enabling users of the one or more client computers to access and modify the shared files.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

enabling users of the one or more client computers to map the shared files to a directory structure local to the one or more client computers.