Methods and systems for third-party control of remote imaging jobs

• US 8,345,272 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Ferlitsch, Andrew Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): Kau, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLean, Neil R
• Application Number:
  US11/536,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,287 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.19, 358/1.9, 358/450, 358/302, 358/376
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1237 Print job management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• 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 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for third-party control of remote imaging jobs.

Claims

1. A method for third-party control of a remotely-controlled imaging device in a system with a networked imaging device (IDev), remote computing device (RCD) and a remote user device (RUD), said method comprising:

registering a controlling application executing on said RCD with said IDev, wherein said registering comprises sending a remote user interface definition (RUID) from said RCD to said IDev and establishing a bi-directional communication between said RCD and said IDev, wherein said registering enables said IDev to display said controlling application'"'"'s user interface (UI) content on an IDev display and enables said IDev to accept user input relative to said UI content and forward said user input to said RCD and wherein said registering grants said controlling application control over an IDev function;

extending control of said IDev function to said RUD by sending said RUID from said RCD to said RUD, wherein said RUD comprises a generic driver responsive to said RUID, wherein said generic driver responds to receipt of said RUID by displaying said controlling application'"'"'s user interface (UI) content on an RUD display and enables said RUD to accept user input relative to said UI content and forward said user input to said RCD;

receiving a user interface (UI) response at said RUD;

forwarding said UI response to said RCD;

converting said UI response to an IDev command with said RCD; and

receiving logical pages of an imaging job at said RCD from said RUD and forwarding said logical pages to said IDev with said IDev command, thereby initiating said IDev function.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said RUD'"'"'s generic driver comprises a programmatic control interface.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein said UI response is also converted into a driver action and said driver action is sent to said generic driver.

4. A method as described in claim 2, wherein said IDev command instructs said IDev to perform said function with logical pages received from said generic driver.

5. A method for third-party control of a remotely-controlled imaging device, said method comprising:

registering a controlling application executing on a remote computing device (RCD) with an imaging device (IDev), wherein said registering comprises receiving a remote user interface definition (RUID) from said RCD at said IDev and establishing a bi-directional communication between said RCD and said IDev;

granting said controlling application control over an IDev function in response to receiving said RUID;

extending control of said IDev function to a remote user device (RUD) by sending said RUID from said RCD to said RUD, wherein said RUD comprises a generic driver responsive to said RUID, wherein said generic driver responds to receipt of said RUID by displaying said controlling application'"'"'s user interface (UI) content on an RUD display and enables said RUD to accept user input relative to said UI content and forward said user input to said RCD;

receiving an IDev command at said IDev from said RCD, wherein said IDev command has been translated by said RCD from user input received at said RUD;

receiving logical pages of an imaging job at said IDev from said RCD wherein said logical pages were received at said RCD from said RUD and forwarded to said IDev with said IDev command, thereby initiating said IDev function; and

performing said IDev function according to said IDev command.

6. A method as described in claim 5, wherein said IDev command instructs said IDev to perform said function with said logical pages received from said RUD.

7. A method as described in claim 5, wherein said IDev command instructs said IDev to perform said function with logical pages received from said generic driver.

8. A method as described in claim 5, wherein control is provided to said controlling application after discovery of said controlling application by said IDev with a service discovery protocol.

9. A method for third-party control of a remotely-controlled imaging device, said method comprising:

gaining remote control of an imaging device (IDev) function at a remote user device (RUD) by receiving a remote user interface definition (RUID) from a remote computing device (RCD);

processing said RUID with a generic driver responsive to said RUID, wherein said generic driver responds to receipt of said RUID by displaying a controlling application'"'"'s user interface (UI) content on an RUD display;

configuring said RUD to accept user input relative to said UI content and to forward said user input to said RCD;

wherein said controlling application is executing on said RCD and said controlling application is registered with said IDev thereby establishing a bi-directional communication between said RCD and said IDev and wherein said controlling application controls an IDev function via said bi-directional communication;

receiving user input in response to said displaying;

obtaining logical pages of an imaging job based on said user input; and

sending said user input response and said logical pages said controlling application on said RCD with instructions instructing said RCD to forward said logical pages to said IDev with an IDev command identified in said user input.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said generic driver is under the programmatic control of said controlling application.

11. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said RUID is received from an IDev.

12. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said RUID is received from an RCD.