Network system, device server, and network system control method

• US 9,977,639 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hideo, Nishizawa, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): ZAND, DAVOUD AMAN
• Application Number:
  US15/166,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20160342371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 709201, 709202, 709203, 709205
• 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 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1289 in server-client-printer device configuration, e.g. the server does not see the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• 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 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00238 using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer output via network, e.g. network printing H04N1/00233
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• 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 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

Using a web browser, a client terminal accesses a web application server on which a web application operates and controls an image input device. A displayed web page from the server has an embedded image input control script that operates on the web browser and controls image input. Under the control of the image input control script, an image acquisition request is sent to the image input device when a specific operation is performed on the displayed web page, and, as a response, an image is acquired from the image input device. Under control of the image input control script, a selection window is displayed for selecting whether or not to stop operation of the image input device when an event changing the web page occurs while such device is operating, and a stop operation request is sent to the image input device when stopping its operation is selected.

Claims

1. A client terminal that accesses, using a web browser, a web application server on which a web application operates, and that controls an image input device, the client terminal comprising:

a display that displays a web page from the web application server, the web page having an embedded image input control script that operates at least on the web browser and controls image input from the image input device;

an image acquisition request transmission unit that is controlled by the image input control script to send an image acquisition request to the image input device when a specific operation is performed on the displayed web page;

an image acquisition unit that is controlled by the image input control script to acquire an image from the image input device as a response to the image acquisition request;

a selection window display that is controlled by the image input control script to display a selection window for selecting whether or not to stop operation of the image input device when a change event that changes the web page occurs while the image input device is operating; and

a stop operation request transmission unit that is controlled by the image input control script to send a stop operation request to the image input device when stopping operation of the image input device is selected in the selection window,

wherein the client terminal does not include nor use a device driver to control display of the selection window for selecting whether or not to stop operation of the image input device when the change event occurs while the image input device is operating.

2. The client terminal described in claim 1, wherein:

the image acquisition request transmission unit sends the image acquisition request to a service endpoint address previously set in the image input control script, the image acquisition request containing identification of the image input device.

3. The client terminal described in claim 1, wherein:

the image acquisition unit continues the image acquisition even when the selection window is displayed by the selection window display.

4. The client terminal described in claim 1, further comprising:

a drawing process unit that is controlled by the image input control script to draw an image acquired by the image acquisition unit in a specific drawing area;

wherein the web page further has an embedded printing control script that operates on the web browser and controls printing related to the web page, said printing including, wherein the control of the printing by the printing control script includes;

controlling generation of print data that converts the image data drawn in the drawing area to a form that can be processed by a printer connected to the client terminal; and

controlling sending of the generated print data to the printer.

5. Control method for operating a client terminal that accesses, using a web browser, a web application server on which a web application operates, and that controls an image input device, the control method comprising:

a display step of displaying a web page from the web application server, the web page having an embedded image input control script that operates at least on the web browser and controls image input from the image input device;

an image acquisition request transmission step that is controlled by the image input control script to send an image acquisition request to the image input device when a specific operation is performed on the displayed web page;

an image acquisition step that is controlled by the image input control script to acquire an image from the image input device as a response to the image acquisition request;

a selection window display step that is controlled by the image input control script to display a selection window for selecting whether or not to stop operation of the image input device when a change event that changes the web page occurs while the image input device is operating; and

a stop operation request transmission step that is controlled by the image input control script to send a stop operation request to the image input device when stopping operation of the image input device is selected in the selection window,

wherein the selection window display step does not include nor use a device driver to control display of the selection window for selecting whether or not to stop operation of the image input device when the change event occurs while the image input device is operating.

6. The control method for a client terminal described in claim 5, the client terminal further comprising a print control script that operates on the web browser and controls printing related to the web page and that is embedded in the web page, the control method further comprising:

a drawing process step that is controlled by the image input control script to draw an image acquired by the image acquisition step in a specific drawing area;

a print data generating step that is controlled by the printing control script in conjunction with a print operation on the web page to generate print data that converts the image data drawn in the drawing area to a form that can be processed by a printer connected to the client terminal; and

a print data transmission step that is controlled by the printing control script to send the generated print data to the printer.