Methods and systems for imaging device remote application interaction

• US 8,018,610 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• 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: Yamamura, Shinichi, Sojian, Lena, Chrisop, Roy, Nguyen, Uoc, Stevens, Mark, Richardson, Tanna, Plewnia, Bogdan, Lum, Joey, Schacht, Bryan K., Mathieson, Rono
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins; Twyler L
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, LENNIN R
• Application Number:
  US10/962,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 358 111- 118, 719/321, 719/328, 707/3, 709/230, 345/472, 400/78, 713/1
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 1/00352 Input means H04N1/00411 takes precedence; input arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for interacting with a remote computing device from an imaging device. These aspects may comprise remote computing devices configured to communicate with imaging devices, imaging devices configured to communicate with remote computing devices and systems comprising various combinations of remote computing devices in communication with imaging devices.

Claims

1. A method for error handling while executing a remote application from an imaging device (IDev), said method comprising:

providing a user interface on said imaging device,

said user interface comprising a display device,

said user interface further comprising an input device;

linking said imaging device to a remote computing device (RCD),

said RCD comprising a remote application executing on said remote computing device;

said RCD further comprising menu data;

feeding said menu data to said (IDev) for display on said display device in a manner that enables a user to interact with said remote application by user input on said (IDev), wherein said menu data comprises a prompt for user credentials to be displayed on said display device;

receiving a user credential from a user at said IDev, wherein said user credential defines individual user privileges for each of a copy function, a scan function, a document filing function and a network print function and wherein said user credential comprises a user identification profile linked to a user language;

sending said user credential to an external authorization application;

determining whether said RCD is available to said IDev;

disabling said IDev if said user credential is not successfully authenticated and if said RCD is unavailable;

enabling functions of said IDev based on said user credential when said user credential is successfully authenticated and said RCD is available to said IDev;

receiving user input defining an imaging job with job parameters;

sending said job parameters to said RCD in a job notification;

modifying said job parameters at said RCD based on said user credential thereby creating modified job parameters;

executing said IDev using said modified job parameters;

detecting an error;

determining whether said error is recoverable;

when said error is recoverable, sending an error message to said remote application on said RCD for resolution by said remote application, wherein said resolution by said remote application comprises sending a resolution message to said imaging device; and

when said error is not recoverable,

determining a configured timeout period;

prompting a user for error correction action at said imaging device display device, wherein said prompting is accomplished using said user language;

detecting whether said user error correction action occurs; and

configuring said imaging device to a disabled mode if said user correction action does not occur before said timeout period expires.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said feeding is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with a markup language.

3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said feeding is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with an object access protocol.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said feeding is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with a markup language and an object access protocol.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said feeding is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with a markup language selected from the set consisting of HTML, XML, WML and XHTML.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said feeding is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with XML and SOAP.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said linking and said enabling is at least partially achieved by exposing imaging device function and data interfaces defined by a Web Services Definition Language (WSDL).

8. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said linking and said enabling is at least partially achieved by exposing imaging device function and data interfaces using a Web Service.

9. A method for providing error-handling functions on an imaging device (IDev), said method comprising:

providing a user interface on an imaging device,

said user interface comprising a display device,

said user interface further comprising an input device;

linking said imaging device to a remote computing device (RCD),

said RCD comprising at least one application executing on said remote computing device;

said RCD further comprising menu data for said (IDev) display device;

transmitting said menu data to said (IDev) for display on said display device in a manner that enables a user to interact with said at least one application by user input on said input device;

enabling selective initiation of said application by user input on said (IDev);

receiving a user credential from a user at said IDev, wherein said user credential defines individual user privileges for each of a copy function, a scan function, a document filing function and a network print function and wherein said user credential comprises a user identification profile linked to a user language;

sending said user credential to an external authorization application;

determining whether said RCD is available to said IDev;

disabling said IDev if said user credential is not successfully authenticated and if said RCD is unavailable;

enabling functions of said IDev based on said user credential when said user credential is successfully authenticated and said RCD is available to said IDev;

receiving user input defining an imaging job with job parameters;

sending said job parameters to said RCD in a job notification;

modifying said job parameters at said RCD based on said user credential thereby creating modified job parameters;

executing a modified imaging job at said IDev using said modified job parameters;

detecting an error in the execution of said modified imaging job;

determining whether said error is recoverable;

when said error is recoverable, sending an error message to said application for resolution by said application, wherein said resolution by said remote application comprises sending a resolution message to said imaging device; and

when said error is not recoverable,

determining a configured timeout period;

prompting a user for error correction action at said user interface display device, wherein said prompting is accomplished using said user language;

detecting whether said user error correction action occurs; and

configuring said imaging device to a disabled mode if said user correction action does not occur before said timeout period expires.

10. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said linking, said transmitting and said enabling is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with a markup language and an object access protocol.

11. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said linking, said transmitting and said enabling is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with XML and SOAP.

12. A method as described in claim 9 wherein said linking, said transmitting and said enabling is at least partially achieved by exposing imaging device function and data interfaces defined by Web Services Definition Language (WSDL).

13. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging device (IDev), said (IDev) comprising,

a user interface on said imaging device,

said user interface comprising a display,

said user interface further comprising an input device;

a remote computing device (RCD),

said RCD comprising an application executing on said RCD, wherein said application comprises an error resolution routine for receiving an error message from said imaging device, resolving an error identified in said error message and sending a resolution message back to said (IDev); and

a communication link connecting said (IDev) to said RCD;

wherein said user interface on said (IDev) is connected to said RCD such that interaction with said application on said (RCD) may be achieved by input to said input device on said (IDev);

said IDev UI for receiving a user credential from a user at said IDev, wherein said user credential defines individual user privileges for each of a copy function, a scan function, a document filing function and a network print function and wherein said user credential comprises a user identification profile linked to a user language;

a credential sender for sending said user credential to an external authorization application;

an availability determiner for determining whether said RCD is available to said IDev;

a disabler for disabling said IDev if said user credential is not successfully authenticated and if said RCD is unavailable;

an enabler for enabling functions of said IDev based on said user credential when said user credential is successfully authenticated and said RCD is available to said IDev;

said IDev UI for receiving user input defining an imaging job with job parameters;

a job parameter sender for sending said job parameters to said RCD in a job notification;

a modifier for modifying said job parameters at said RCD based on said user credential thereby creating modified job parameters;

said IDev for executing a modified imaging job at said IDev using said modified job parameters;

an error detector;

an error characterizer, wherein said error characterizer determines whether an error is recoverable; and

an error resolver, wherein said error resolver sends an error message to said remote computing device when a recoverable error is detected and said error resolver sends a user message to said imaging device user interface display when a non-recoverable error is detected, wherein user message is in said user language;

a determiner for determining a configured timeout period;

a detector for detecting whether said user error correction action occurs; and

a disabler for configuring said imaging device to a disabled mode if said user correction action does not occur before said timeout period expires.

14. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging device (IDev), said (IDev) comprising,

a user interface on said (IDev),

said user interface comprising a display device,

said user interface further comprising an input device;

a remote computing device (RCD),

said RCD comprising an application that can be executed on said RCD;

said RCD further comprising menu data;

said RCD further comprising an error resolution routine for receiving an error message from said imaging device, resolving an error identified in said error message and sending an error resolution message back to said imaging device;

a communication link connecting said (IDev)to said RCD;

wherein said menu data is transmitted over said network to said (IDev)for display on said display device in a manner that enables a user to interact with said application on said RCD by user input on said user interface;

said IDev UI for receiving a user credential from a user at said IDev, wherein said user credential defines individual user privileges for each of a copy function, a scan function, a document filing function and a network print function and wherein said user credential comprises a user identification profile linked to a user language;

a credential sender for sending said user credential to an external authorization application;

an availability determiner for determining whether said RCD is available to said IDev;

a disabler for disabling said IDev if said user credential is not successfully authenticated and if said RCD is unavailable;

an enabler for enabling functions of said IDev based on said user credential when said user credential is successfully authenticated and said RCD is available to said IDev;

said IDev UI for receiving user input defining an imaging job with job parameters;

a job parameter sender for sending said job parameters to said RCD in a job notification;

