META DATA CUSTOMIZING METHOD

• US 20080046460A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: YAMAMOTO, Yohei
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• 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 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 Processing of the additional information

Abstract

A user apparatus makes a meta data obtaining request to a delivering apparatus, the request including designation of an element to customize, which element exists in a predetermined location of a description of the structured language of the meta data to obtain, as well as format designation designating a variable to be located in the element and a format thereof. The delivering apparatus every time dynamically replaces the contents of the corresponding element of the description of the structured language of the meta data to output, with a value corresponding to the variable and the format designated by the format designation, based on the designation of the element and the format designation, according to different requests from respective user apparatuses.

Claims

1. A meta data customizing method for customizing meta data in a system in which the meta data is delivered from a delivering apparatus having a function to deliver the meta data which is described in a structured language, to a user apparatus, and the meta data is used, comprising:

making a meta data obtaining request to the delivering apparatus from the user apparatus, the request comprising designation of an element to customize, which element exists in a predetermined location of a description of the structured language of the meta data to obtain, as well as format designation designating a variable to be located in the element and a format thereof; and

every time dynamically replacing the contents of the corresponding element of the description of the structured language of the meta data to output, with a value corresponding to the variable and the format designated by the format designation, based on the designation of the element and the format designation, according to different requests from respective user apparatuses, in the delivering apparatus.

2. The meta data customizing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

holding a template for generating the meta data; and

temporarily replacing the contents of the corresponding element of the description of the structured language designated by the meta data obtaining request, in the template, with the variable and the format designated by the format designation.

3. The meta data customizing method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

holding a plurality of the templates; and

including, in the meta data obtaining request, a description to designate one of the plurality of templates.

4. The meta data customizing method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

replacing the contents of the element of the description of the structured language designated by the meta data obtaining request, in the meta data, with the contents of another element corresponding to the designated format.

5. The meta data customizing method as claimed in claim 4, comprising:

replacing the contents of the element of the description of the structured language designated by the meta data obtaining request, in the meta data, with the contents of an extension tag corresponding to the variable of the format designation of the meta data obtaining request.

6. The meta data customizing method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

designating the element in the meta data obtaining request by a relative position from a predetermined element.

7. A meta data customizing method for customizing meta data in a system in which the meta data is delivered from a delivering apparatus having a function to deliver the meta data which is described in a structured language, to a user apparatus, and the meta data is used, comprising:

an external server other than the delivering apparatus, collecting the meta data from the delivering apparatus;

the user apparatus making a meta data obtaining request to the external server, the request comprising designation of an element to customize, which element exists in a predetermined location of a description of the structured language of the meta data to obtain, as well as format designation designating a variable to be located in the element and a format thereof; and

the external server every time dynamically replacing the contents of the corresponding element of the description of the structured language of the meta data to output, with a value corresponding to the variable and the format designated by the format designation, based on the designation of the element and the format designation, according to different requests from respective user apparatuses.

8. The meta data customizing method as claimed in claim 7, comprising:

the external server previously collecting the meta data from a plurality of the delivering apparatuses.

9. A delivering apparatus in a system in which meta data is delivered from the delivering apparatus having a function to deliver the meta data which is described in a structured language, to a user apparatus, and the meta data is used, comprising:

a part configured to receive a meta data obtaining request from the user apparatus or an external server, which request comprises designation of an element to customize, which element exists in a predetermined location of a description of the structured language of the meta data to obtain, as well as format designation designating a variable to be located in the element and a format thereof;

a part configured to every time dynamically replace the contents of the corresponding element of the description of the structured language of the meta data to output, with a value corresponding to the variable and the format designated by the format designation, based on the designation of the element and the format designation, according to different requests from respective user apparatuses; and

a part configured to return the meta data in which the replacement is thus made, to the request source.

10. An external server in a system in which meta data is delivered from a delivering apparatus having a function to deliver the meta data which is described in a structured language, to a user apparatus, and the meta data is used, comprising:

a part configured to collect the meta data from the delivering apparatus;

a part configured to receive a meta data obtaining request to from the user apparatus, which request comprises designation of an element to customize, which element exists in a predetermined location of a description of the structured language of the meta data to obtain, as well as format designation designating a variable to be located in the element and a format thereof;

a part configured to every time dynamically replace the contents of the corresponding element of the description of the structured language of the meta data to output, with a value corresponding to the variable and the format designated by the format designation, based on the designation of the element and the format designation, according to different requests from respective user apparatuses; and

a part configured to return the meta data in which the replacement is thus made, to the request source.