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

• US 8,531,710 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Martin T., Grover, Dale L., Kushler, Clifford A., Stafford-Fraser, James Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): SINGH, SATWANT K
• Application Number:
  US13/195,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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:

receiving, by a content retriever, scanned information comprising;

(i) an identifier of a scanner device and (ii) additional information for locating content;

locating, by the content retriever, the content based at least on the additional information;

making a determination, by the content retriever, that a candidate device can perform the content by at least;

determining locations of the scanner device and a second device; and

selecting the candidate device from among the scanner device and the second device based at least on the locations of the scanner device and the second device; and

providing, by the content retriever, the content to the candidate device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanned information comprises information scanned by the scanner device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein making the determination, by the content retriever, that the candidate device can perform the content further comprises:

maintaining a device database comprising location information for the scanner device and a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing, by the content retriever device, the content to the candidate device further comprises providing the content from a network to the candidate device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein making the determination, by the content retriever, that the candidate device can perform the content further comprises examining characteristics of the content and determining that the candidate device can perform the content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one of:

text, digital sound, music, one or more digital images, a video, an electronic document of the scanned information, digital music associated with the scanned information, a digital voice recording, audio news, and audio product information.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a content retriever, scanned information comprising;

(i) an identifier of a scanner device and (ii) additional information for locating content;

locating, by the content retriever, the content based at least on the additional information;

making a determination, by the content retriever, that the scanner device cannot perform the content;

selecting, by the content retriever, an associated device based at least on the scanned information by at least;

determining locations of the scanner device and a second device, and

selecting the associated device based at least on the locations of the scanner device and the second device; and

providing, by the content retriever, the content to the associated device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the scanned information comprises information scanned by the scanner device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting, by the content retriever, the associated device based at least on the scanned information further comprises:

maintaining a device database comprising location information for the scanner device and a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes the second device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein providing, by the content retriever device, the content to the associated device further comprises providing the content from a network to the associated device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the associated device based at least on the scanned information comprises examining characteristics of the content and determining that the associated device can perform the content.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the content comprises at least one of:

text, digital sound, music, one or more digital images, a video, an electronic document of the scanned information, digital music associated with the scanned information, a digital voice recording, audio news, and audio product information.

13. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a data storage device comprising program instructions that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive scanned information comprising;

(i) an identifier of a scanner device and (ii) additional information for locating content;

locate the content based at least on the additional information;

make a determination that a candidate device can perform the content by at least;

determining locations of the scanner device and a second device and

selecting the candidate device from among the scanner device and the second device based at least on the locations of the scanner device and the second device; and

provide the content to the candidate device.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the scanned information comprises information scanned by the scanner device.

15. The computing system of claim 13, wherein to make the determination that the candidate device can perform the content, the program instructions further cause the processor to:

maintain a device database comprising location information for the scanner device and a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices includes the device.

16. The computing system of claim 13, wherein to provide the content to the candidate device, the program instructions further cause the processor to provide the content from a network to the candidate device.

17. The computing system of claim 13, wherein to make the determination that the candidate device can perform the content, the program instructions further cause the processor to examine characteristics of the content and determine that the candidate device can perform the content.

18. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the content comprises at least one of:

text, digital sound, music, one or more digital images, a video, an electronic document of the scanned information, digital music associated with the scanned information, a digital voice recording, audio news, and audio product information.