Capability-based control device driver of a computer peripheral device

• US 8,214,548 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2007
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sekine, Hitoshi, Regnier, Alain, Wang, Yao-Tian, Liu, Yue, Selvaraj, Senthil, Xiao, Zhenning
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): BORROMEO, JUANITO C
• Application Number:
  US11/846,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 710/15
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00238 using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer output via network, e.g. network printing H04N1/00233
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00503 Customising to a particular machine or model, machine function or application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00957 Compiling jobs, e.g. for batch processing H04N1/3208 takes precedence; program code compilation G06F8/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2315 according to characteristics of the reproducing apparatus, e.g. capability
• 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 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises sending, to a computer peripheral device, a request to obtain capabilities of the computer peripheral device; receiving a first capability description from the computer peripheral device, wherein the first capability description describes one or more capabilities, features or functions of the device at the time of the request; creating one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements based upon the first capability description and causing displaying the GUI elements; receiving user input representing one or more selections of the GUI elements; creating job ticket data that describes a job for the computer peripheral device to perform, based on the GUI elements that were selected as represented in the user input; sending the job ticket data to the peripheral device; wherein the job ticket data describes one or more device settings that the computer peripheral device can transform to device commands.

Claims

1. A data processing system, comprising:

a computer peripheral device comprising device capability producer logic and job ticket consumer logic;

a device capability aware application comprising device capability consumer logic and job ticket producer logic;

wherein the device capability producer logic is encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution and when executed is operable to perform;

at a time that the device capability aware application is requested to print or scan a document;

receiving a request from the device capability aware application to obtain capabilities of the computer peripheral device;

recognizing, at a time of receiving the request, one or more available functions of the computer peripheral device;

in response to receiving the request, generating a first capability description describing one or more capabilities of the computer peripheral device based on the one or more available functions at the time of receiving the request;

sending the first capability description of the capabilities from the computer peripheral device to the device capability aware application;

wherein the device capability consumer logic is encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution and when executed is operable to perform;

receiving the first capability description from the computer peripheral device;

creating one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements based upon the first capability description and causing displaying the GUI elements;

receiving user input representing one or more selections of the GUI elements;

wherein the job ticket producer logic is encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution and when executed is operable to perform;

creating job ticket data that describes a job for the computer peripheral device to perform, based on the GUI elements that were selected as represented in the user input;

sending the job ticket data to the peripheral device;

wherein the job ticket consumer logic is encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution and when executed is operable to perform;

transforming the job ticket data into one or more device-specific operational commands for the computer peripheral device;

causing the computer peripheral device to execute the operational commands;

wherein the first capability description comprises a list of features of the computer peripheral device and one or more feature constraints, wherein the one or more feature constraints comprise limitations on the availability of the capabilities or settings for capabilities that are required by an availability of another capability or by another setting of another capability.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer peripheral device comprises any of a printer, a multifunction printing device, a scanner, a finishing machine, a digital camera, or a monitor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the device capability aware application comprises a device driver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the device capability producer logic further comprises logic which when executed is operable to perform:

receiving a second request from the device capability aware application to obtain capabilities of the computer peripheral device;

recognizing one or more available functions of the computer peripheral device;

in response to receiving the second request, generating a second capability description describing one or more second capabilities of the computer peripheral device based on the one or more available functions at a time of receiving the second request, wherein the second capabilities include changed capabilities of the computer peripheral device;

sending the second capability description from the computer peripheral device to the device capability aware application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the job ticket data comprises a subset of the first capability description.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first capability description comprises a list of features of the computer peripheral device, property names of properties of the features, values of the properties, and options for the properties, expressed in any of Job Definition Format (JDF) or Print Schema Specification.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device capability consumer logic further comprises logic which when executed causes generating and displaying a list of a plurality of available peripheral devices, receiving second user input representing a selection of one of the available peripheral devices, and sending the request to the selected one of the available peripheral devices represented in the second user input.

8. A computer-readable data storage medium encoded with one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform:

at a time that a device capability aware application is requested to print or scan a document;

sending, to a computer peripheral device, a request to obtain capabilities of the computer peripheral device;

receiving a first capability description from the computer peripheral device, wherein the first capability description describes one or more available capabilities, features or functions of the device recognized at a time of receiving the request, and generated by the device at the time of the request;

creating one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements based upon the first capability description and causing displaying the GUI elements;

receiving user input representing one or more selections of the GUI elements;

creating job ticket data that describes a job for the computer peripheral device to perform, based on the GUI elements that were selected as represented in the user input;

sending the job ticket data to the peripheral device;

wherein the job ticket data describes one or more device settings that the computer peripheral device can transform to device commands;

wherein the first capability description comprises a list of features of the computer peripheral device and one or more feature constraints, wherein the one or more feature constraints comprise limitations on the availability of the capabilities or settings for capabilities that are required by an availability of another capability or by another setting of another capability.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the computer peripheral device comprises any of a printer, a multifunction printing device, a scanner, a finishing machine, a digital camera, or a monitor.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising a device driver.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the job ticket data comprises a subset of the first capability description.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first capability description comprises a list of features of the computer peripheral device, property names of properties of the features, values of the properties, and options for the properties, expressed in any of Job Definition Format (JDF) or Print Schema Specification.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a time that a device capability aware application is requested to print or scan a document;

sending, to a computer peripheral device, a request to obtain capabilities of the computer peripheral device;

receiving a first capability description from the computer peripheral device, wherein the first capability description describes one or more available capabilities, features or functions of the device recognized at a time of the request, and generated by the device at the time of the request;

creating one or more graphical user interface (GUI) elements based upon the first capability description and causing displaying the GUI elements;

receiving user input representing one or more selections of the GUI elements;

creating job ticket data that describes a job for the computer peripheral device to perform, based on the GUI elements that were selected as represented in the user input;

sending the job ticket data to the peripheral device;

wherein the job ticket data describes one or more device settings that the computer peripheral device can transform to device commands;

wherein the first capability description comprises a list of features of the computer peripheral device and one or more feature constraints, wherein the one or more feature constraints comprise limitations on the availability of the capabilities or settings for capabilities that are required by an availability of another capability or by another setting of another capability.