Method and apparatus for device interaction by format
First Claim
1. A method of passing information between two or more information handling devices, there being a means for communication of information between information handling devices, wherein said information transmitted comprises a data format hierarchy and determines the format in which the data is then received thereby, and wherein a receiving device determines the format in which the data is then received by a response to a transmitting device comprising a path through the data format hierarchy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of passing information between two or more information handling devices is described. Such information handling devices might be a printer 342, a personal computer 343, or a scanner 344. Means for communication of information between information handling devices in the form of a network 341 and network connection means 345 exist.
The information transmitted comprises a data format hierarchy, wherein a device intended to receive transmitted data evaluates the data format hierarchy and determines the format in which the data is then received thereby.
Advantageously, the receiving device determines the format in which the data is then received by a response to the transmitting device comprising a path through the data format hierarchy, and all data formats comprise one or more of a plurality of data format types, and wherein for each data format type, there exists a data format receivable by all information handling devices supporting that data format type. It is advantageous in implementation if the method of passing information further comprises requests for content data for a chosen path through the data format hierarchy and responses to such requests.
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Citations
60 Claims
- 1. A method of passing information between two or more information handling devices, there being a means for communication of information between information handling devices, wherein said information transmitted comprises a data format hierarchy and determines the format in which the data is then received thereby, and wherein a receiving device determines the format in which the data is then received by a response to a transmitting device comprising a path through the data format hierarchy.
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21. A method of passing information between two or more information handling devices, there being a means for communication of information between handling devices,
wherein said information transmitted comprises a data format hierarchy, wherein a device intended to receive transmitted data evaluates the data format hierarchy and determines the format in which the data is then received thereby and wherein the method of passing information further comprises requests for content data for a chosen data path through the data format hierarchy and responses to such requests.
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22. A method of passing information to an information processing appliance in a data format suitable for processing by the information processing appliance, comprising:
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sending a tree structure of data format choices to the information processing appliance;
receiving from the information processing appliance a selected data format choice; and
providing the information in the data format of the selected data format choice to the information processing appliance. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
receiving from the information processing appliance a request for further data format choices; and
sending a further tree structure of further data format choices to the information processing appliance;
wherein the selected data format choice is one of said further data format choices.
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25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the tree structure contains a node which defines a basic data type of the information to be provided.
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26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the basic data type is an image.
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27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the basic data type is text.
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28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the basic data type is an assemblage of discrete elements of information, wherein each discrete element of information has its own data format.
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29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the order in which the discrete elements of information are provided may be chosen to be fixed or determinable by the information processing device.
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30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein one of said discrete elements of information is itself an assemblage of discrete elements of information.
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31. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the basic data type is an association of said discrete elements of information.
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32. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the basic data type is a page, wherein said discrete elements of information are to be rendered on the page.
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33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said page possesses two sides and information may be rendered on either side of the page.
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34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the page possesses variable opacity, said opacity determining the degree to which information rendered on one side of the page can be perceived from the other side of the page.
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35. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the tree structure of data format choices contains information determining the ordering of said discrete elements of information on the page.
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36. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the tree structure of data format choices determines whether the position of discrete elements of information on a page may be modified by the information processing device.
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37. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data format choices each represent a format for display or rendering of data by the information processing appliance.
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38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein one of said data format choices in the tree structure is a default data format adapted to be displayable or renderable by all information processing appliances adapted to select a data format choice.
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39. A method of passing information to an information processing appliance in a data format suitable for processing by the information processing appliance, comprising:
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sending a tree structure of data format choices to the information processing appliance, wherein at least one of the data format choices is represented by information provided in an associated data format;
receiving from the information processing appliance a selected data format choice; and
providing the information in the data format of the selected data format choice to the information processing appliance. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A method by which an information processing appliance receives information from an information source, the method comprising:
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receiving a tree structure of data format choices and selecting a data format choice suitable for processing by the information processing appliance;
sending the selected data format choice to the information source; and
receiving the information in the selected data format from the information source. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
determining that further data format choices are required, and sending a request for further data format choices to the information source; and
receiving a further tree structure of further data format choices to the information processing appliance;
wherein the selected data format choice is one of said further data format choices.
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44. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the data format choices each represent a format for display or rendering of data by the information processing appliance.
- 45. An information processing appliance adapted to process information in one or more data formats, the appliance having a communications interface and a processor programmed to select a data format choice suitable for processing by the information processing appliance from a tree structure of data format choices received from an information source through the communications interface, the processor being further programmed to request the selected data format choice from the information source wherein the information processing appliance is adapted to process the information when received in the selected data format.
Specification