Patent EP0745929A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0745929A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adaptive graphical user-interface for a network peripheral
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1996-05-29
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2016-05-29
Abstract
Abstract A printer controller system includes a process for generating and displaying an adaptive graphical user interface of a current configuration and current capabilities of a networked digital copier connected to a local area network. The process includes the process steps of requesting from a user's work station a current configuration and current capabilities of a digital copier, transmitting, in response to the request, an interrogation command to the digital copier over the local area network, receiving from the digital copier current configuration and capabilities information of the digital copier, retrieving digital copier configuration and capability libraries based on the received information and generating a graphical user interface using data within the retrieved libraries, displaying a graphical user interface including a representative graphical image of the digital copier in its current configuration and with its current capabilities, displaying at least one user-selectable menu of job options for selecting job options which are appropriate for the current configuration and current capabilities of the digital copier based on the received configuration and capabilities information, storing, upon entering a user-selected option from the menu of options, at least one user-selected option, re-displaying the image of the digital copier set to perform at least one specific job option based on the stored at least one user-selected option, downloading to the digital copier job option information of the digital copier based on at least one user-selected job option and a configuration of the re-displayed representative image of the digital copier, and setting the job options of the digital copier based on the downloaded job option information.
Inventors
- 👤 George A. Sanchez
- 👤 Rakesh Mahajan
- 👤 Chiu Ming Man
- 👤 Mark S. Hildreth
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:34
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00962; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/12; G06F3/1201; G06F3/1202; G06F3/1203; G06F3/1204; G06F3/1223; G06F3/1229; G06F3/1278; G06F3/1285; G06F3/1286; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00204; H04N1/00236; H04N1/0035; H04N1/00405; H04N1/00408; H04N1/00413; H04N1/00416; H04N1/00419; H04N1/00424; H04N1/00474; H04N1/00482; H04N1/00501; H04N1/00503; H04N1/32; H04N1/333; H04N1/33376; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/0008; H04N2201/0015; H04N2201/0074
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for generating and displaying an adaptive graphical user interface of a current status of a networked peripheral device connected to a local area network, the method comprising the steps of: requesting from a user's work station a current status of a networked peripheral device; transmitting, in response to the request, an interrogation command to the networked device over the local area network; receiving, from the networked peripheral device, information corresponding to a current status of the networked peripheral device; retrieving peripheral device configuration and capabilities from libraries based on the received information and generating a graphical user interface using data within the retrieved libraries; and displaying a graphical user interface including a representative graphical image of the networked peripheral device in its current status.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A method according to Claim 1, further comprising the steps of: generating and displaying at least one user-selectable menu of job options for selecting job options which are appropriate for the current status of the networked peripheral device in accordance with the received status information; storing, upon entering a user-selected option from the menu of options, at least one user-selected option; and re-displaying the graphical interface for the networked peripheral device together with at least one specific job option setting based on the stored at least one user-selected job option.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to Claim 2, further comprising: downloading to the networked peripheral device job option information of the networked peripheral device based on at least one user-selected option; and setting the job options of the networked peripheral device based on the downloaded job option information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to Claim 3, wherein in the downloading step, the job option information is provided as a header to a data file downloaded with the job option information.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
41 words
A method according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein, in the receiving step, the information received also includes instructions as to how to create, build and display a graphical user interface for the current status of the networked peripheral.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
228 words
A method for generating and displaying an adaptive graphical user interface of a current status of a networked digital copier connected to a local area network, the method comprising the steps of: requesting from a user's work station a current status of a copier; transmitting, in response to the request, an interrogation command to the copier over the local area network; receiving from the copier current status information of the digital copier; retrieving copier configuration and capability libraries based on the received information and generating a graphical user interface using data within the retrieved libraries; displaying a graphical user interface including a representative graphical image of the copier in its current status; generating and displaying at least one user-selectable menu of job options for selecting job options which are appropriate for the current status of the copier based on the received status information; storing, upon entering a user-selected option from the menu of options, at least one user-selected option; and re-displaying the image of the copier set to perform at least one specific job option based on the stored at least one user-selected option; downloading to the copier job option information of the copier based on at least one user-selected job option and a configuration of the re-displayed representative image of the copier; and setting the job options of the copier based on the downloaded job option information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to Claim 6, further comprising sending to a multi-device controller the interrogation over the local area network which addresses the interrogation to the networked copier and receives from the networked copier the current status information and addresses that information back to the work station via the local area network.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method according to Claim 6 or 7, wherein, in the step of displaying the representative graphical image of the digital copier, the representative graphical image of the digital copier is an interactive graphical user display which is responsive to a user's input selection within the interactive display and which in response to a user's input selection displays at least one additional display.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to Claim 8, wherein the step of displaying includes displaying at least one additional display which includes at least one sub-dialog box which provides a menu of user-definable job option entries.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
