Computer peripheral device and a processing system having a hypertext interpretation section and control method therefor

• US 6,983,415 B2
• Filed: 03/25/1998
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shima, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BASHORE, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/047,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,841 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/6, 707/10, 707/501.1, 707/513, 345/428, 709/218, 709/321, 712/36, 715/501.1, 715/513
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus

Abstract

A web browser section provided in a scanner comprises a management table for relating URLs and setup values to each other and managing them and a URL interpretation section. A URL entered from a web browser installed in an information terminal is converted into a setup value by the URL interpretation section. The setup value is set in a drive control section through a setting section, whereby an image is read under a desired read condition.

Claims

1. An image information input-output unit comprising:

a hypertext information retrieval environment;

image processing means for processing of image information based on a control information;

management means for managing an URL information, which is recordable in the hypertext information retrieval environment, and said control information in correspondence with each other, said URL information having a function of designating a plural of setting values simultaneously;

conversion means for looking up in said management means based on the entered URL information and converting the URL information into the predetermined control information; and

control means for controlling operation of said image processing means based on the control information into which the retrieval information is converted by said conversion means.

2. The image information input-output unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said management means relates a sample image generation request to predetermined retrieval information for managing them, and wherein

said information retrieving means comprises:

sample image generation means for generating prediction results of image information input-output processing based on a plurality of preset control information pieces as sample images if the sample image generation request occurs as the predetermined retrieval information is entered;

sample image list information generation means for generating sample image list information for relating the retrieval information pieces corresponding to the sample images to the sample images and listing the same; and

transfer means for transferring the sample image list information to the retrieval information entry source.

3. A control method for controlling an image information input-output unit comprising a hypertext information retrieval environment and management means for managing retrieval information and control information in correspondence with each other for driving image processing means based on the control information, thereby performing input-output processing of image information, said control method comprising the steps of:

receiving the retrieval information;

looking up in said management means based on the received retrieval information and converting the retrieval information into the predetermined control information;

controlling operation of said image processing means based on the control information into which the retrieval information is converted; and

transferring image information provided by said image processing means to an entry source of the retrieval information.

4. The control method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

relating a sample image generation request to predetermined retrieval information for managing them in said management means;

determining whether or not the sample image generation request is received;

generating prediction results of image information input-output processing based on a plurality of preset control information pieces as sample images if the sample image generation request is received;

generating sample image list information for relating the retrieval information pieces corresponding to the sample images to the sample images and listing the same; and

transferring the sample image list information to the retrieval information entry source.

5. The control method as claimed in claim 3 or 4, further comprising the step of receiving data to be processed by said image processing means.

6. An image information processing system comprising:

an image information input-output unit having a hypertext information retrieval environment; and

an information terminal having read retrieval means for reading and retrieving the information retrieval environment,

wherein said image information input-output unit comprises,

management means for managing retrieval information and the control information in correspondence with each other,

conversion means for looking up in said management means based on the retrieval information entered through said read retrieval means and converting the retrieval information into predetermined control information, and

control means for controlling operation of image processing means based on the control information into which the retrieval information is converted by said conversion means.

7. The image information processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said management means relates a sample image generation request to predetermined retrieval information for managing them, and wherein

said information retrieval environment comprises:

sample image generation means for generating prediction results of image information input-output processing based on a plurality of preset control information pieces as sample images if the sample image generation request occurs as the predetermined retrieval information is received from said read retrieval means;

sample image list information generation means for generating sample image list information for relating the retrieval information pieces corresponding to the sample images to the sample images and listing the same; and

transfer means for transferring the sample image list information to said read retrieval means.

8. An image information input-output unit for driving image processing means based on control information, thereby performing input-output processing of image information, said image information input-output unit comprising:

management means for managing control information and command information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means in correspondence with each other;

reception means for receiving a request for transferring a processing list information indicating the processing items processed by said image processing means;

processing list information generation means for relating command information pieces to the processing list information pieces and returning the information pieces to the processing list information transfer requester if the processing list information transfer request is received;

conversion means for converting the command information into predetermined control information based on said management means if the command information is entered based on the processing list information; and

control means for causing said image processing means to perform the processing item based on the predetermined control information into which the command information is converted.

9. The image information input-output unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processing list information is information listing prediction results of image processing performed by said image processing means as sample images.

10. An image information processing system comprising:

an image information input-output unit for driving image processing means based on control information, thereby performing input-output processing of image information; and

an information terminal for entering information in said image information input-output unit, thereby causing said image information input-output unit to perform desired image processing, wherein

said image information input-output unit comprises,

management means for managing control information and command information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means in correspondence with each other,

reception means for receiving a request for transferring a processing list information indicating the processing items processed by said image processing means from said information terminal,

processing list information generation means for relating command information pieces to the processing list information pieces and returning the information pieces to said information terminal if the processing list information transfer request is received,

conversion means for converting the command information into predetermined control information based on said management means if the command information is entered from said information terminal based on the processing list information, and

control means for causing said image processing means to perform the processing item based on the predetermined control information into which the command information is converted, and wherein

said information terminal comprises,

processing list information transfer request generation means for generating the processing list information transfer request,

selection means for selecting a desired processing item based on the processing list information returned from said processing list information generation means; and

selection information input means for entering the command information related to the selected processing item in said image information input-output unit.