a modifier for modifying said job parameters at said RCD based on said user credential thereby creating modified job parameters;

said IDev for executing a modified imaging job at said IDev using said modified job parameters;

an error detector;

an error characterizer, wherein said error characterizer determines whether an error is recoverable; and

an error resolver, wherein said error resolver sends an error message to said remote computing device application when a recoverable error is detected and said error resolver sends a message to said imaging device user interface display when a non-recoverable error is detected

a determiner for determining a configured timeout period;

a detector for detecting whether said user error correction action occurs; and

said disabler for configuring said imaging device to a disabled mode if said user correction action does not occur before said timeout period expires.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for controlling an application on a remote computing device (RCD) from a user input device on an imaging device (IDev), said instructions comprising the acts of:

providing a user interface on said (IDev),

said user interface comprising a display device,

said user interface further comprising an input device;

linking said (IDev)to a RCD,

said RCD comprising an application that can be executed on said RCD;

said RCD further comprising menu data;

said RCD further comprising an error resolution routine for receiving an error message from said imaging device, resolving an error identified in said error message and sending an error resolution message back to said imaging device;

receiving said menu data at said (IDev)for display on said display device in a manner that enables a user to interact with said application by user input on said imaging device;

receiving a user credential from a user at said IDev, wherein said user credential defines individual user privileges for each of a copy function, a scan function, a document filing function and a network print function and wherein said user credential comprises a user identification profile linked to a user language;

sending said user credential to an external authorization application;

determining whether said RCD is available to said IDev;

disabling said IDev if said user credential is not successfully authenticated and if said RCD is unavailable;

enabling functions of said IDev based on said user credential when said user credential is successfully authenticated and said RCD is available to said IDev;

receiving user input defining an imaging job with job parameters;

sending said job parameters to said RCD in a job notification;

modifying said job parameters at said RCD based on said user credential thereby creating modified job parameters;

executing a modified imaging job at said IDev using said modified job parameters;

detecting an error;

determining whether said error is recoverable;

when said error is recoverable, sending an error message to said application for resolution by said application; and

when said error is not recoverable,

determining a configured timeout period;

prompting a user for error correction action at said user interface display device, wherein said prompting is accomplished using said user language;

detecting whether said user error correction action occurs; and

configuring said imaging device to a disabled mode if said user correction action does not occur before said timeout period expires.

16. A method for allowing remote application access from an imaging device (IDev), said method comprising:

providing a user interface on said (IDev),

said user interface comprising a display device capable of receiving and displaying menu data received from a remote computing device (RCD),

said user interface further comprising an input device capable of interacting with an application running on said RCD;

providing a connection on said (IDev)to allow communication with said RCD;

receiving a user credential from a user at said IDev, wherein said user credential defines individual user privileges for each of a copy function, a scan function, a document filing function and a network print function and wherein said user credential comprises a user identification profile linked to a user language;

sending said user credential to an external authorization application;

determining whether said RCD is available to said IDev;

disabling said IDev if said user credential is not successfully authenticated and if said RCD is unavailable;

enabling functions of said IDev based on said user credential when said user credential is successfully authenticated and said RCD is available to said IDev;

receiving user input defining an imaging job with job parameters;

sending said job parameters to said RCD in a job notification;

receiving modified job parameters from said RCD wherein said modified job parameters are modified based on permissions related to said user credential;

executing said IDev using said modified job parameters;

detecting an error;

determining whether said error is recoverable;

when said error is recoverable, sending an error message to said application for resolution by said application;

when said error is not recoverable,

determining a configured timeout period;

prompting a user for error correction action at said user interface display device, wherein said prompting is accomplished using said user language;

detecting whether said user error correction action occurs;

configuring said imaging device to a disabled mode if said user correction action does not occur before said timeout period expires; and

an error message receiver on said imaging device, said error message receiver for receiving an error resolution message indicating an error resolution procedure for an error identified in said error message sent from said imaging device.

17. A method as described in claim 16 wherein said interacting is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with a markup language.

18. A method as described in claim 16 wherein said interacting is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with an object access protocol.

19. A method as described in claim 16 wherein said interacting is at least partially achieved by transport of data commands with a markup language and an object access protocol.