A cloud printing service may be provided to a subscriber of the service. In order to use the cloud printing service, a non-subscriber necessarily has to go through a subscription process. In particular, even if the non-subscriber wishes to use the service for one time only, the non-subscriber has to input some sensitive payment information, and this may become a hindrance for the non-subscriber to use the service.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain examples of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, parts, components, and structures.
Hereinafter, various examples will be described by referring to the accompanying drawings. The examples described hereinafter may be modified and implemented in various different forms. In order to more clearly describe features of the examples, detailed description of aspects that are widely known to one of ordinary skill in the art will be omitted.
Throughout the specification, it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” to another element, it may be “directly connected” to the other element or “connected to the other element with intervening elements therebetween.” It will be further understood that when a part “includes” an element, unless otherwise defined, the part may further include other elements, not excluding the other elements.
In this specification, an “image forming job” may denote various operations (e.g., printing, copying, scanning, or faxing) related to an image, such as forming of an image or creating/storing/transmitting of an image file, and a “job” may denote not only an image forming job, but may also denote a series of processes required for performing the image forming job.
Also, an “image forming apparatus” may denote any apparatus capable of performing an image forming job, such as a printer, a copier, a scanner, a fax machine, a multi-function printer (MFP), or a display apparatus.
Also, a “hard copy” may denote an operation of outputting an image on a printing medium, such as a paper, etc., and a “soft copy” may denote an operation of outputting an image on a display apparatus, such as a television (TV) or a monitor or on a memory.
Also, “content” may denote any type of data, which is a subject of an image forming job, such as a picture, an image, a document file, etc.
Also, “print data” may denote data converted into a format printable by a printer.
Also, a “scan file” may denote a file generated by scanning an image via a scanner.
Also, a “user” may denote a person performing an operation related to an image forming job by using an image forming apparatus or a device connected to the image forming apparatus wirelessly or by wires. Also, a “manager” may denote a person having an authority to access all functions and systems of an image forming apparatus. The “manager” and the “user” may be the same person.
Referring to
The input and output interface 110 may include an input interface to receive, from a user, an input for performing an image forming job, and an output interface to display information about a result of performing the image forming job, a status of the image forming apparatus 100, etc. For example, the input and output interface 110 may include an operational panel to receive a user input, a display panel to display a screen, etc.
In more detail, the input interface may include one or more device for receiving various forms of user inputs, such as a keyboard, a physical button, a touch screen, a camera, a microphone, etc. Also, the output interface may include, for example, a display panel, a speaker, etc. However, the input interface and the output interface are not limited thereto. The input and output interface 110 may include devices for supporting various input and output operations.
The controller 120 may control an operation of the image forming apparatus 100 and may include a processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU). The controller 120 may control other components included in the image forming apparatus 100 to perform operations corresponding to user inputs received via the input and output interface 110.
For example, the controller 120 may execute programs stored in the memory 140, read files stored in the memory 140, or store new files in the memory 140.
The communicator 130 may perform wired or wireless communication with other devices or a network. To this end, the communicator 130 may include a communication module (e.g., transceiver) to support at least one of various wired and wireless communication methods. For example, the communication module may be in the form of a chipset or may be a sticker/barcode (e.g., a sticker including a near-field communication (NFC) tag), etc. including information needed for communication.
Wireless communication may include, for example, at least one of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, ultra-wide band (UWB), NFC, etc. Wired communication may include, for example, at least one of universal serial bus (USB), a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), etc.
The communicator 130 may be connected to an external apparatus outside of the image forming apparatus 100 and transmit and receive signals or data to and from the external apparatus.
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The communicator 130 may transmit and receive signals or data to and from a server 300 by being directly connected to the server 300. Also, the communicator 130 may be connected to the external apparatus 200 via the server 300. That is, the communicator 130 of the image forming apparatus 100 may transmit and receive signals or data to and from the communicator 230 of the external apparatus 200 via the server 300.
Referring to
The image forming operator 150 may perform an image forming job, such as printing, copying, scanning, faxing, etc. As illustrated in
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The subscriber 10a may request the server 300 to create a shared account, via the user terminal 400a. The shared account may be generated based on the account of the subscriber 10a, and the non-subscriber 10b may use the cloud printing service by using the shared account. Here, the subscriber 10a may allow the non-subscriber 10b to use only a portion of an authority granted to his/her own account. That is, the subscriber 10a may set an authority of the shared account, and when the non-subscriber 10b logs into the shared account for which the authority is set, the non-subscriber 10b may use the cloud printing service only within the authority that is set.
When the subscriber 10a inputs, in the user terminal 400a, information for setting the authority of the shared account, that is, authority setting information, the user terminal 400a may transmit the authority setting information to the server 300 and request creation of the shared account. The server 300 may create the shared account based on the received authority setting information. The server 300 may transmit information needed to log into the generated shared account to the user terminal 400a of the subscriber 10a.
The subscriber 10a may directly (e.g., verbally) notify the non-subscriber 10b about the information needed to log into the shared account, or transmit the information via a messaging application, etc. The non-subscriber 10b that obtained the information may try to log into the shared account via the user terminal 400b.
When the non-subscriber 10b succeeds in logging into the shared account and requests a job using the cloud printing service, the server 300 may determine whether the requested job is within the authority that is set for the shared account, and when the requested job is within the authority, the server 300 may request the job from the image forming apparatus 100 and receive a result of the job.
