Client device using a web browser to control a periphery device via a printer

• US 9,052,853 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takasu, Kazuhiro, Tsutsumi, Koichiro, Ikeda, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rust, Eric A
• Application Number:
  US14/140,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20140185092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 705/16, 705/21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1209 resulting in adapted or bridged legacy communication protocols, e.g. emulation, protocol extension
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1246 by handling markup languages, e.g. XSL, XML, HTML
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1253 Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1279 Controller construction, e.g. aspects of the interface hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1291 Pool of printer devices: self-managing printing devices in a network, e.g. without a server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1294 Status or feedback related to information exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1297 Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1298 Printer language recognition, e.g. programme control language, page description language
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 : with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32 : Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device H04N1/38, H04N1/387 take precedence

Abstract

A device control system has a terminal 3 with a web browser 31, and a printer 5 that controls a connected device. The terminal 3 calls an object that controls a device and is instantiated by the device API 33 to support the device, and sends a request to the printer 5, by the web application 32; and the printer 5 executes a device control script 502 that controls the device, receives requests sent through the device API 33, and controls the device.

Claims

1. A periphery device control system comprising:

a periphery device selected as a target device;

a first computing device that runs a web browser executing a web application that accesses a target-device application programming interface (API that initiates a control object configured to control the target device; and

a first printer that communicates with the first computing device, the first printer including a connection unit and a control unit, the connection unit being configured to connect to the target device, the control unit being a command interface between the control object of the web application on the first computing device and the target device connected to the connection unit of the first printer.

2. The periphery device control system described in claim 1, wherein;

the first computing device controls the target device by using the API to cause the control object to send instruction requests to the first printer, and the first printer'"'"'s control unit applies commands via the connection unit to the target device for executing the received instruction requests and sends back to the first computing device any data responses received from the target device.

3. The periphery device control system described in claim 2, wherein:

the periphery device selected as the target device is one of a plurality of periphery devices;

the connection unit of the first printer is configured to connect to each of the plurality of periphery devices;

the control device executes a device control script that controls the target device; and

the device control script connects to the control object, receives the instruction requests sent by the first computing device, and issues commands that controls the target device connected to the connection unit in accordance with the received instruction requests.

4. The periphery device control system described in claim 3, wherein:

the first computing device and the first printer communicate using internet protocols;

the web browser is client to a web server;

the connection unit of the first printer includes a plurality of physical connection ports, each physical connection port being connected to a respective one of said plurality of periphery devices; and

the device control script has a target-device connection object that sends and receives data to and from the target device, and has a client connection object that sends data to the target-device API.

5. The periphery device control system described in claim 3, wherein

one of the instruction requests is a start-control request specifying the target device connected to the first printer and instructing starting control of the target device;

the command sent in accordance with the start-control request is a start-control command instructing starting control of the target device; and

when the first computing device sends the start-control request to the first printer, the first printer sends the start-control command to the target device specified by the start-control request, and enables control of the target device by the first computing device.

6. The periphery device control system described in claim 5, further comprising:

a second computing device that runs a second web browser executing a second web application that accesses a second target-device API that instantiates a second control object configured to control the target device;

wherein;

said first printer communicates with the second computing device, and the control unit optionally functions as a command interface between the second web application on the second computing device and the target device connected to the connection unit; and

wherein the second computing device optionally controls the target device by using the second target-device API to cause the second control object to send second instruction requests to the first printer, the control unit applying the received second instruction requests to the target device and sending back to the second computing device any data responses received from the target device.

7. The periphery device control system described in claim 6, wherein

if the target device is currently being controlled by the first computing device and the first printer receives a second instruction request from the second control object requesting control of the target device, the first printer does not allow control of the target device by the second computing device.

8. The periphery device control system described in claim 6, wherein:

if the second computing device sends to the first printer a second instruction request for controlling the target device when the target device is being controlled by the first computing device, the first printer sends to the second computing device a report indicating that the target device is busy.

9. The periphery device control system described in claim 6, wherein:

the target device is a second printer configured to print; and

if the second computing device sends to the control device a second instruction request for controlling the second printer when the first printer is being controlled by the first computing device, the first printer'"'"'s control device enables the second computing device to control the second printer by the device control script based on the second instruction request.

10. The periphery device control system described in claim 6, wherein

another of the instruction requests sent by the first computing device to the first printer is a stop control request specifying the target device and instructing ending control of the target device;

and

in response to the first computing device sending the stop control request to the control device, the control device sends a second control command to the target device instructing stopping control of the target device by the first computing device, and stops control of the target device by the first computing device.

11. The periphery control system described in claim 10, wherein

when the second computing device sends to the control device a second instruction request requesting control of the target device after the control device stops control of the target device by the first computing device, the control device enables control of the target device by the second computing device using the device control script.

12. The periphery device control system described in claim 3, wherein

the target-device API detects connection between the control object and the device control script of the control device.

13. The periphery device control system described in claim 3, wherein

the control object calls an event included in the device control script.

14. The periphery device control system described in claim 3, wherein

the target device is a display configured to display content;

one of said instruction requests sent by the first computing device is a display request that specifies a display and requests displaying content on the display; and

when the first computing device sends the display request to the control device, the control device uses the device control script to send a display command requesting display of the content to the display specified by the display request.

15. The periphery device control system described in claim 14, wherein

the display request requests displaying time on the display.

16. The periphery device control system described in claim 3, wherein:

one of said instruction requests sent by the first computing device is a registration request that specifies the target device and requests registering image data in the target device; and

when the first computing device sends the registration request to the control device, the control device uses the device control script to send a registration command to the target device specified by the registration request, wherein the registration command instructs registering the image.

17. The periphery device control system described in claim 16, wherein

the first computing device sends the image data to the control device;

and

the control script converts the image data to a raster image data.

18. The periphery control system described in claim 3, wherein

one of said instruction requests is an encryption request that specifies the target device, and instructs whether or not to encrypt data sent and received between the target device and the first computing device.

19. A control method of a periphery device control system, comprising:

selecting a periphery device as a target device;

using a computing device to run a web browser executing a web application that accesses a target-device application programming interface (API) that initiates a control object configured to control the target device;

using a printer to communicate with the computing device, the target device being a periphery device of the printer;

using the computing device to send an instruction request to the printer;

using the printer to execute a device control script that controls the target device;

in response to the printer receiving the instruction request, having the device control script send to the target device a command that controls the target device based on the instruction request received by the printer; and

using the printer to establish control of the periphery device by the computing device.

20. The control method of a periphery device control system described in claim 19, wherein:

the target device is connected to the printer;

the instruction request is a start control request specifying the target device and instructing starting control of the device; and

when the computing device sends the start control request to the printer, the printer sends the control command to the target device, and starts control of the target device by the computing device.