Communication control device, communication control method, and communication control system

• US 8,527,886 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Morikawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US13/026,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 715/740, 715/744, 709/217, 709/233, 709/234, 358/1.14, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• 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 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A receiving unit receives user-specific identification data from a display processing device connected via a network. A transmitting unit transmits operation screen data to the display processing device, which is for displaying an operation screen for receiving an operation from a user specified by the user-specific identification data received by the receiving unit.

Claims

1. A communication device coupled to at least one first device and a second device, comprising:

a first receiving unit that receives, from the first device, user identification information;

a first transmitting unit that transmits, to the first device, first operation screen data stored in the communication device, the first operation screen data being associated with the user identification information received by the first receiving unit;

a second receiving unit that receives, from the second device, an administration key; and

a second transmitting unit that transmits to the second device, upon reception of the administration key, the first operation screen data corresponding to the first device and being customizable from the second device for the first device after the administration key is received.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second receiving unit of the communication device further receives said user identification information in addition to the administration key from the second device, and

wherein the second transmitting unit transmits the first operation screen data associated with said user identification information received by the second receiving unit.

3. The communication control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an authenticating unit that performs an authenticating process of determining whether the first device is authorized to refer to the first operation screen data, wherein

when determined that the first device is authorized to refer to the first operation screen data, the first transmitting unit transmits the first operation screen data to the first device.

4. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting unit transmits the first operation screen data to the first device in a format that can be viewed on a Web browser.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein after the first operation screen data is customized from the second device, the customized first operation screen data is transmitted to the first device, and upon receiving the user identification information from the first device, display based on the customized first operation screen data is provided at the first device.

6. An administration device for use in the system including a communication device and at least one first device, the administration device comprising;

a first transmitting unit that transmits an administration key;

a first receiving unit that receives, from the communication device, operation screen data stored in the communication device;

a modification unit that modifies the operation screen data received by the first receiving unit; and

a second transmitting unit that transmits, to the communication device, the modified operation screen data, the modified operation screen data being customized for the first device by the administration device.

7. The administration device according to 6, further comprising a third transmitting unit,

wherein the third transmitting unit transmits user identification information which identifies users of the first device, and

wherein the third transmitting unit receives, from the communication device, first operation screen data specified by the user identification information.

8. The administration device according to claim 6, wherein the modified operation screen data customized for the first device by the administration device is transmitted to the first device, and display based on the modified operation screen data customized for the first device by the administration device is provided at the first device.

9. A method for sharing operation screen data, performed by a communication device coupled to at least one first device and a second device, comprising:

receiving, from the first device, user identification information;

transmitting, to the first device, first operation screen data stored in the communication device, the first operation screen data being associated with the received user identification information;

receiving, from the second device, an administration key; and

transmitting to the second device, upon reception of the administration key, the first operation screen data corresponding to the first device and being customizable from the second device for the first device after the administration key is received.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving said user identification information in addition to the administration key from the second device; and

transmitting the first operation screen data associated with said user identification information received from the second device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the first device is authorized to refer to the first operation screen data, wherein

when it is determined that the first device is authorized to refer to the first operation screen data, the operation screen data is transmitted to the first device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first operation screen data is transmitted to the first device in a format that can be viewed on a Web browser.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein after the first operation screen data is customized from the second device, the customized first operation screen data is transmitted to the first device, and upon receiving the user identification information from the first device, display based on the customized first operation screen data is provided at the first device.