Systems and methods for monitoring an imaging job using implicit address discovery

• US 7,471,407 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2003
• 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: Ferlitsch, Andrew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici; Dov
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Thierry L
• Application Number:
  US10/602,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20040263898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358 111- 118, 358/2.1, 358/434, 358/437, 358/439, 358/468, 379/100.06, 399/11, 399/18, 399/21, 399/23
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• 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 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution

Abstract

A system for monitoring an imaging job and for implicit network address discovery is disclosed. The system includes a computing device and an imaging device in electronic communication with the computing device. Executable instructions on the imaging device are configured to receive the imaging job sent to the imaging device. An implicit network address is discovered from the imaging job without using an explicit address embedded in the imaging job. The imaging job is started at the imaging device. A status message for the imaging job is sent to the network address.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an imaging job sent to an imaging device by a computer system, the method comprising:

sending an imaging job to an imaging device;

receiving the imaging job at the imaging device;

discovering an implicit network address from the imaging job without using an explicit address of a monitoring process in the imaging job, wherein the discovering comprises extracting an IP address of the computer system from the transmission of the imaging job data packets;

starting the imaging job at the imaging device;

sending a status message for the imaging job to the network address;

receiving the status message by the computer system, the status message indicating that the imaging job has been completed; and

verifying, by the computer system, that the imaging job of the status message originated on the computer system, wherein the status message is ignored if it is not verified, wherein the status message is processed if it is verified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is selected from the group consisting of a printer, a scanner, a fax machine, a copier and a document server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering a client computing device with an imaging server to receive notifications regarding the imaging job.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the imaging server is selected from the group consisting of a print server, a fax server, a scan server and a document server.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending the imaging job from the client computing device to the imaging server before the imaging job is sent to the imaging device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the status message by the imaging server and sending the status message from the imaging server to the client computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising verifying that the imaging job of the status message originated on the client computing device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising verifying that the imaging job of the status message was communicated through the imaging server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the status message by a monitor on a client computing device.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the status message by the imaging server and sending the status message from the imaging server to a monitor on the client computing device.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the status message by a server monitor on the imaging server and sending the status message from the server monitor on the imaging server to a monitor on the client computing device.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein registering the client computing device with the imaging server includes providing a client computing device address to the imaging server.

13. A set of executable instructions on a computer readable medium for:

receiving an imaging job at the imaging device;

discovering an implicit network address from the imaging job without using an explicit address embedded in the imaging job, wherein the discovering comprises extracting an IP address of a sending computer system from the transmission of the imaging job data packets;

starting the imaging job at the imaging device;

sending a status message for the imaging job to the network address;

receiving the status messageby the computer system, the status message indicating that the imaging job has been completed;

verifying, by the computer system, that the imaging job of the status message originated on the computer system, wherein the status message is ignored if it is not verified, wherein the status message is processed if it is verified; and

wherein the executable instructions on the computer readable medium monitor the imaging job and discover the implicit network address.

14. The set of executable instructions of claim 13, wherein the imaging device is selected from the group consisting of a printer, a scanner, a fax machine, a copier and a document server.

15. The set of executable instructions of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium is part of a printer.

16. The set of executable instructions of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium is part of a scanner.

17. The set of executable instructions of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium is part of a fax machine.

18. The set of executable instructions of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium is part of a document server.

19. An imaging system configured for monitoring an imaging job for use with an imaging device that utilizes implicit network address discovery, the imaging system comprising:

a computing device;

an imaging device in electronic communication with the computing device;

executable instructions executable on the computing device, wherein the executable instructions are configured for;

allowing a client computing device to register with the imaging system to receive notifications regarding an imaging job;

receiving the imaging job from the client computing device;

sending the imaging job to the imaging device, wherein the imaging device discovers an implicit network address from the imaging job and sends a status message for the imaging job to the network address, wherein the discovering of the implicit network address is achieved without using an explicit address in the imaging job, and wherein the discovering comprises extracting an IP address of the computing device from the transmission of the imaging job data packets;

receiving a status message from the imaging device relating to the imaging job;

using registration information to identify the client computing device;

sending the status message to the client computing device;

receiving the status message by the client computing device, the status message indicating that the imaging job has been completed; and

verifying, by the client computing device, that the imaging job of the status message originated on the client computing device, wherein the status message is ignored if it is not verified, wherein the status message is processed if it is verified.

20. The imaging system of claim 19, further comprising a server monitor for receiving the status message on the imaging system and for sending the status message from the server monitor on the imaging system to a monitor on the client computing device.

21. The imaging system of claim 20, wherein the registration information includes a client computing device address.

22. A system for monitoring an imaging job and for implicit network address discovery, the system comprising:

a computing device;

an imaging device in electronic communication with the computing device;

executable instructions executable on the imaging device, wherein the executable instructions are for;

receiving the imaging job at the imaging device;

discovering an implicit network address from the imaging job without using an explicit address embedded in the imaging job, wherein the discovering comprises extracting an IP address of the computing device from the transmission of the imaging job data packets;

starting the imaging job at the imaging device;

sending a status message for the imaging job to the network address;

receiving the status message by the computing device, the status message indicating that the imaging job has been completed; and

verifying, by the computing device, that the imaging job of the status message originated on the computing device, wherein the status message is ignored if it is not verified, wherein the status message is processed if it is verified.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising an imaging server in electronic communication with the computing device and the imaging device, wherein the imaging job is sent from the computing device to the imaging server, and wherein the imaging server sends the imaging job to the imaging device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the imaging server is configured for:

allowing a client computing device to register with the imaging server to receive notifications regarding an imaging job;

receiving the imaging job from the client computing device;

sending the imaging job to the imaging device, wherein the imaging device discovers an implicit network address from the imaging job and sends a status message for the imaging job to the network address, wherein the discovering of the implicit network address is achieved without using an explicit address in the imaging job, and wherein the discovering comprises extracting an IP address of the imaging server from the transmission of the imaging job data packets;

receiving a status message from the imaging device relating to the imaging job;

using registration information to identify the client computing device;

sending the status message to the client computing device;

receiving the status message by the client computing device; and

verifying, by the client computing device, that the imaging job of the status message originated on the computing device, wherein the status message is ignored if it is not verified, wherein the status message is processed if it is verified.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a server monitor for receiving the status message on the imaging server and for sending the status message from the server monitor on the imaging server to a monitor on the client computing device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the registration information includes a client computing device address.