Patent Grant
7619762
Embodiments of the present invention relates to a multi-function network printing device; and more particularly, to a multi-function network printing device that includes customizable functions and user interfaces for one of several identified vertical industry spaces.
Conventional multi-function printers and network copiers (MFPs) are products that are designed to provide a small set of functions to a wide variety of business situations. These machines typically offer functions for copying, faxing, scanning, network printing, and emailing a scanned document. The functions offered on these MFP devices are somewhat limited due to an attempt to provide one device that meets the needs of many diverse buyers and environments. Because the functions, configurations and settings of these MFPs do not typically take into account the specific needs of any one group or vertical industry space, a “one size fits all” approach has evolved.
Rather than taking an approach that provides a set of features that represent the least common denominator, the multi-function network printing device of one embodiment of the present invention is specifically designed to meet the document solution needs of specifically identified business sectors. By choosing a number of key business sectors (i.e., industry verticals), it is possible to redefine the functions, configurations and settings of the MFP to include features and functionality that may specifically be of interest to that particular business sector. With this approach, it is possible to redefine the way in which the base functions of the MFP operate, and extend the functionality of the MFP to offer additional solutions beyond that of what a conventional MFP offers. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention combines the flexibility of a document workflow server/software with the ability to redefine the appearance and behavior of an MFP.
One embodiment of the invention, as discussed above, is directed to a multi-function network printing device (MFP) that is customized to meet unique needs of a particular industry space (such as a legal office, a healthcare facility, an engineering office, etc.). Such tangible MFP products are provided via a method of providing a standard hardware configuration along with specialized software programs (downloadable, or stored on disks or CDs, for example) that enable easy adaptation of the standard hardware to the user's particular needs based upon the user's vertical industry space. This customization is carried out, in part, by providing a procedure of extending/supplementing the base functions of the MFP along with providing a procedure for customizing the display and/or the graphical-user-interface (GUI) of the MFP.
Therefore, it is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a method for customizing the operation of a multi-function device. The multi-function device has two or more built-in functions such as copying, printing, faxing, scanning and emailing. The multi-function device also has a graphical-user-interface displaying icons representing the built-in functions of the multi-function device, where the user may activate the icons to command the multi-function device to perform the associated built-in function. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing such a multi-function device; (b) identifying a business purpose having specialized needs; and (c) customizing the built-in functions and the associated GUI icons based upon the specialized needs of the identified business purpose. In a more specific embodiment, the customizing step includes the step of adding additional functions to the multi-function device and associated icons displayed on the graphical-user-interface. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the customizing step includes the steps of: (i) providing a plurality of customization programs, each of which are associated with a particular business purpose; (ii) selecting one of the plurality of customization programs depending upon the business purpose identified in the identifying steps; and (iii) running the selected customization program on the multi-function device. In yet a further detailed embodiment, the business purpose is a legal office, a healthcare facility, a public sector facility, a home office, a retail facility, a manufacturing facility, a finance office, a telephone (call center) facility, or a public utility facility.
In an alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the business purpose is a legal office and the customizing step customizes the built-in functions and associated GUI icons of the multi-function device to include at least some of the following built-in functions and associated icons: (i) a function providing the ability to annotate an electronic document handled by the multi-function device by adding a unique identifier to each page of the electronic document (i.e., a Bates Stamp function); (ii) a function providing the ability to scan a tangible document to an electronic document and to submit the electronic document to an electronic archive system (such as World Docs) accessible by the multi-function device; (iii) a function providing the ability to track activities of the multi-function device and to associate the tracked activities to one or more clients so that the clients can be charged the cost of such activities; (iv) a function providing the ability to electronically mail an electronic document handled by the multi-function device as an electronic equivalent to registered postal mail; and (v) a function providing the ability to scan a tangible document into an electronic document and to convert the text images in the electronic document into a word processing format, capable of being edited by a word processor.
In an alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the business purpose identified as a healthcare facility, and the customizing step customizes the built-in functions and associated icons of the multi-function device to include some of the following built-in functions and associated icons: (i) a function providing the ability to route an electronic document handled by the multi-function device to any network location accessible by the multi-function device (such as to a pharmacy, to admitting, to radiology, etc.); (ii) a function providing the ability to access and print commonly-used forms; (iii) a function providing the ability to scan a tangible document into an electronic document and to submit the electronic document to an electronic archival system accessible by the multi-function device; and (iv) a function providing the ability to track the activities of the multi-function device and to associate the tracked activities to respective patients so that the respective patients' records can be monitored and/or audited.
In yet another alternate detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the customizing step includes the steps of providing a plurality of customizations programs, each of which are associated with a respective business purpose; selecting one of the plurality of customization programs depending upon the business purpose identified in the identifying step; and running the selected customization program on the multi-function device. In a further detailed embodiment, the business purpose may be a legal office, a healthcare facility, a public-sector facility, a home office, a retail facility, a manufacturing facility, a finance office, a call-center facility, or a public utility facility.
It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a method for customizing the operation of such a multi-function device that includes the steps of: (a) providing a multi-function device; (b) identifying the business purpose having specialized needs; and (c) customizing the icons displayed on the graphical-user-interface based upon the specialized needs of the identified business purpose.
