Methods and systems for imaging device event notification administration and subscription

• US 7,970,813 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lum, Joey P., Nguyen, Uoc H., Plewnia, Boguslaw Ludwik, Sojian, Lena
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOSHI, SURAJ M
• Application Number:
  US11/241,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00352 Input means H04N1/00411 takes precedence; input arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3221 of a job number or identification, e.g. communication number

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for imaging device event notification administration and subscription. Some aspects relate to imaging device event notification based on a subscribing application address and the occurrence of an event defined in an event identification. Some aspects relate to the use of a subscriber manager that manages imaging device event notification requests received from subscribing applications.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising a processor and a memory, for imaging device (IDev) event notification using a core web service framework (CWSF), said apparatus comprising:

a) a hardware interface (HWIF) module, implemented with said processor and said memory, said HWIF comprising a set of device-independent application programming interfaces (APIs) that receive translated requests from a system architecture layer (SAL), which has interpreted said requests from input received from a web service module (WSM), wherein said HWIF provides communication with and control of multiple IDev hardware devices, and wherein said HWIF provides device-specific operation of IDev hardware devices by converting translated SAL requests that do not comprise hardware-specific commands into hardware-specific commands that comprise hardware architecture details, and wherein said HWIF acts as a source for an event notification;

b) said system architecture layer (SAL) providing a logical connection with an HWIF module by translating high-level application requests, received via said WSM, into job-type-specific requests at an HWIF level, wherein said SAL may group together a sequence of atomic operations into high-level functions, wherein said SAL acts as a source for an event notification and wherein said SAL has registered a set of notification callbacks with said HWIF module;

c) a job queue manager (JQM) for managing multiple, concurrent IDev system jobs through the use of job objects related to user processes, wherein each job is represented by a job identifier (job ID) associated with job settings and wherein said JQM manages an access control list (ACL) comprising detailed information about access to job information by notification subscribers, wherein said ACL allows said JQM to restrict job notification access to entities listed on said ACL, wherein said JQM performs job object creation, performs job object destruction, manages job settings and tracks security data associated with a job'"'"'s user, wherein said JQM maintains a job object database of jobs currently being executed on said IDev or associated hardware or applications and wherein said JQM may also act as a source for an event notification;

d) a status monitoring module (SMM) for monitoring changes in device and job states and for acting as a source for an event notification;

e) a subscriber manager (SM) for receiving subscription requests from remote subscribing applications via said WSM, wherein said subscription requests comprise a subscribing application address (SAA) and a subscription event identification (SEID), and wherein said SM may communicate said SAA and said SEID with a notification module (NM) and;

f) wherein said notification module (NM) receives event notifications from said sources for event notification and other sources and communicates with said SM to determine whether said event notification matches said SEID and, when said event notification matches said SEID, said SM supplies said NM with said SAA for the purpose of creating an event data message to be sent to said SAA;

g) said WSM providing a simple object access protocol (SOAP) interface with remote applications, wherein said remote applications may control IDev hardware by sending a SOAP request that is translated to IDev device language by said WSM and forwarded to said SAL for further translation into hardware-specific commands and wherein said WSM may receive a subscription request from a remote application as a SOAP request and translate and forward said subscription request to said SM, and wherein said WSM receives an event notification when an event described in said subscription requests occurs, and said WSM sends local notification menu content, formatted as a markup language message, to a user interface (UI) processor in response to said receipt of an event notification; and

h) wherein said UI processor creates IDev front panel menu content in response to receiving said local notification menu content, wherein said IDev front panel menu content is formatted as a front panel markup language message and wherein said UI processor sends said front panel menu content to an IDev front panel user interface.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein a notification may be passed to said CWSF via said SMM by means of a callback call.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said JQM comprises an execution journal that persists across IDev power cycles.

4. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said NM may receive signals from remote applications indicating the occurrence of events at those remote applications.

5. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said WSM further performs data validation using a web service definition language (WSDL) definition document for the SOAP interface.

6. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said WSM further assures that a request comes from an authorized source with sufficient rights to make said request.

7. A method for imaging device (IDev) event notification using a core web service framework (CWSF), said method comprising:

a) receiving a subscription request comprising a subscribing application address (SAA), a job ID and a subscription event identification (SEID), in the form of a SOAP request, at a web service module (WSM) on said IDev, wherein said WSM provides a simple object access protocol (SOAP) interface with remote applications, wherein said remote applications may control IDev hardware by sending a SOAP request that is translated to IDev device language by said WSM and forwarded to a system architecture layer (SAL) for further translation into hardware-specific commands that can be interpreted by a hardware interface (HWIF) within said IDev, wherein said HWIF comprises a set of device-independent application programming interfaces (APIs) that receive translated requests from said SAL;

b) communicating said job ID to a job queue manager (JQM) that creates and destroys job objects and that manages job settings and tracks security data associated with a job'"'"'s user, wherein said JQM maintains a job object database of jobs currently being executed and wherein said JQM verifies that a job identified in said job ID is currently being executed;

c) translating said subscription request with said WSM and forwarding said translated subscription request to a subscriber manager (SM), which receives subscription requests from remote applications via said WSM;

d) creating a subscription record comprising said SAA and said SEID with said SM;

e) communicating said subscription record to a notification module (NM);

f) monitoring said IDev with a status monitoring module (SMM), which monitors changes in device and job states and acts as a source for an event notification;

g) receiving an event notification, at said NM, from at least one of said sources for an event notification or from one of;

i) said hardware interface (HWIF) for communicating with IDev hardware on said IDev and for acting as a source for an event notification;

ii) said system architecture layer (SAL) for translating high-level application requests into job-type-specific requests at said HWIF level and for acting as a source for an event notification;

h) creating an event data message addressed to said SAA with said NM in response to receipt of said event notification when said event notification corresponds to said SEID;

i) sending said event data message to said requester;

j) receiving said event notification at said WSM;

k) sending, from said WSM, local notification menu content, formatted as a markup language message, to a user interface (UI) processor in response to said receiving an event notification;

l) creating, with said UI processor, IDev front panel menu content in response to receiving said local notification menu content, wherein said IDev front panel menu content is formatted as a front panel markup language message; and

m) sending said front panel menu content from said UI processor to an IDev front panel user interface.

8. A method as described in claim 7 wherein a notification may be passed to said CWSF via said SMM by means of a callback call.

9. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said SAL may group together a sequence of atomic operations into high-level functions.

10. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said SAL may register a set of notification callbacks with said HWIF.

11. A method as described in claim 7 further comprising a job queue manager (JQM), which maintains a job object database of jobs currently being executed on said IDev and on associated hardware and applications.

12. A method as described in claim 11 wherein said JQM comprises an execution journal that persists across IDev power cycles.

13. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said NM may receive signals from remote applications indicating the occurrence of events at those remote applications and create an event data message in response to said signals.

14. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said WSM further performs data validation using a web service definition language (WSDL) definition document for the SOAP interface.

15. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said WSM further assures that a request comes from an authorized source with sufficient rights to make said request.