System and method for automatically selecting a digital sending functionality

• US 6,801,955 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Dunlap, Kendra L., Josephsen, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casiano, Angel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/825,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 710/2, 710/5, 710/6, 710/8, 710/10, 710/14, 710/15, 710/16, 710/33, 710/62, 710/65, 710/67, 710/72, 710/58, 345/156, 712/405
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically selecting digital sending functionality are provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving input of a character, determining the nature of the character, determining whether a digital sending trigger has been satisfied, and where a digital sending trigger has been satisfied, automatically selecting a digital sending functionality based upon the type of the trigger. In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a multi-function peripheral device capable of photocopying, e-mailing, and faxing documents. The device comprises a device operation module adapted to: evaluate characters received via the control panel, determine whether the user desires to photocopy, e-mail, or fax based upon the received characters, and automatically enable and initiate the desired functionality.

Claims

1. A method for automatically selecting a digital sending functionality of a digital sending device, the digital sending functionality comprising e-mailing and faxing, said method comprising:

receiving, at the device, a hardcopy document for scanning by the device;

displaying, at the device, a default screen operative to display characters input by an operator;

receiving, at the device, input of a character;

displaying the character with the default screen;

determining, at the device, the nature of the character;

determining whether a digital sending trigger of the device has been satisfied based on the nature of the character such that, if it is determined that the character is a letter, a digital sending e-mail trigger has been satisfied; and

where a digital sending trigger of the device has been satisfied, automatically selecting a digital sending functionality of the device based upon the type of the trigger such that, if the digital sending e-mail trigger has been satisfied, e-mailing functionality of the device is automatically selected with a “

to”

text field for e-mailing information corresponding to the hardcopy document being automatically populated with the character.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input of a character comprises receiving an input from a control panel having a plurality of alphabetic and numeric keys.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a digital sending trigger has been satisfied comprises determining whether a digital sending fax trigger has been satisfied based on the nature of the character such that, if the digital sending fax trigger has been satisfied, facsimile functionality of the device is automatically selected with a “

to”

text field for faxing information corresponding to the hardcopy document being automatically populated with the character.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fax trigger comprises receipt of a string of several numeric characters in a row.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fax trigger comprises receipt of a string of four numbers in a row.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein another e-mail trigger comprises receipt of an “

@”

symbol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein another e-mail trigger comprises receipt of a top level domain (TLD) string.

8. A method for automatically selecting a functionality of a digital sending device, the functionality comprising copying, e-mailing and faxing, said method comprising:

receiving, at the device, a hardcopy document for scanning by the device;

in response to receiving the hardcopy document, displaying, at the device, a default screen operative to display characters input by an operator;

receiving, at the device, manual input of a character by the operator;

in response to receiving the manual input of the character by the operator, displaying the character with the default screen;

determining, at the device, the nature of the character input by the operator; and

determining whether a trigger of the device has been satisfied based on the nature of the character such that;

if it is determined that the character is not associated with a destination address to which information corresponding to the hardcopy document is to be sent, copying functionality of the device is automatically selected, and a number of copies of the hardcopy document corresponding to the character is printed by the device;

if it is determined that the character is associated with a destination address to which information corresponding to the hardcopy document is to be sent and;

an e-mail trigger has been satisfied, emailing functionality of the device is automatically selected, and a “

to”

text field of the device operative to display a destination address is automatically populated with the character for e-mailing the information corresponding to the hardcopy document; and

a facsimile trigger has been satisfied, faxing functionality of the device is automatically selected, and a “

to”

text field of the device operative to display a destination address is automatically populated with the character for faxing the information corresponding to the hardcopy document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the e-mail trigger comprises receipt of an “

@”

symbol.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the e-mail trigger comprises receipt of a top level domain (TLD) string.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the facsimile trigger comprises receipt of a string of several numeric characters in a row.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the facsimile trigger comprises receipt of a string of four numbers in a row.

13. A system on a computer-readable medium for automatically selecting functionality of a digital sending device, the digital sending device being operative to receive a hardcopy document for scanning, the functionality comprising copying, e-mailing and faxing, said system comprising:

logic configured to display a default screen operative to display characters input by an operator;

logic configured to receive input of a character by the operator;

logic configured to displaying the character with the default screen in response to receiving the input of the character by the operator;

logic configured to determine the nature of the character input by the operator; and

logic configured to determine whether a trigger of the device has been satisfied based on the nature of the character such that;

if it is determined that the character is not associated with a destination address to which information corresponding to a hardcopy document is to be sent, copying functionality of the device is automatically selected, and a number of copies of the hardcopy document corresponding to the character is printed by the device;

if it is determined that the character is associated with a destination address to which information corresponding to the hardcopy document is to be sent and;

an e-mail trigger has been satisfied, emailing functionality of the device is automatically selected, and a “

to”

text field of the device operative to display a destination address is automatically populated with the character for e-mailing the information corresponding to the hardcopy document; and

a facsimile trigger has been satisfied, faxing functionality of the device is automatically selected, and a “

to”

text field of the device operative to display a destination address is automatically populated with the character for faxing the information corresponding to the hardcopy document.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the logic configured to receive input of a character comprises logic configured to receive an input from a control panel having a plurality of alphabetic and numeric keys.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the logic configured to determine the nature of the character comprises logic configured to determine whether the character is a letter, number or symbol.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the logic configured to determine whether a digital sending trigger has been satisfied comprises logic configured to determine whether an e-mail trigger or a fax trigger has been satisfied.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the e-mail trigger comprises receipt of an “

@”

symbol.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the e-mail trigger comprises receipt of a top level domain (TLD) string.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the fax trigger comprises receipt of a string of several numeric characters in a row.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the fax trigger comprises receipt of a string of four numbers in a row.