Method and system for providing location based electronic device configuration and confirmation

• US 20070153317A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Klein, Udo
• Application Number:
  US11/322,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20070153317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• 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 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

A software method and/or system is provided which may automatically determine the closest printer(s), or other electronic device(s) associated with the same network, to the user'"'"'s computer location. The user may also use this tool to identify the closest printer(s) or electronic device(s) with specific capabilities. This software method and/or system will notify the user if the user attempts to print to a printer or use another electronic device which is not in close proximity to the user'"'"'s present determined location. A user who frequently prints to printers which are not in close proximity to his computer may disable warning messages from appearing in the future.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a terminal in use with an electronic device on a network, comprising:

identifying a location of the terminal in use on the network;

determining automatically a location of the electronic device on the network in closest proximity to the location of the terminal; and

configuring a connection between the terminal in use and the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic determining of the location of the electronic device includes:

comparing a directory tree of locations of the electronic device and other electronic devices with the identified location of the terminal in use on the network,

wherein the electronic device in closest proximity to the terminal is the electronic device having a set of location parameters which match closest to a set of location parameters of the terminal on the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of location parameters includes at least one of a geographic location, a building location, and a floor location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a printer, a photocopier, a plotter, a scanner, and a facsimile machine.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

requesting by the user for a function of the electronic device which triggers the identifying of the terminal in use, and determining automatically the location of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the function of the electronic device requested is at least one of a print function, a copy function, a fax function, a plot function, and a scan function.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing first the location of any default electronic device associated with the terminal in use with the location of the other electronic devices determined.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a message to the user if the default electronic device is not the electronic device on the network in closest proximity to the location of the terminal.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying of the location of the terminal in use is determined using the port address of the terminal.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying of the location of the terminal in use is determined by detecting the GPS coordinates of the terminal.

11. A method of configuring a terminal in use with a closest proximity electronic device on a network, comprising:

identifying a profile of a user, the profile containing a location of a default electronic device;

identifying a location of the terminal in use by the user;

in response to a request to use the default electronic device, comparing the location of the default electronic device with the location of the terminal in use;

comparing a location of other same type electronic devices with the location of the terminal in use;

identifying a closest proximity electronic device by determining whether the location of the default electronic device is within a same location range as the location of other same type electronic devices; and

configuring a connection between the terminal in use and the closest proximity electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is at least one of a printer, a photocopier, a plotter, a scanner, and a facsimile machine.

13. A system for configuration of a closest proximity electronic device with a terminal, comprising:

a location parameter set associated with the terminal;

a respective location parameter set associated with at least one electronic device;

a predetermined rule set for determining closest proximity,

wherein, in response to a request for use of one of the at least one electronic device, a comparison of the respective location parameter sets associated with the terminal and with at least one electronic device is executed using the predetermined rule set for determining closest proximity, and a connection is configured between the terminal and the respective electronic device determined to be in closest proximity.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined rule set is a database of at least one location parameter in a specific order of preference.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one location parameter includes at least one of a country location, a city location, a building location, and a floor location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the specific order of preference establishes that the closest proximity electronic device is that whose respective location parameters match with the most at least one location parameter having higher preference order.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of causing a processor to implement a method comprising:

identifying a location of the processor in use on the network;

determining automatically a location of a electronic device on the network in closest proximity to the location of the processor; and

configuring a connection between the processor in use and the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the automatic determining of the location of the electronic device includes:

comparing a directory tree of locations of the electronic device and other electronic devices with the identified location of the processor in use on the network,

wherein the electronic device in closest proximity to the processor is the electronic device having a set of location parameters which match closest to a set of location parameters of the processor on the network.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

requesting by the user for a function of the electronic device which triggers the identifying of the processor in use, and determining automatically the location of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the function of the electronic device requested is at least one of a print function, a fax function, a plot function, a scan function, and a photocopy function.