Association of a portable scanner with input/output and storage devices

• US 7,990,556 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kushler, Clifford A., Stafford-Fraser, James Q., King, Martin T., Grover, Dale L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park; Chan S
• Assistant Examiner(s): KWAN, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US11/365,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 358/473, 358/474, 709/228
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1293 Printer information exchange with computer
• 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 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0036 Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00374 on the same page as at least a part of the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• 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 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

A device identifier is scanned with a portable scanner and communicated to a service provider. The service provider associates the device with the portable scanner. Information is scanned from a printed source and communicated to the service provider and subsequent information is received in response at a device identified by the device identifier. In some embodiments, a communication session identifier is scanned with a portable scanner and communicated to the service provider rather than (or in cooperation with) the device identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a computing system receiving an identification request from a displaying device, wherein the identification request specifies an address of the displaying device;

in response to receiving the identification request, the computing system transmitting a session identifier to the displaying device;

the computing system receiving a session initiation request from a scanning device, wherein the session initiation request contains the session identifier and a scanning device identifier, wherein the scanning device identifier is unique to the scanning device, and wherein the scanning device and the displaying device each communicate independently with the computing system;

in response to receiving the session initiation request, the computing system creating an association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device;

the computing system receiving a digital media request from the scanning device, wherein the digital media request contains information scanned by the scanning device that identifies requested digital media; and

based on the information scanned by the scanning device and the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, the computing system transmitting the requested digital media to the displaying device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device is stored in a database device, and wherein the digital media is stored in a content device that is physically separate from the database device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before transmitting the digital media to the displaying device, and based on the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, the computing system determining that the displaying device is suitable for displaying the digital media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing system transmits the digital media to the displaying device also based on a physical location of the scanning device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after system storing the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, the computing system recording that the session identifier is owned by the scanning device and that other scanning devices may not become associated with this session identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning device is a mobile telephone device equipped with an image-capturing component.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the digital media request from the scanning device, the computing system determining the address of the displaying device from the association.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information scanned by the scanning device is in print form and encodes a reference to the digital media.

9. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receive an identification request from a displaying device, wherein the identification request specifies an address of the displaying device;

in response to receiving the identification request, transmit a session identifier to the displaying device;

receive a session initiation request from a scanning device, wherein the session initiation request contains the session identifier and a scanning device identifier, wherein the scanning device identifier is unique to the scanning device, and wherein the scanning device and the displaying device each communicate independently with the computing system;

in response to receiving the session initiation request, create an association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device;

receive a digital media request from the scanning device, wherein the digital media request contains information scanned by the scanning device that identifies requested digital media; and

based on the information scanned by the scanning device and the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, transmit the requested digital media to the displaying device.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device is stored in a database device, and wherein the digital media is stored in a content device that is physically separate from the database device.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, if executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

before transmitting the digital media to the displaying device, and based on the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, determine that the displaying device is suitable for displaying the digital media.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein transmitting the digital media to the displaying device is also based on a physical location of the scanning device.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, if executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

after system storing the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, record that the session identifier is owned by the scanning device and that other scanning devices may not become associated with this session identifier.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the scanning device is a mobile telephone device equipped with an image-capturing component.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the program instructions, if executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations further comprising:

in response to receiving the digital media request from the scanning device, determine the address of the displaying device from the association.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the information scanned by the scanning device is in print form and encodes a reference to the digital media.

17. A system comprising:

means for receiving an identification request from a displaying device, wherein the identification request specifies an address of the displaying device;

means for, in response to receiving the identification request, transmitting a session identifier to the displaying device;

means for receiving a session initiation request from a scanning device, wherein the session initiation request contains the session identifier and a scanning device identifier, wherein the scanning device identifier is unique to the scanning device, and wherein the scanning device and the displaying device each communicate independently with the computing system;

means for, in response to receiving the session initiation request, creating an association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device;

means for receiving a digital media request from the scanning device, wherein the digital media request contains information scanned by the scanning device that identifies requested digital media; and

means for, based on the information scanned by the scanning device and the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, transmitting the request digital media to the displaying device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device is stored in a database device, and wherein the digital media is stored in a content device that is physically separate from the database device.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for, before transmitting the digital media to the displaying device, and based on the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, determining that the displaying device is suitable for displaying the digital media.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein transmitting the digital media to the displaying device also based on a physical location of the scanning device.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for, after system storing the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, recording that the session identifier is owned by the scanning device and that other scanning devices may not become associated with this session identifier.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the scanning device is a mobile telephone device equipped with an image-capturing component.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for, in response to receiving the digital media request from the scanning device, determining the address of the displaying device from the association.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the information scanned by the scanning device is in print form and encodes a reference to the digital media.

25. A computing system comprising:

a database device that (i) receives an identification request from a displaying device, wherein the identification request specifies an address of the displaying device, (ii) in response to receiving the identification request, transmits a session identifier to the displaying device, (iii) receives a session initiation request from a scanning device, wherein the session initiation request contains the session identifier and a scanning device identifier, wherein the scanning device identifier is unique to the scanning device, and wherein the scanning device and the displaying device each communicate independently with the computing system, and (iv) in response to receiving the session initiation request, the computing system creating an association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device; and

a content device that (i) receives a digital media request from the scanning device, wherein the digital media request contains information scanned by the scanning device that identifies requested digital media, and (ii) based on the information scanned by the scanning device and the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, transmits the requested digital media to the displaying device.

26. The computing system of claim 25,

wherein, before transmitting the digital media to the displaying device, and based on the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, the content device determines that the displaying device is suitable for displaying the digital media.

27. The computing system of claim 25, wherein the content device transmits the digital media to the displaying device also based on a physical location of the scanning device.

28. The computing system of claim 25, wherein, after system storing the association between the session identifier, the scanning device identifier, and the address of the displaying device, the database device recording that the session identifier is owned by the scanning device and that other scanning devices may not become associated with this session identifier.

29. The computing system of claim 25, wherein the scanning device is a mobile telephone device equipped with an image-capturing component.

30. The computing system of claim 25,

wherein, in response to receiving the digital media request from the scanning device, the content device determines the address of the displaying device from the association.

31. The computing system of claim 25, wherein the information scanned by the scanning device is in print form and encodes a reference to the digital media.

32. The computing system of claim 25, wherein the database device and the content device are comprised within the same physical component.