Method of and system for dynamically controlling during run time a multifunction peripheral (MFP) touch panel user interface (UI) from an external remote network-connected computer

• US 8,751,938 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kofax Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Conley, Michael, Hansen, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/617,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 715/740, 715/744, 715/747
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00509 Personalising for a particular user or group of users, e.g. a workgroup or company
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

In a system for dynamically and remotely providing user interface (UI) display and processing information to a touch panel embedded within a multifunction peripheral (MFP) such as a digital copier having an internal computer for controlling the touch panel, a method that comprises linking the internal computer to an external data communication network having an external remote computer on the network; and upon the inputting of desired selections by a user at the UI and communicating the same over the network to the external computer, providing information from the external computer via the network back to the internal computer that enables dynamically changing or updating the UI display and behavior during run time of the MFP.

Claims

1. A network computer capable of communicating over a network with a multifunction peripheral device having a user interface including a touch panel display to display a set of capabilities of the multifunction peripheral device, the network computer comprising:

data storage for storing information describing user interface controls to be displayed on the touch panel display of the multifunction peripheral device, processing rules for the user interface controls and/or personalized information for users of the multifunction peripheral device; and

a software program operating on the network computer and coupled to the data storage, the software program configured to, upon receiving indication from the multifunction peripheral device that a user has selected a service, retrieve information associated with at least one user interface control from the data storage and to provide the information over the network to the multifunction peripheral device to provide the multifunction peripheral device with information describing the at one user interface control to be displayed on the touch panel display of the multifunction peripheral device and/or at least one processing rule for the at least one user interface control,

wherein the information provides the multifunction peripheral device with information describing how to display the at one user interface control on the touch panel display, and wherein the information includes extended mark-up language data which can dynamically change content displayed on the touch panel display.

2. The network computer of claim 1, wherein the information describes at least one processing rule for the at least one user interface control that describes at least one action to take when a user activates the at least one user interface control.

3. The network computer of claim 2, wherein the network computer receives information sent from the multifunction peripheral in response to the user selecting the at least one user interface control and, in response, sends control information to the multifunction peripheral device to initiate at least one action on the multifunction peripheral device.

4. The network computer of claim 1, wherein the network computer provides user specific information to be displayed on the touch panel, the user specific information including capabilities available to the specific user to be displayed on the touch panel display.

5. The network computer of claim 1, wherein the network computer controls the touch panel display to display processing information required to integrate scanned documents with at least one enterprise application.

6. A method of communicating between a multifunction peripheral device and an external computer over a network, the multifunction peripheral device comprising a user interface including a touch panel display to display user interface controls to the user and to allow the user to select amongst the user interface controls, the method comprising:

subsequent to the user selecting a service, receiving indication from the multifunction peripheral device that the service has been selected;

providing information associated with at least one user interface control to the multifunction peripheral device via the network to provide the multifunction peripheral device with information describing the at one user interface control to be displayed on the touch panel display of the multifunction peripheral device and/or at least one processing rule for the at least one user interface control,

wherein the information provides the multifunction peripheral device with information describing how to display the at one user interface control on the touch panel display, and wherein information sent by the external computer includes extended mark-up language (XML) data which can dynamically change content displayed on the touch panel display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information describes at least one processing rule for the at least one user interface control that describes at least one action to take when a user activates the at least one user interface control.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving information from the multifunction peripheral device via the network sent in response to the user selecting the at least one user interface control and, in response, sends control information to the multifunction peripheral device to initiate at least one action on the multifunction peripheral device.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing user specific information to be displayed on the touch panel, the user specific information including capabilities available to the specific user to be displayed on the touch panel display multifunction peripheral device.

10. The method of claim 6, comprising controlling the touch panel display by the external computer to display processing information required to integrate scanned documents with at least one enterprise application.

11. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a software program that, when executed by a computer, performs a method of communicating between a multifunction peripheral device and an external computer over a network, the multifunction peripheral device comprising a user interface including a touch panel display to display user interface controls to the user and to allow the user to select amongst the user interface controls, the method comprising:

subsequent to the user selecting a service, receiving indication from the multifunction peripheral device that the service has been selected;

providing information associated with at least one user interface control to the multifunction peripheral device via the network to provide the multifunction peripheral device with information describing the at one user interface control to be displayed on the touch panel display of the multifunction peripheral device and/or at least one processing rule for the at least one user interface control,

wherein the information provides the multifunction peripheral device with information describing how to display the at one user interface control on the touch panel display, and wherein information sent by the external computer includes extended mark-up language (XML) data which can dynamically change content displayed on the touch panel display.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the information describes at least one processing rule for the at least one user interface control that describes at least one action to take when a user activates the at least one user interface control.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising receiving information from the multifunction peripheral device via the network sent in response to the user selecting the at least one user interface control and, in response, sends control information to the multifunction peripheral device to initiate at least one action on the multifunction peripheral device.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising providing user specific information to be displayed on the touch panel, the user specific information including capabilities available to the specific user to be displayed on the touch panel display multifunction peripheral device.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, comprising controlling the touch panel display by the external computer to display processing information required to integrate scanned documents with at least one enterprise application.