Methods and systems for imaging device control

• US 20060077414A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lum, Joey P., Nguyen, Uoc H., Plewnia, Boguslaw Ludwik, Sojian, Lena, Stevens, Mark Liu
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• 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 1/00352 Input means H04N1/00411 takes precedence; input arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3221 of a job number or identification, e.g. communication number

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for exposing imaging device functions to an application.

Claims

1. A system for exposing imaging device (IDev) functions to an application, said system comprising:

a) an IDev hardware interface for converting application instructions to IDev hardware instructions;

b) an IDev user interface (UI) processor for processing user input and user input requests between said IDev and said application;

c) a system architecture layer (SAL) for translating application requests into a sequence of IDev-independent requests; and

d) a web service module (WSM) for providing a function interface that enables said application to control said IDev.

2. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said function interface comprises a set of SOAP interface methods.

3. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said IDev-independent requests are implemented as IDev-specific operations by said IDev hardware interface.

4. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said application resides on said IDev.

5. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said application resides on a remote computing device (RCD), that is remote to said IDev.

6. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said UI processor accepts input from said IDev user interface.

7. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said UI processor pushes display content from said application to said IDev UI.

8. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said WSM validates a function request from said application.

9. A system as described in claim 8 wherein said WSM performs said validation in conjunction with a library.

10. A system as described in claim 9 wherein said library is an XML library.

11. A system as described in claim 8 wherein said WSM reports faults generated by said validation of said function request.

12. A system as described in claim 8 wherein said function request is a SOAP request.

13. A system for exposing imaging device (IDev) functions to an application, said system comprising:

a) an IDev user interface;

b) a web service module (WSM) for providing a function interface that enables said application to control said IDev; and

c) a user interface (UI) processor for processing information between said IDev user interface and said application.

14. A system as described in claim 13 wherein said IDev user interface displays screens specific to said application.

15. A system as described in claim 14 wherein said application uses a markup language to define said screens.

16. A system as described in claim 13 wherein said application resides on said IDev.

17. A system as described in claim 13 wherein said application resides on a remote computing device (RCD), that is remote to said IDev.

18. A method for exposing imaging device (IDev) functions to an application, said method comprising:

a) receiving a request from an application;

b) translating said request into a sequence of IDev-independent requests; and

c) converting said sequence of IDev-independent requests to IDev hardware instructions.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said request is validated prior to said translating.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said validation is performed in conjunction with a library.