SYSTEM INCLUDING OPERATION DEVICE AND INFORMATION STORING APPARATUS, METHOD PERFORMED BY THE SYSTEM, AND THE INFORMATION STORING APPARATUS

• US 20160004493A1
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: YAMADA, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,389,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1245 by conversion to intermediate or common format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• 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

Abstract

A system includes an operation device and an information storing apparatus, which are connected via a network. The operation device determines, based on information input from the outside of the operation device in response to an operation performed on the operation device, an electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices connected to the system, for causing the electronic device to input electronic data to the information storing apparatus, and sends, to the information storing apparatus, a first request to cause the determined electronic device to input the electronic data to the information storing apparatus. The information storing apparatus sends, to the determined electronic device, a second request based on the first request sent from the operation device, and stores the electronic data that has been sent from the determined electronic device based on the sent second request.

Claims

1. A system including an operation device and an information storing apparatus including one or more storage areas, which are connected via a network,

wherein the operation device includes a first processor and a first memory storing a first program, the first processor performing the following steps by executing the first program stored in the first memory:

obtaining information of the one or more storage areas from the information storing apparatus;

displaying the one or more storage areas based on the information of the one or more storage areas obtained from the information storing apparatus;

receiving a selection of one storage area from the displayed one or more storage areas;

determining an electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices connected to the system, the electronic device that is to be caused to input electronic data to the selected one storage area being determined based on information input from the outside of the operation device in response to an operation performed on the operation device, the selected one storage area being included in the information storing apparatus;

sending the determined electronic device a first request to cause the determined electronic device to input the electronic data to the operation device; and

sending the electronic data sent from the determined electronic device in response to the first request, to the selected one storage area of the information storing apparatus, and

wherein the information storing apparatus includes a second processor and a second memory storing a second program and including the one or more storage areas, the second processor performing the following step by executing the second program;

storing the electronic data sent from the operation device in the selected one storage area included in the second memory.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first processor of the operation device performs the following steps by executing the first program:

obtaining information of one or more folders included in the information storing apparatus from the information storing apparatus;

displaying the one or more folders based on the obtained information of the one or more folders; and

receiving a selection of one folder from the displayed one or more folders;

determining a scanner among the plurality of electronic devices connected to the system based on information obtained from a two-dimensional code obtained by photographing an image of the scanner;

sending the determined scanner the first request to cause the determined scanner to input scan data to the operation device; and

sending scan data sent from the determined scanner in response to the first request to the one folder in the information storing apparatus, and

wherein the second memory of the information storing apparatus includes the one or more folders, the second processor performing the following step by executing the second program;

storing the scan data sent from the operation device in the one folder.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the second memory of the information storing apparatus stores a process to be performed by associating the process to be performed with the electronic data stored in the selected one storage area, and

wherein the second processor performs the following steps by executing the second program:

storing the electronic data sent from the operation device in the selected one storage area; and

performing the process to be performed stored being associated with the electronic data stored in the selected one storage area.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first processor of the operation device performs the following steps by executing the first program:

determining a second electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices connected to the system, the second electronic device that is to be caused to input second electronic data to the selected one storage area being determined based on information input from the outside of the operation device in response to the operation performed on the operation device, the selected one storage area being included in the information storing apparatus; and

sending the second determined electronic device a second request to cause the second determined electronic device to input the second electronic data to the operation device,

wherein the second processor of the information storing apparatus performs the following steps by executing the second program;

sending the second determined electronic device a third request to cause the second determined electronic device to input the second electronic data to the selected one storage area based on the second request sent from the operation device; and

storing the second electronic data sent from the second electronic device in the selected one storage area.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the second processor of the information storing apparatus performs the following step by executing the second program:

causing the one electronic device to display a two-dimensional code including information to identify the one electronic device.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the first processor of the operation device performs the following step by executing the first program:

sending a second storage area of the information storing apparatus a file including the second request to cause the second determined electronic device to input the electronic data to the information storing device, and

wherein the second processor of the information storing apparatus performs the following steps by executing the second program;

detecting whether the file is stored in the second storage area; and

sending the third request to cause the second electronic device to input the electronic data to the second storage area included in the information storing apparatus to the second electronic device based on the second request included in the file upon detecting that the file is stored in the second storage area.

7. A system in which an operation device and an information storing apparatus including one or more storage areas are connected with each other via a network,

wherein the operation device includes a first processor and a first memory storing a first program, the first processor performing the following steps by executing the first program stored in the first memory:

obtaining information of the one or more storage areas from the information storing apparatus;

displaying the one or more storage areas based on the information of the one or more storage areas obtained from the information storing apparatus;

receiving a selection of one storage area from the displayed one or more storage areas;

determining an electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices connected to the system, the electronic device that is to be caused to input electronic data to the selected one storage area being determined based on information input from the outside of the operation device in response to an operation performed on the operation device, the selected one storage area being included in the information storing apparatus;

sending the determined electronic device a first request to cause the determined electronic device to input the electronic data to the operation device; and

sending the electronic data sent from the determined electronic device in response to the first request, to the selected one storage area of the information storing apparatus.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a first program to cause a first processor included in an operation device to perform the following steps by installing the first program in a first memory included in the operation device, the operation device being connected to an information storing apparatus including one or more storage areas via a network, comprising the steps of:

obtaining information of the one or more storage areas from the information storing apparatus;

displaying the one or more storage areas based on the information of the one or more storage areas obtained from the information storing apparatus;

receiving a selection of one storage area from the displayed one or more storage areas;

determining an electronic device among a plurality of electronic devices connected to the system, the electronic device that is to be caused to input electronic data to the selected one storage area being determined based on information input from the outside of the operation device in response to an operation performed on the operation device, the selected one storage area being included in the information storing apparatus;

sending the determined electronic device a first request to cause the determined electronic device to input the electronic data to the operation device; and

sending the electronic data sent from the determined electronic device in response to the first request, to the selected one storage area of the information storing apparatus.