Methods and Systems for Third-Party Control of Remote Imaging Jobs

• US 20080079974A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ferlitsch, Andrew Rodney
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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 3/1237 Print job management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• 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 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for third-party control of remote imaging jobs.

Claims

1. A method for third-party control of a remotely-controlled imaging device, said method comprising:

a) controlling a function on an imaging device (IDev) with a controlling application running on a remote computing device (RCD), which is remote to said IDev;

b) sending a controlling application user interface definition (UID) to a remote user device (RUD), which is remote to said IDev and said RCD, wherein said UID provides for user input related to said IDev function;

c) receiving a user interface (UI) response from said RUD; and

d) converting said UI response to an IDev command.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising sending said IDev command to said IDev thereby initiating said IDev function.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said RUD comprises a generic driver with a programmatic control interface.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein said UI response is also converted into a driver action and said driver action is sent to said generic driver.

5. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving logical pages of an imaging job from said RUD.

6. A method as described in claim 3, further comprising receiving logical pages of an imaging job from said RUD and forwarding said logical pages to said IDev with said IDev command.

7. A method as described in claim 3, wherein said IDev command instructs said IDev to perform said function with logical pages received from said generic driver.

8. A method for third-party control of a remotely-controlled imaging device, said method comprising:

a) providing control of an imaging device (IDev) function to a controlling application running on a remote computing device (RCD), which is remote to said IDev;

b) receiving an IDev command that has been interpreted from a user interface (UI) response from a remote user device (RUD), which has received a controlling application user interface definition (UID) and has displayed UI content according to said UID; and

c) performing said IDev function according to said IDev command.

9. A method as described in claim 8, further comprising receiving logical pages of an imaging job from said RUD.

10. A method as described in claim 8, wherein said IDev command instructs said IDev to perform said function with logical pages received from said RUD.

11. A method as described in claim 8, wherein said IDev command instructs said IDev to perform said function with logical pages received from said generic driver.

12. A method as described in claim 8, wherein control is provided to said controlling application by registration of said controlling application with said IDev.

13. A method as described in claim 8, wherein control is provided to said controlling application by automatic registration of said controlling application after discovery of said controlling application by said IDev with a service discovery protocol.

14. A method for third-party control of a remotely-controlled imaging device, said method comprising:

a) receiving a user interface definition (UID) at a remote user device (RUD), which is remote to an imaging device (IDev) under the control of a controlling application on a remote computing device (RCD), wherein said UID comprises display content for gathering user input related to an IDev function controlled by said RCD;

b) displaying UI content according to said UID;

c) receiving a user input response to said displaying; and

d) sending said user input response to said controlling application on said RCD.

15. A method as described in claim 14, wherein said receiving a UID, said displaying, said receiving a user input and said sending are performed under the direction of an imaging device driver.

16. A method as described in claim 14, wherein said receiving a UID, said displaying, said receiving a user input and said sending are performed under the direction of an imaging device driver under the programmatic control of said controlling application.

17. A method as described in claim 14, wherein said UID is received from an IDev.

18. A method as described in claim 14, wherein said UID is received from an RCD.

19. A method as described in claim 14, further comprising sending logical pages of an imaging job to an IDev.

20. A method as described in claim 14, further comprising sending logical pages of an imaging job to an RCD.