Methods and systems for interacting with an imaging device

• US 9,665,383 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• 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: Jesudason, Basil Isaiah
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US12/346,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,073 Days
• Field of Search: 709208, 709217, 709218, 709204, 358 115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for remote interaction with an imaging device. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an imaging device may receive, from a remote computing device, an HTTP request for an interface image associated with an interface on the imaging device. A functional replica of the interface, at a time associated with the request, may be sent, to the remote computing device, in an HTTP response. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a computing device may send, to an imaging device, an HTTP request for an interface image, and the computing device may receive, in an HTTP response, an interface image. According to a third aspect of the present invention, a gateway computing device may receive, from a remote computing device, an HTTP request for an interface image associated with an interface on an imaging device. The gateway computing device may request, from the imaging device, update information associated with the interface, and the gateway computing device may convert update information received from the imaging device to an updated interface image.

Claims

1. A method for remote interaction with an imaging device, said method comprising:

at an imaging device, receiving, from a remote computing device, a first HTTP request for an interface image, where said imaging device is capable of performing a function selected from the group consisting of printing, scanning, publishing, media-duplication, filing, displaying, faxing, and combinations thereof;

obtaining a first interface image associated with an interface on said imaging device, wherein;

said first interface image represents a functional replica of said interface at a first time associated with receipt of said first HTTP request for an interface image;

said first interface image corresponds to a state of said interface at said first time;

said first interface image comprises an image corresponding to a plurality of portions of said imaging device required for said remote computing device to interface with said imaging device; and

said interface on said imaging device allows said remote computing device to control an imaging device function;

sending said first interface image from said imaging device to said remote computing device, wherein said sending said first interface image comprises a first HTTP response to said first HTTP request;

obtaining a second interface image associated with said interface, wherein said second interface image represents a functional replica of said interface at a second time associated with receipt of a first interaction indicator; and

sending said second interface image from said imaging device to said remote computing device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said interface on said imaging device is a front panel interface.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said first interface image is visually similar to said interface.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said first interface image is not visually similar to said interface.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said first interface image has an image format selected from the group consisting of JPEG, JPEG-2000, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF and SVG.

6. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

at said imaging device, receiving, from said remote computing device, a first change request associated with said first interface image and said interface;

determining a change status associated with said first interface image and said interface, wherein said change status indicates whether said first interface image is a substantially current functional replica of said interface; and

sending said change status from said imaging device to said remote computing device.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein said first change request comprises a second HTTP request.

8. A method as described in claim 6, wherein said sending said change status comprises a second HTTP response.

9. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

at said imaging device, receiving, from said remote computing device, said first interaction indicator associated with said first interface image; and

controlling said imaging device in accordance with said first interaction indicator.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said receiving a first interaction indicator comprises a third HTTP request.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said sending said second interface image comprises a third HTTP response.

12. A method for remote interaction with an imaging device, said method comprising:

from a computing device, sending, to an imaging device, a first HTTP request for an interface image, where said imaging device is capable of performing a function selected from the group consisting of printing, scanning, publishing, media-duplication, filing, displaying, faxing, and combinations thereof;

at said computing device, receiving, from said imaging device, in a first HTTP response to said first HTTP request, a first interface image, wherein;

said first interface image represents a functional replica of a corresponding interface on said imaging device;

said first interface image corresponds to a state of said corresponding interface at a first time associated with receipt of said first HTTP request at said imaging device;

said first interface image comprises an image corresponding to a plurality of portions of said imaging device required for said computing device to interface with said imaging device; and

said corresponding interface on said imaging device allows said computing device to control an imaging device function;

displaying said first interface image at said computing device; and

at said computing device, receiving from said imaging device a second interface image associated with said interface, wherein said second interface image represents a functional replica of said interface at a second time associated with the receipt of a first interaction indicator by said imaging device.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said interface image is associated with a front panel interface on said imaging device.

14. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said first interface image is visually similar to said corresponding interface on said imaging device.

15. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said first interface image is not visually similar to said corresponding interface on said imaging device.

16. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said first interface image has an image format selected from the group consisting of JPEG, JPEG-2000, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF and SVG.

17. A method as described in claim 12 further comprising:

from said computing device, sending, to said imaging device, a first change request associated with said first interface image; and

at said computing device, receiving a change status from said imaging device.

18. A method as described in claim 17, wherein said first change request comprises a second HTTP request.

19. A method as described in claim 17, wherein said receiving said change status comprises a second HTTP response.

20. A method as described in claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, from a user-interface device, an interaction indicator associated with said displayed first interface image; and

from said computing device, sending, to said imaging device, said first interaction indicator.

21. A method as described in claim 20, wherein said sending said first interaction indicator comprises a third HTTP request.

22. A method for remote interaction with an imaging device, said method comprising:

receiving, at a gateway computing device from a remote computing device, an HTTP request for an interface image representing a functional replica associated with an interface on an imaging device, wherein;

said interface image comprises an image corresponding to a plurality of portions of said imaging device required for a user to interface with said imaging device;

said interface image corresponds to a state of said interface on said imaging device at a first time associated with receipt, at said imaging device, of a first HTTP request for said interface image; and

said interface on said imaging device allows said remote computing device to control an imaging device function;

sending, from said gateway computing device to said imaging device, a request to update a first interface image associated with said interface on said imaging device, where said imaging device is capable of performing a function selected from the group consisting of printing, scanning, publishing, media-duplication, filing, displaying, faxing, and combinations thereof;

receiving, at said gateway computing device from said imaging device, interface-image update information;

at said gateway computing device, converting said interface-image update information to a second interface image associated with said interface on said imaging device;

sending said second interface image from said gateway computing device to said remote computing device;

receiving at said gateway computing device, interface-image update information from said imaging device, in response to the imaging device receiving a first interaction indicator;

at said gateway computing device, converting said interface update information to a third interface image associated with said interface, wherein said third interface image represents a functional replica of said interface at a second time; and

sending said third interface image from said gateway computing device to said remote computing device.

23. A method as described in claim 22, wherein:

said request to update a first interface image comprises a VNC/RFB protocol; and

said sending said second interface image comprises an HTTP response.

24. A method for remote interaction with an imaging device, said method comprising:

at an imaging device, receiving, from a remote computing device, a first request for an interface image;

obtaining a first interface image associated with an interface on said imaging device, wherein;

said first interface image represents a functional replica of said interface at a first time associated with receipt of said first request for an interface image;

said first interface image corresponds to a state of said interface at said first time;

said first interface image comprises an image corresponding to a plurality of portions of said imaging device required for said remote computing device to interface with said imaging device; and

said interface on said imaging device allows said remote computing device to control said imaging device;

sending said first interface image from said imaging device to said remote computing device, wherein said sending said first interface image comprises a first response to said first request;

at said imaging device, receiving, from said remote computing device, a first interaction indicator associated with said first interface image;

in response to said first interaction indicator, the imaging device performing a function selected from a group consisting of a scanner, copier, filing device, document-management device, publishing device, media-duplication device, and fax machine;

obtaining a second interface image associated with said interface on said imaging device, wherein said second interface image represents a functional replica of said interface at a second time associated with receipt of said first interaction indicator; and

sending said second interface image from said imaging device to said remote computing device.