Referring to
In operation 402, the server may create the shared account for which at least one authority is set.
In operation 403, the server may transmit information for logging into the shared account to the first device.
In operation 404, the server may receive a request to log into the shared account from a second device.
In operation 405, the server may determine whether authorization for a log-in has succeeded. When the authorization for the log-in has succeeded, the server may proceed to operation 406 and provide a cloud printing service to the second device within the authority that is set for the shared account.
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Also, for example, the subscriber may set at least two conditions from among the function, the quantity, the charge, and the period of time to be an AND condition. When at least one is not satisfied among the conditions included in the AND condition, a non-subscriber may not use the shared account. For example, when the function, the quantity, and the charge are set as the AND condition, and when the quantity that is set is met, the non-subscriber may not use the shared account even if the amount of money that is set with respect to the condition of the charge remains to be sufficient. Also, for example, when the function, the quantity, the charge, and the period of time are set as the AND condition, and when the period of time is terminated, the non-subscriber may not use the shared account even if the quantity and the charge that are set remain to be sufficient.
Also, for example, the subscriber may set at least two conditions from among the function, the quantity, the charge, and the period of time to be an OR condition. When at least one of the conditions included in the OR condition is satisfied, the non-subscriber may use the shared account. For example, when the function, the quantity, and the charge are set as the OR condition, and when the condition of the charge is sufficient, the non-subscriber may use the shared account even if the quantity of the function that is set is met.
The subscriber may request creation of a plurality of shared accounts for which different authorities are set and storage of the plurality of shared accounts by matching a title for identification with each of the plurality of shared accounts. In other words, the subscriber may create the shared accounts by setting authorities needed according to roles of the non-subscriber to use the shared accounts and store the created shared accounts by matching the created shared accounts with the titles related to the roles of the non-subscriber. For example, when the non-subscriber to use the shared account is a guest, the subscriber may create the shared account by setting authorities appropriate for a guest and store the created shared account with the title “guest.” Also, for example, when the non-subscriber to use the shared account is a manager, the subscriber may create the shared account by setting authorities appropriate for a manager and store the created shared account with the title “manager.” The subscriber may create and store the plurality of shared accounts in this way and may use the stored shared accounts when needed.
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In operation 510, the user terminal 400b of the non-subscriber may display a UI screen corresponding to the received shared account information. That is, the user terminal 400b may display the UI screen configured based on the authority that is set for the shared account. Examples of UI screens displayed on the user terminal 400a of the subscriber and the user terminal 400b of the non-subscriber when the shared account is successfully logged into, are illustrated in
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When the non-subscriber logs into the shared account, the user terminal 400a of the subscriber who shares the account may also display UI screens 910 and 920 for indicating information related to the account sharing. For example, when the shared account is successfully logged into, the UI screen 910 of the user terminal 400a of the subscriber may display a pop-up window notifying that the shared account is logged into. The pop-up window may display the content indicating that someone has logged into the shared account corresponding to a PIN code “0209.” Here, when the subscriber selects an account state button 911 to obtain more detailed information about the shared account, the UI screen 920 notifying of a state of the shared account may be displayed. The UI screen 920 may display a list of shared accounts based on the account of the subscriber, together with PIN codes and information about authorities that are set. The subscriber may perform managing operations, such as selecting a shared account from the list, updating the authorities that are set, etc., or deleting a shared account.
Referring to
The image forming apparatus 100 may perform the job in response to the received job request, and may transmit a result of performing the job to the server 300 in operation 513. The server 300 may update the shared account information based on the received result of performing the job in operation 514 and transmit the updated shared account information to the user terminal 400a of the subscriber in operation 515. For example, when two copies of a document are printed and a half (0.5) dollar charge occurs based on the printing, the server 300 may subtract the described usage from the number of print pieces and the usage charge permitted with respect to the shared account and store a value resulting from the subtracting operation in the shared account table.
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When the user terminal 400a transmits received authority setting information to the server 300 in operation 1003, the server 300 may create the shared account based on the authority setting information and create a temporary ID corresponding to the shared account in operation 1004. The server 300 may create a shared account table and store information about the shared account in the shared account table.
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An example process in which the server 300 transmits the link including the temporary ID to the user terminal 400a of the subscriber and the user terminal 400b of the non-subscriber extracts the temporary ID included in the link and transmits the extracted temporary ID to the server 300 (operations 1005 through 1008) will be described hereinafter with reference to
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Operations 1011 through 1015, in which the user terminal 400b of the non-subscriber requests a job from the server 300, the image forming apparatus 100 performs the job, and the shared account information is updated based on a result of performing the job, are the same as operations 511 through 515 of
The examples described above may be implemented in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer-executable instructions and data. At least one of the instructions and the data may be stored in the form of a program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate a certain program module and perform a certain operation.
The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may denote, for example, a magnetic storage medium, such as a hard disk, etc., an optical recording medium, such as CD, DVD, etc., or a memory included in a server accessible via a network. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may be the memory 240 of the external apparatus 200 or a memory included in the server 300 connected to the external apparatus 200 via a network.
The foregoing examples and advantages are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the examples of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2016-0090262 | Jul 2016 | KR | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/KR2017/005044 | May 2017 | US |
Child | 16202516 | US |