51 words
A method according to any of Claims 6 to 9, wherein the step of displaying at least one user-selectable menu of job options includes displaying sorter options, paper tray options, duplexing options, graphics options, print-type options, font-type options, document orientation options, resolution options, transparency interleaving options, magnification options and networking options.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
52 words
A method according to any of Claims 6 to 10, wherein the downloading step includes retrieving the stored at least one user-selected job option, creating a header file based on the stored at least one user-selected job option and outputting to the digital copier the header file together with the specific job.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
258 words
A peripheral device controller for interrogating a networked peripheral device for its current status, and for generating and displaying an adaptive graphical user interface based on returned status information, the peripheral device controller comprising: a local area network interface which interfaces between the peripheral device controller and a local area network; input means for inputting a request for a peripheral status; memory means for storing process steps and a peripheral device driver for the networked peripheral device; and process means for invoking, in response to an input request for a peripheral status, the peripheral device driver using the stored process steps wherein, the peripheral device driver, upon being invoked by the process means, 1) interrogates the networked peripheral device as to its status by sending an inquiry to the peripheral device via the local area network interface, 2) receives current status information from the networked peripheral device, 3) generates, based on the received current status information, a graphical user interface which includes a representative graphical image of the networked peripheral device, 4) displays on a monitor the graphical user interface including the representative graphical image which represents the current status of the networked peripheral device, 5) displays at least one menu of user-selectable job options for setting job options of the networked peripheral, 6) responds to a selection of the user-selectable job options by re-displaying the representative graphical image of the networked peripheral device based on the selected user-selectable option, and 7) transmits job option data to the networked peripheral device based on the selected user-selectable job option.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
A peripheral device controller according to Claim 12, further comprising a multi-device controller which receives the interrogation over the local area network and addresses the interrogation to the networked peripheral device and receives from the networked peripheral device the current status information and addresses that information back to the peripheral device controller via the local area network.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A peripheral device controller according to Claim 12 or 13, wherein the networked peripheral device is a copier.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
258 words
A computer program product comprising: a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code means embodied in the medium for causing a peripheral device driver to interrogate a networked peripheral device for its current status, and for generating and displaying an adaptive graphical user interface based on returned status information, the computer-readable program code means in computer program product, comprising: a computer-readable program code means for causing a computer to invoke the peripheral device driver in response to an input request for a peripheral status; a computer-readable program code means for causing the computer to execute process steps in the peripheral device driver wherein the executed process steps 1) interrogate the networked peripheral device as to its current status by sending an inquiry to the peripheral device via the local area network interface, 2) receive current status information from the networked peripheral device 3) generate, based on the received current status information, a graphical user interface which includes a representative graphical image of the networked peripheral device, 4) display on a monitor the graphical user interface including the representative graphical image corresponding of the networked peripheral device in the current status, 5) display job option menus based on the current status of the networked peripheral device, 6) respond to a selection of the user-selectable job options by re-displaying the representative graphical image of the networked peripheral device set to perform the specific job options based on the selected user-selectable job options, and 7) transmit job option data to the networked peripheral device based on the selected user-selectable job options.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
185 words
A method for previewing a status of a peripheral device and for reconfiguring the peripheral device prior to sending a job to the peripheral device in the case the peripheral device is not configured appropriately for the job, the method comprising the steps of: interrogating the peripheral device for its current status; receiving current status information from the peripheral device; generating, based on the received information, a graphical user interface which includes a representative graphical image of the peripheral device; displaying on a monitor the graphical user interface and the representative graphical image of the peripheral device which reflects the current status of the peripheral device in accordance with the received information; displaying user-selectable job options based on the current status of the peripheral device; re-displaying, in response to a user selecting at least one user-selectable job option, the representative graphical image of the peripheral device set to perform at least one specific job option based on the at least one user-selectable job option selected by the user; and downloading to the peripheral device job option data in accordance with the user-selectable job option selected.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of controlling a networked peripheral comprising the steps of: interrogating the peripheral for its current configuration; receiving current configuration information from the peripheral device; communicating the received current configuration information in addition to user selectable job options based on the current configuration information to the user; and controlling the peripheral device in accordance with a user selected job option selected by the user.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein the current configuration information and the user selectable job options are communicated to the user via a graphical user interface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein a user can download a requested change to the current configuration of the peripheral device, and wherein the peripheral device is adapted to be able to change its current configuration in response to the downloaded request.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
A data carrier programmed with software for carrying out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or 16 to 19.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.