It is a third aspect of the present invention to provide a multi-function network printer that includes: (a) a network interface; (b) a printer module; (c) a scanner module; (d) a fax module; (e) a graphical-user-interface; and (f) a controller operatively coupled to the network interface, the printer module, the scanner module, the fax module, and the graphical-user-interface; where the controller runs a program that is configured to display icons on the graphical-user-interface representing available functions of the multi-function device and to operate the network interface, printer module, scanner module and/or fax module upon activation of one of more of the displayed icons; and where the available functions and displayed icons are customizable upon identifying a business purpose for the multi-function network printer, where the business purpose has specialized needs beyond basic copying, faxing, network printing and emailing a scanned document functions of the multi-function network printer. In a further detailed embodiment, the multi-function printer further includes a plurality of external customization programs, each of which are adapted to configure the available functions and displayed icons for a respective business purpose.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention relates to a multi-function network printing device; and more particularly, to a multi-function network printing device that includes customizable functions and user interfaces for one of several identified vertical industry spaces (such as a legal office, a healthcare facility, an engineering office, etc.). In one embodiment, the present invention combines the flexibility of a document workflow server/software with the ability to redefine the appearance and behavior of an MFP. Such tangible MFP products are provided via a method of providing a standard hardware configuration along with specialized software programs (downloadable, or stored on disks or CDs, for example) that enable easy adaptation of the standard hardware to the user's particular needs based upon the user's vertical industry space. This customization can be carried out, in part, by providing a procedure of extending/supplementing the base functions of the MFP along with providing a procedure for customizing the display and/or the graphical-user-interface (GUI) of the MFP.
As shown in
The multi-function unit 10 includes a controller 16 having access to an internal memory 18, which includes internal RAM and may also include an internal hard drive or a similar device. The controller may also be operatively coupled to a portable memory read/write device 20, such as a disk drive, R/W CD drive, and the like. This portable memory read/write device 20 may also be a read-only device, such as read-only CD drive. Also operatively coupled to the controller is a graphical-user-interface 22. The graphical-user-interface in the exemplary embodiment preferably utilizes an icon-based touch-screen (or similar) interface. Of course, it is within the scope of the invention to use any type of moveable-cursor-based interface, which would typically necessitate the use of a cursor-control device such as a mouse, a roller ball, or any similar cursor-control devices known by those of ordinary skill.
The multi-function unit 10 also includes a network interface 24 operative coupled between the network 14 and the controller 16 for allowing the multi-function printer unit 10 to communicate over the computer network. The multi-function unit 10 also includes a printer module 26, operatively coupled to controller 16. The printer module 26 includes, for example, the necessary hardware in code that allows the multi-function printer unit 10 to print documents submitted over the network 14 or held in either of the memory devices 18, 20. The multi-function unit 10 may also include a scanner module 28, operatively coupled to the controller 16, which includes, for example, the necessary code and hardware for scanning tangible documents on the multi-function unit and storing the scanned electronic documents on an internal memory device 18, 20. Finally, the multi-function unit 10 may also include a fax module 30, which includes, for example, the necessary hardware and code for faxing electronic documents over a telephone line 32 or the like. The fax module may also have an internal scanning device for scanning tangible documents or may work with the scanning module 28 for scanning tangible documents and faxing documents over the telephone line 32.
The document server 12 works in concert with the multi-function unit 10 for performing special functions on electronic documents that may be handled by the multi-function unit 10. For example, the multi-function unit 10 can work in concert with the document server 12 for emailing electronic documents scanned by the multi-function unit 10 to a desired electronic address accessible over the network 14. The document server 12 may also include specialized functions for setting up and controlling the operations of the multi-function unit. It should also be apparent to those of ordinary skill that it is within the scope of the invention to combine the document server 12 and multi-function unit 10 into a single unit operatively coupled to the network 14.
As shown in
As discussed above, one embodiment of the present invention is specifically designed to allow the MFP to be customized to meet the document solution needs of one of a plurality of identified vertical business spaces. Customization software is provided for each of the plurality of identified vertical business spaces so that, upon installation of the MFP within one of the vertical business spaces, the person installing the system will have the opportunity to run one of these installation programs specific to the vertical business space into which the MFP is being installed, to automatically (or semi-automatically) customize the functionality of the MFP as well as the graphical-user-interface 22 of the multi-function printer unit 10. The specific customization program will also provide the installer with the ability to add additional functions, modify existing functions and/or customize the look of any or all of the icons displayed on the graphical-user-interface 22.
Examples of vertical business spaces in which such customization programs might be created include: a legal sector, a healthcare sector, public sector (such as for a police office, fire station, motor vehicle bureau, school, etc.), an insurance sector, a home office sector, a retail sector, a manufacturing sector, a financial sector (such as for a bank), a telephonic sector (such for a as a call-center), and a public utility facility.
Referring to
The customized graphical-user-interface 48 may also include additional functions, such as: a function providing the ability to annotate an electronic document handled by the multi-function device by adding a unique identifier to each page of the electronic document (e.g., Bates Number stamping) as shown by icon 56; a function providing the ability to scan a tangible document to an electronic document and to submit the electronic document to an electronic archive system accessible by the multi-function device (such as scanning and archiving to an iManage® archive) as shown by icon 58; a function providing the ability to electronically mail an electronic document handled by the multi-function device as an electronic equivalent to a registered postal mail (e.g., RPost® as shown by icon 60; a function providing the ability to scan a tangible document into an electronic document and to convert the text images of the electronic document into a word-processing format capable of being editing by a word-processor (e.g., WordPerfect® or Microsoft Word®) as shown by icon 62; and a function providing the ability for the user to access legal forms stored within the multi-function network printer device or accessible over the network 14, enter information into the forms (where certain information can be pre-entered in the forms based upon the user's profile or the client/matter numbers entered previously) and printing, faxing and/or emailing the filled-in form using the MFP as shown by icon 64.
As shown in
Following from the above description and invention summaries, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, while the apparatuses and processes herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise apparatuses and processes and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the meaning of the claims unless such limitations or elements or explicitly listed in the claims. Likewise, it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims, since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and/or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein.
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