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Web services device profile on a multi-service device: device and facility manager

  • US 7,873,647 B2
  • Filed: 12/18/2006
  • Issued: 01/18/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for processing requests to process data on multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), the method comprising:

  • sending, to a client application, location data of an MFP in a network, wherein;

    a plurality of applications execute on the MFP, andeach application of the plurality of applications provides a service among a plurality of services;

    receiving, from the client application, at a device facility manager (DFM) that executes on the MFP, a metadata request for metadata associated with the MFP;

    sending, from the DFM to the client application, device metadata that indicates the plurality of services;

    receiving, from the client application, at a first application of the plurality of applications, a request for service metadata that indicates how the client application is to interact with the first application, on the MFP, that provides a first service of the plurality of services;

    receiving, from the first application, at the DFM, a service metadata request that corresponds to the request;

    in response to receiving the service metadata request, the DFM;

    retrieving the service metadata that corresponds to the first application, andsending the service metadata to the first application;

    the first application sending the service metadata to the client application;

    receiving, from the client application, at the first application, a first particular request for the first service;

    receiving, from a second client application, at second application of the plurality of applications that is different than the first application, a second request for second service metadata that indicates how the second client application is to interact with the second application that provides a second service of the plurality of services that is different than the first service;

    receiving, from the second application, at the DFM, a second service metadata request that corresponds to the second request;

    in response to receiving the second service metadata request, the DFM;

    retrieving the second service metadata that corresponds to the second application, andsending the second service metadata to the second application;

    the second application sending the second service metadata to the second client application; and

    receiving, from the second client application, at the second application, a second particular request for the second service;

    wherein an application from the plurality of applications (a) retrieves, through an abstract application programming interface (API), information pertaining to the MFP, and (b) invokes, through the abstract API, one or more functions on a platform corresponding to the MFP;

    wherein the abstract API defines an interface by which the application invokes one or more functions on the MFP and receives data from the MFP.

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