Code generation method, terminal apparatus, code processing method, issuing apparatus, and code issuing method

• US 7,027,178 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2004
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Atsushi, Kasai, Kenji, Satomi, Hiroshi, Masukawa, Akihiro, Ito, Kosuke, Izumi, Jiro, Fukunaga, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Chan S.
• Application Number:
  US10/756,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.6, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/539, 358/402, 235/380, 705/21
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00

Abstract

This invention is to make it unnecessary for a user to input all codes for identifying information, and reduce cumbersomeness and input error in code input. For example, to generate a code that means predetermined processing such as acquisition of specific information or acquisition of specific mail data, a user inputs, through a service terminal, a number section predetermined for the information to be acquired. The service terminal automatically generates the code of a classification section and attaches it to the number section input by the user. The number section and classification section, which are integrated, are output to a service server as a code.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a server issuing an identification code for identifying information and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to said server via a network,

wherein said server comprises:

receiving means for receiving information to be registered from a user terminal connected to said server via a network;

issuing means for issuing an identification code identifying the information to be registered;

storage control means for storing the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other in storage means; and

notifying means for notifying the user terminal of the issued identification code, and

wherein each of said printing out terminals comprises;

input means for inputting the identification code, and

printing out means for, when the identification code is inputted by the input means, acquiring the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code from said server and printing out the acquired information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the input means comprises at least one of a touch panel for receiving an operation input for inputting the identification code by a user, a wireless communication unit for receiving the identification code from a portable terminal owned by a user by wireless communication, a connector connected to a portable terminal owned by a user and for receiving the identification code from the connected portable terminal by a wired communication, and a bar code reader for reading a bar code as the identification code.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the issuing means issues an internal code for specifying information to be stored in said server in accordance with a scale of said server within an allowable range, and issues the identification code including the issued internal code and an external code for specifying said server.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said server is connected to a service-providing server via a network, the service providing server comprising an external code assigning means for assigning the external code.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said system comprises a plurality of servers such as said server, the external code is of a code length in accordance with a scale of said plurality of servers, and identification codes of said plurality of servers are of the same length.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage control means stores the issued identification code in correspondence with charge information indicating a charge for printing out the information from a printing out terminal.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage control means stores the issued identification code in correspondence with valid dates, the valid dates being set by adding a predetermined period to valid dates of the information, which are set by the user.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage control means stores the issued identification code in correspondence with a password, which is set by the user, and the printing out means acquires and prints out the information if a password inputted by the input means with the identification code is verified.

9. The system according to claim 1,

wherein each of said printing out terminals further comprises a scanner,

the receiving means receives information scanned by the scanner as information to be registered, and

the issuing means issues the identification code for the scanned information received by the receiving means from said printing out terminal, and the notifying means notifies said printing out terminal from which the scanned information is received of the issued identification code.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system comprises a plurality of servers such as said server.

11. A control method of controlling an information processing system, which comprises a server that issues an identification code for identifying information and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to the server via a network, said method comprising:

a receiving step, of the server receiving information to be registered from a user terminal connected to the server via a network;

an issuing step, of the server issuing an identification code identifying the information to be registered;

a storage control step, of the server storing in a storage means the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other in storage means;

a notifying step, of the server notifying the user terminal of the issued identification code;

an input step, of the printing out terminal inputting the identification code and

a printing out step, of the printing out terminal, when the identification code is inputted to the printing our terminal, acquiring the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code from the server and printing out the acquired information.

12. A computer readable medium storing a program for a control method of controlling an information processing system, which comprises a server that issues an identification code for identifying information and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to the server via a network, the method comprising:

a receiving step, of the server receiving information to be registered from a user terminal connected to the server via a network;

an issuing step, of the server issuing an identification code identifying the information to be registered;

a storage control step, of the server storing in a storage means the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other;

a notification step, of the server notifying the user terminal of the issued identification code;

an input step, of a printing terminal inputting the identification code; and

a printing out step, when the identification code is inputted, the printing out terminal from the server acquiring the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code and printing out the acquired information.

13. A server in an information processing system that comprises said server, which issues an identification code for identifying information, and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to said server via a network, wherein each of the printing out terminals, when the identification code is inputted by an input means, acquires the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code from said server and prints out the acquired information, said server comprising:

receiving means for receiving information to be registered from a user terminal connected to said server via the network;

issuing means for issuing an identification code identifying the information to be registered;

storage control means for storing the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other; and

notifying means for notifying the user terminal of the issued identification code.

14. A printing out terminal in an information processing system that comprises a server, which issues an identification code for identifying information, and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to said server via a network, wherein said server receives information to be registered from a user terminal connected to said server via a network, issues an identification code identifying the information to be registered, stores in a storage means the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other, and notifies the user terminal of the issued identification code, said printing out terminal comprising:

input means for inputting the identification code; and

printing out means for, when the identification code is inputted by said input means, acquiring from said server the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code and printing out the acquired information.

15. A control method of controlling a server in an information processing system that comprises a server, which issues an identification code for identifying information, and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to the server via a network, wherein, when the identification code is inputted by an input means of a printing out terminal, the printing out terminal acquired from the server the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code and prints out the acquired information, said method comprising:

a receiving step, of receiving information to be registered from a user terminal connected to the server via the network;

an issuing step, of issuing an identification code identifying the information to be registered;

a storage control step, of storing in a storage means the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other; and

a notifying step, of notifying the user terminal of the issued identification code.

16. A control method of controlling a printing out terminal in an information processing system that comprises a server, which issues an identification code for identifying information, and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to the server via a network, wherein the server receives information to be registered from a user terminal connected to the server via the network, issues an identification code identifying the information to be registered, stores in a storage means the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other, and notifies the user terminal of the issued identification code, said method comprising:

a printing out step, of, when the identification code is inputted by an input means of the printout terminal, acquiring from the server the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code, and printing out the acquired information.

17. A computer readable medium storing a program for a control method of controlling a server in an information processing system that comprises a server, which issues an identification code for identifying information, and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to the server via a network, wherein, when the identification code is inputted by an input means of a printing out terminal, the printing out terminal acquires from the server the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code, and prints out the acquired information, said method comprising:

a receiving step, of receiving information to be registered from a user terminal connected to the server via the network;

an issuing step, of issuing an identification code identifying the information to be registered;

a storage control step, of storing the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other; and

a notifying step, of notifying the user terminal of the issued identification code.

18. A computer readable medium storing a program for a control method of controlling a printing out terminal in an information processing system that comprises a server, which issues an identification code for identifying information, and printing out terminals installed for public use in shops and connected to the server via a network, wherein the server receives information to be registered from a user terminal connected to the server via the network, issues an identification code identifying the information to be registered, stores in a storage means the issued identification code and the received information to be registered in correspondence with each other and notifies the user terminal of the issued identification code, said method comprising:

a printing out step, of, when the identification code is inputted by an input means of the printing out terminal, acquiring from the server the information in correspondence with the inputted identification code, and printing out the acquired information.