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

• US 9,274,730 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• 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:
  US14/702,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 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 printer control method for communicating with a computing device remote from the printer and a periphery device of the printer, comprising:

using the computing device to execute steps of;

initiating a web browser that executes a web application that accesses a target-device application programming interface (API) that initiates a control object configured to control a target device;

selecting the periphery device as the target device; and

using the control object to send an instruction request to the printer; and

the printer executing steps of;

receiving the instruction request from the computing device;

initiating a device control script based on the instruction request; and

using the device control script to send a command to the target device.

2. The printer control method according to claim 1, wherein the command that the device control script sends to the target device is based on the instruction request.

3. The printer control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using a second computing device to run 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, and using the second control object to send a second instruction request to the printer;

the printer further executing steps of;

receiving the second instruction request from the second computing device;

establishing a command interface between the second web application on the second computing device and the target device; and

applying the received second instruction request to the target device and sending back to the second computing device any data responses received from the target device.

4. The printer control method according to claim 3, wherein

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

5. The printer control method according to claim 3, wherein:

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

6. The printer control method according to claim 3, wherein:

said printer is a first printer;

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

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

7. The printer control method according to claim 3, further comprising:

using the computing device to send another instruction request to the printer, wherein the another instruction request is a stop control request specifying the target device and instructing ending control of the target device; and

the printer further implementing steps of;

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

8. The printer control method according to claim 7, wherein

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

9. A printer control method, comprising:

selecting a periphery device as a target device, the target device being a periphery device of the printer;

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;

establishing a communication link between the printer and the computing device;

having the printer execute the following steps;

receiving an instruction request from the computing device;

executing a device control script that controls the target device;

in response to 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

establishing control of the periphery device by the computing device via the printer.

10. The control method of a printer according to claim 9, 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 target 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.