User interfaces for peripheral configuration

• US 20060206628A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Erez, Chet
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• 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 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Systems and methods consistent with embodiments of the present invention provide a method for the configuration of peripheral devices. In some methods for configuring peripheral devices, configuration options available for a peripheral device are enumerated and listed as files associated with a virtual drive representing the peripheral device. In some embodiments the files may be given descriptive names related to the configuration options they represent. In some embodiments, icons in a user window may denote the virtual drive, and its associated files and folders. In some methods for configuring peripheral devices, when the icon for a file associated with the virtual drive is dragged onto the icon for the virtual drive, the configuration of the scanning device associated with the virtual drive is automatically changed to match the configuration associated with the file.

Claims

1. A method for representing configuration options available on a peripheral device comprising:

determining the availability of the peripheral device;

querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options;

selecting a subset of the available configuration options;

representing the peripheral device as a virtual drive; and

associating files representing combinations of the selected configuration options, with the virtual drive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the availability of the peripheral device comprises examining a list of accessible peripheral devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options further comprises:

sending messages to the peripheral device requesting available configuration options in accordance with a protocol supported by the device;

receiving responses to the sent messages from the peripheral device; and

determining the configuration options available on the peripheral device based on information contained in the responses received from the peripheral device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options further comprises:

sending messages to a device manager for the peripheral device;

receiving responses to the sent messages from the device manager; and

determining the configuration options available on the peripheral device based on information contained in the responses received from the device manager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein representing the peripheral device as a virtual drive further comprises depicting the peripheral device as an icon in a user-interface to a desktop and file management system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of configuration options selected consists of frequently used user configurations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein associating files representing combinations of the selected configuration options, with the virtual drive further comprises populating a directory associated with the peripheral device with the files, wherein the configuration combination represented by each file is specified as part of the file name.

9. A method for configuring a peripheral device represented as a virtual drive comprising:

detecting the initiation of a file copy to the virtual drive, of a file corresponding to a combination of configuration options associated with the peripheral device;

determining configuration parameters associated with the file; and

configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the peripheral device is a scanner.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters further comprises sending a message to the device with options to change the configuration of the device, in accordance with a protocol supported by the device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters further comprises sending a message with options to change the configuration of the device, to a device manager for the device.

13. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which when executed by a computer perform steps in a method for representing configuration options available on a peripheral device, the steps comprising:

determining the availability of a peripheral device;

querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options;

selecting a subset of the available configuration options;

representing the peripheral device as a virtual drive; and

associating files representing combinations of the selected configuration options with the virtual drive.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options further comprises:

sending messages to the peripheral device requesting available configuration options in accordance with a protocol supported by the device;

receiving responses to the sent messages from the peripheral device; and

determining the configuration options available on the peripheral device based on information contained in the responses received from the peripheral device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options further comprises:

sending messages to a device manager for the peripheral device;

receiving responses to the sent messages from the device manager; and

determining the configuration options available on the peripheral device based on information contained in the responses received from the device manager.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein representing the peripheral device as a virtual drive further comprises depicting the peripheral device as an icon in a user-interface to a desktop and file management system.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein associating files representing combinations of the configuration options, with the virtual drive further comprises populating a directory associated with the peripheral device with the files, wherein the configuration combination represented by each file is specified as part of the file name.

18. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which when executed by a computer perform steps in a method for configuring a peripheral device represented as a virtual drive, the steps comprising:

detecting the initiation of a file copy to the virtual drive, of a file corresponding to a combination of configuration options associated with the peripheral device;

determining configuration parameters associated with the file; and

configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters further comprises sending a message with options to change the configuration of the device in accordance with a protocol supported by the device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters further comprises sending a message with options to change the configuration of the device, to a device manager for the device.

21. A computer processor executing instructions that perform steps in a method for representing configuration options available on a peripheral device, the steps comprising:

determining the availability of the peripheral device;

querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options;

selecting a subset of the available configuration options;

representing the peripheral device as a virtual drive; and

associating files representing combinations of the configuration options, with the virtual drive.

22. A computer processor executing instructions that perform steps in a method for configuring a peripheral device represented as a virtual drive, the steps comprising:

detecting the initiation of a file copy to a virtual drive representing a peripheral device, of a file corresponding to a combination of configuration options associated with the peripheral device;

determining configuration parameters associated with the file; and

configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters.

23. A computer readable memory containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform steps in a method for representing configuration options available on a peripheral device:

determining the availability of the peripheral device;

querying the peripheral device regarding available configuration options;

selecting a subset of the available configuration options;

representing the peripheral device as a virtual drive; and

associating files representing combinations of the configuration options, with the virtual drive.

24. A computer readable memory containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform steps in a method for configuring a peripheral device represented as a virtual drive, the steps comprising:

detecting the initiation of a file copy to the virtual drive, of a file corresponding to a combination of configuration options associated with the peripheral device;

determining configuration parameters associated with the file; and

configuring the peripheral device based on the configuration parameters.

25. A computer system, including at least one configurable peripheral, configured to perform steps in method for representing configuration options available on a peripheral device, the steps comprising:

determining the availability of the at least one configurable peripheral device;

querying the at least one configurable peripheral device for configuration options;

selecting a subset of the configuration options;

representing the at least one configurable peripheral device as a virtual drive; and

associating files representing combinations of the configuration options with the virtual drive.

26. A computer system, including at least one configurable peripheral represented as a virtual drive, configured to perform steps in method for configuring the at least one peripheral device, the steps comprising:

detecting the initiation of a file copy to the virtual drive, of a file corresponding to a combination of configuration options associated with the at least one peripheral device;

determining configuration parameters associated with the file; and

configuring the at least one peripheral device based on the configuration parameters.

27. A method for configuring an image scanner in a system comprising a computer and an image scanner, comprising:

representing the scanner as a virtual drive on the computer;

associating files representing scanner configuration options with the virtual drive;

detecting the initiation of a file copy to the virtual drive, of a file corresponding to a combination of configuration options associated with the scanner;

determining configuration parameters associated with the file; and

configuring the scanner based on the configuration parameters.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein associating files representing scanner configuration options with the virtual drive further comprises:

querying the scanner for configuration options;

selecting a subset of the configuration options; and

populating a directory associated with the virtual drive with files, wherein each file represents a configuration combination that is specified as part of the file name.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the selected scanner configuration options comprise at least one of output data format, bit depth, or scan resolution.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the configuration options include a directory on the personal computer, where scanned data is stored.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein configuring the scanner based on the configuration parameters further comprises sending an instruction to the scanner to start the scanning operation.