Network scan server support method using a web browser

• US 6,289,371 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: McAnaney, David W., Pearson, Daniel R., Kumpf, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/163,791
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 710/8, 710/3, 710/10, 710/19
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• 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

Abstract

An interactive networked client-server scan method launched and actively managed through a web browser interface on a client. A server of the method responds to a universal resource locator address identifying the server with a general purpose format software program that creates an interface in the client web browser and enables the client to interact with the server in initiating, altering and monitoring scan jobs and related data. The server preferably provides peripheral status information to the web browser, and enables the client to initiate preview scans while providing progress updates concerning such scans to the client. Parameter selection and alteration is also a preferred functionality enabled for selection and alteration in the client interface through the general purpose software program provided by the server. The server translates and formats data for the client, and also preferably performs an on-the-fly gamma correction of color data to data prior to transmitting it to the client. Other preferred features include multipage scanning and image scan area selection.

Claims

1. A method for operating a scan peripheral in a network including at least one client having a general purpose software capability in a web user interface application and a server connected to the scan peripheral, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating, by the client, a universal resource locator scan request;

responding, by the server, to said client universal resource locator addressed request by forwarding to the client a general purpose format software program for creating and running a scan web page;

accepting, by the server, a scan job from the client;

implementing, by the server, a scan job program to control a scan peripheral; and

communicating between the server and the client through the general purpose software program to initiate actions of the scan job program which control the scan peripheral and provide user displays through the client.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said communicating comprises a step of dynamically sending scan peripheral status updates from the server to the client.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said client displays the scan peripheral status updates upon receiving them from the server.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the general purpose format software program is a Java applet for execution on a Java Virtual Machine in the web user interface application.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the scan job program obtains a device ID string identifying an appropriate scan language from a peripheral to which the scan job is addressed and selects the appropriate scan language to communicate with the peripheral.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the scan job program in the server controls closing of a scan channel to the peripheral upon completion of a scan job.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the general purpose software program sets a random scan ID upon implementing the scan job program and sends it to the server and the scan job program prevents accepting of scan jobs from other clients until the scan job associated with the scan ID finishes.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of accepting a scan job includes accepting client scan parameters from the general purpose software program of client.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising a step of checking, by the server, the validity of the client scan parameters.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising a step of setting, by the server, default scan parameters to replace any missing scan parameters found in said step of checking.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising a step of notifying by the server, the client of any invalid scan parameters.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of accepting a scan job includes a step of checking for a preview command and, if a preview command is detected, said step of implementing implements preview control of the scan peripheral and then said step of accepting a scan job is repeated.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising a step of providing scan progress information from the server to the client.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the scan job program implements a low resolution scan to implement preview control of the scan peripheral.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the scan job program implements a partial field scan from a selected portion of a previous low resolution scan when said step of accepting as scan job is repeated after a preview control of the scan peripheral.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein said communicating step includes transferring image data from the server to the client, said method further comprising a step of gamma correcting image data prior to transmitting it from the server to the client.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein said communicating step includes transferring image data from the server to the client, said method further comprising a step of adjusting the size of image data prior to transmitting it from the server to the client.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein said communicating step includes transferring image data from the server to the client, said method further comprising a step of converting image data prior to transmitting it from the server to the client.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said step of converting comprises stripping status information from multifunction peripheral data transfer format image data and adding a tagged image file format header and image file directory.

20. A method for operating a scan peripheral in a network including at least one client having a general purpose software capability in a web user interface application and a server connected to the scan peripheral, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating, by the client, a universal resource locator scan request;

responding, by the server, to said client universal resource locator addressed request by forwarding to the client a general purpose format software program for creating and running a scan web page;

accepting, by the server, a scan job from the client;

implementing, by the server, a scan job program to control a scan peripheral;

communicating between the server and the client through the general purpose software program to initiate actions of the scan job program which control the scan peripheral, including transmitting image data from the server to the client and provide user displays through the client,

adjusting the size of image data prior to transmitting it from the server to the clintient;

inserting a tagged image file format header into the image data prior to transmitting it from the serve r to the client;

inserting, by the server, an image file directory including an image length se t by the scan job;

padding, by the server, the image data if the actual length of image data from a completed scan job is less than the length set by the scan job;

truncating, by the server, the image data if the actual length of image data from a completed scan job is greater than the length set by the scan job.

21. A method for operating a scan peripheral in a network including at least one client having a general purpose software capability in a web user interface application and a server connected to the scan peripheral, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating, by the client, a universal resource locator scan request;

responding, by the server, to said client universal resource locator addressed request by forwarding to the client a general purpose format software program for creating and running a scan web page;

accepting, by the server, a scan job from the client;

implementing, by the server, a scan job program to control a scan peripheral;

communicating between the server and the client through the general purpose software program to initiate actions of the scan job program which control the scan peripheral and provide user displays through the client

polling the scan peripheral, prior to said step of accepting, to determine availability status of the scan peripheral;

notifying the client of the availability of the scan peripheral; and

repeating said polling and notifying steps while continuing with said step of accepting.

22. A server for operating a scan peripheral in a network having at least one client with a general purpose software capability in a web user interface application, the server being connected to the scan peripheral via the network, the server comprising:

means for responding to a client generated universal resource locator addressed request and forwarding to the client a general purpose format software program for creating and running a scan web page that can be displayed by the client;

means for accepting a scan job requested by the client using said general purpose format software program;

means for implementing a scan job program to control the scan peripheral; and

,

means for communicating with the client through the general purpose software program to initiate actions of the scan job program which control the scan peripheral and provide data that enables the client to generate user displays relating to the operation of the scan peripheral.