11. The image information processing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processing list information is information listing prediction results of image processing performed by said image processing means as sample images.

12. The image information processing system as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein said information terminal further includes storage means for saving the selected command information.

13. A program recording medium for recording a computer-readable program for driving image processing means based on control information, thereby performing input-output processing of image information, said program recording medium for recording the program for causing a computer to provide:

a function of generating a hypertext information retrieval environment;

a management function of managing a URL information, using the information retrieval environment obtained from the hypertext information retrieval environment obtained from the hypertext information retrieval environment, and the control information in correspondence with each other, said URL information having a function of designating a plural of setting values simultaneously; and

a conversion function of converting entered URL information into predetermined control information.

14. The program recording medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein said management function relates a sample image generation request to predetermined retrieval information for managing them, and wherein

said program causes said computer to further provide:

a sample image generation function of generating prediction results of image information input-output processing based on a plurality of preset control information pieces as sample images if the sample image generation request occurs as the predetermined retrieval information is entered;

a sample image list information generation function of generating sample image list information for relating the retrieval information pieces corresponding to the sample images to the sample images and listing the same; and

a transfer function of transferring the sample image list information to the retrieval information entry source.

15. A program recording medium for recording a computer-readable program for driving image processing means based on control information, thereby performing input-output processing of image information said program recording medium for recording the program for causing a computer to provide:

a management function of managing control information and command information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means in correspondence with each other;

a reception function of receiving a request for transferring a processing list information indicating the processing items processed by said image processing means;

a processing list information generation function of relating command information pieces to the processing list information pieces and returning the information pieces to the processing list information transfer requester if the processing list information transfer request is received; and

a conversion function of converting the command information into predetermined control information based on said management means if the command information is entered based on the processing list information.

16. The program recording medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processing list information is information listing prediction results of image processing performed by said image processing means as sample images.

17. An image information input-output unit with a web server function, comprising:

image processing means for processing image information;

web page generation means for generating a web page having resource request information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means;

management means for managing the resource request information and the control information in correspondence with each other;

conversion means for converting the resource request information selected through the web page into predetermined control information based on said management means; and

control means for controlling operation of said image processing means based on the control information into which the resource request information is converted.

18. The image information input-output unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the resource request information contains history information of the selected processing item.

19. The image information input-output unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein said web page generation means analyzes received resource request information, detects the history information, and relates the resource request information containing the history information to the processing item, thereby generating the web page.

20. The image information input-output unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the web page lists processing patterns that can be processed by said image processing means and the resource request information pieces for realizing the processing patterns are related to the processing patterns.

21. A control method for controlling an image information input-output unit with a web page function including management means for managing the resource request information and the control information in correspondence with each other for driving image processing means based on the control information, to perform input-output processing of image information, said control method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a web page having resource request information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means;

(b) receiving resource request information specified through the web page;

(c) converting the received resource request information into predetermined control information based on said management means;

(d) controlling operation of said image processing means based on the control information into which the resource request information is converted; and

(e) preparing a web page containing image information provided by said image processing means and transferring the web page to the resource request information entry source.

22. The control method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the resource request information contains history information of the selected processing item.

23. The control method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first step web analyzes received resource request information, detects the history information, and relates the resource request information containing the history information to the processing item, thereby generating the web page.

24. The control means as claimed in claim 21, wherein the web page lists processing patterns that can be processed by said image processing means and the resource request information pieces for realizing the processing patterns are related to the processing patterns.

25. An image information processing system comprising:

an image information input-output unit having a web server function; and

an information terminal having a web browser for using the web server function, wherein

said image information input-output unit comprises,

image processing means driven based on control information,

web page generation means for generating a web page having resource request information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means and transmitting the web page to said information terminal,

management means for managing the resource request information and the control information in correspondence with each other,

conversion means for converting the resource request information selected through the web page according to the web browser into predetermined control information based on said management means, and

control means for controlling operation of said image processing means based on the control information into which the resource request information is converted.

26. The image information processing system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the resource request information contains history information of the selected processing item.

27. The image information processing system as claimed in claim 26, wherein said web page generation means analyzes received resource request information, detects the history information, and relates the resource request information containing the history information to the processing item, thereby generating the web page.

28. The image information processing system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the web page lists processing patterns that can be processed by said image processing means and the resource request information pieces for realizing the processing patterns are related to the processing patterns.

29. A program recording medium for recording a computer-readable program for driving image processing means based on control information, thereby performing input-output processing of image information, said program recording medium for recording the program for causing a computer to provide:

a web server function of providing a web page in response to resource request information;

a web page generation function of generating a web page having resource request information related to processing items that can be processed by said image processing means;

management means for managing the resource request information and the control information in correspondence with each other; and

conversion means for converting the resource request information selected through the web page into predetermined control information based on said management function.

30. The program recording medium as claimed in claim 29, wherein the resource request information contains history information of the selected processing item.

31. The program recording medium as claimed in claim 30, wherein said web page generation function analyzes received resource request information, detects the history information, and relates the resource request information containing the history information to the processing item, thereby generating the web page.

32. The program recording medium as claimed in claim 29, wherein the web page lists processing patterns that can be processed by said image processing means and the resource request information pieces for realizing the processing patterns are related to the processing patterns.