Patent Application
20100169877
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting information via syndication services. Specifically, it relates to transmitting update information to a printer, scanner, fax, multifunction printing device, or other printing device via syndication services such as RSS 2.0 or other syndication service from a user computer device. Update information may be firmware, software, device settings, configuration information, web bookmarks, or similar information.
The setting of the present invention is a network (wired, wireless, or both) of devices such as printers, scanners, fax machines, multifunction printing devices, user computer devices, and handheld user computer devices. User computer devices connected to a network often need the ability to update various aspects of printing devices such as firmware, user settings, security settings, web bookmarks. These elements often change without a fixed schedule. Traditionally, these changes are “pushed” to each device by a user administrator using custom applications, scripts, or other proprietary methods.
Over time, most electronic devices, including printing devices, may need updating to improve functionality, efficiency, security, speed, compatibility, or other desired attributes. Many of these attributes are user changeable to accommodate a user's desire to improve these devices. Many times, a user changes these attributes through user settings or device firmware. Traditionally, an administrator sets the attributes on a device to a new setting each time a change is desired or required. In a large organization, dozens, if not hundreds, of printing devices may require attribute changes. In such a case, the administrator either physically walks to each printing device to complete an update or connects electronically to each printing device individually to complete an update. These traditional methods may be inefficient, time-consuming and costly.
The present invention addresses the need for a more efficient and standardized method of transmitting update information to various printing devices. Therefore, the present invention provides a mechanism for devices to subscribe to a syndication change server using a standard syndication service protocol.
The present invention further addresses this need by providing a method of updating devices by transmitting update information via standard syndication services.
It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a computer implemented method of updating a device via syndication services that includes receving a syndication feed from a syndication change server, and updating at least one of firmware, software, configuration, bookmarks, and settings of the device. In some embodiments, the device subscribes to the syndication feed published by the syndication change server.
In a more detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the receiving occurs as a result of the syndication feed being altered or updated. In other detailed embodiments of this aspect, the updating includes executing computer-readable commands from the syndication feed. In some other embodiments of this aspect, the updating includes at least one of opening and executing a file attachment associated with the syndication feed. Further, in some embodiments of this aspect, the updating includes at least one of opening and executing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
In still yet another detailed embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the syndication feed is at least one of an Extensible Markup Language and XML computer-readable file. An exemplary embodiment of the first aspect provides that the syndication feed complies with the Really Simple Syndication protocol specification. Furthermore, the syndicated change server may be a software application operating on the user computer device in many embodiments of the first aspect of the present invention.
It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a computer implemented method of updating a device via syndication services that includes receiving at a syndication change server update information from a user computer device; transmitting the update information from the syndication change server to a device for processing. Processing the update information then causes the device to update firmware, software, configuration, bookmarks, and/or settings of device.
In another embodiment of the second aspect, prior to transmitting the update information from the syndication change server to the device, the device is notified that update information is available. In yet another embodiment of the second aspect, prior to transmitting the update information from the syndication change server to the device, the syndication change server receives a query from the device for update information. In some embodiments, the query is received at a pre-determined timed interval.
In a more detailed embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, the processing includes executing computer-readable commands from the update information.
It is a third aspect of the present invention to utilize syndication services at a printing device by receiving a syndication feed from a syndication change server and processing the syndication feed. The syndication feed is one of a print job and a software application. In another embodiment of the third aspect, the processing includes printing the print job. In yet another embodiment of the third aspect, the processing includes installing the software application on the device. In still another embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, the processing includes executing the software application.
From the foregoing disclosure and the following detailed description of various preferred embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a significant advance in the art of transmitting update information via syndication services. Additional features and advantages of various preferred embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.
The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings in which:
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many uses and variations are possible for the methods of transmitting update information via syndication services. The following detailed discussion of various alternative and preferred embodiments will illustrate the general principles of the present invention. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.
The present invention generally relates to a method of updating a printing device via syndication services. Some examples of printing devices include printers, scanners, fax machines, multifunction devices, and other printing devices. Some examples of user computer devices include computer servers, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, and other user computer devices. Various embodiments may utilize a plurality of printing devices or a plurality of user computer devices.
In other embodiments, additional functions, features or elements may be added to method as depicted in
In another embodiment, syndication services may be used to provide software applications to printing device 20. For example, the syndication feed may be a software application, which when processed by printing device 20, becomes installed or embedded on printing device 20. Similar to updating printing device 20, the syndication feed may also be used to provide updates or changes to a software application.
In yet other embodiments, syndication services can be used in performing other functions at the printing device 20. For example, a print job may be transmitted from user computer device 22 to printing device 20 and automatically printed. Such ability would be useful in environments where broadcasts, such as company e-mails, are typically used. For example, syndication feeds may be particularly useful in retail settings where a company's headquarters wants to broadcast new sales or provide instructions to all of its retail outlets. In this manner, the need for a retailer to access his electronic mail to receive important company announcements may be eliminated.
Data links linking various components of the embodiments of the present invention may be any known data links. For example, the data link linking the printing device 20 to the syndication change server 26 may be wired or wireless. A wired data link may include integrated circuitry within the printing device 20, a USB data link, Firewire data link, or other similar data link. A wireless data link may include a Wi-Fi data link, WiMax data link, wireless USB data link, Bluetooth data link, or other similar data link. In another example, the data link linking the user computer device 22 to the syndication change server 26 may be a wired data link while the data link linking the syndication change server 26 to the user computer device 22 may be wireless.
The syndication change server 26 may be incorporated within the user computer device 22 by a software application. In other embodiments, the syndication change server 26 may be located external to the printing device 20. In some embodiments, the syndicated change server 26 resides on a user computer device 22 administered by the manufacturer of the printing device 20. Functions of the syndication change server 26 include notifying printing devices 20 when new syndication feeds or update information is available, receiving update information, and transmitting update information.
The syndication change server 26 may be a software application, a software application extension, or a web-based utility. The syndication change server 26 operates on the user computer device 22 or other device. Additionally, the syndication change server 26 may be implemented to display the device status information in web-based portals, internet browser applications, email applications, or blog editors. In an exemplary embodiment, the syndication change server 26 implements the Really Simple Syndication syndication protocol, such as RSS 2.0. However, any other syndication protocol format may be utilized in the present invention so long as the format is capable of supporting attachments, as is known in the art.
In some embodiments, each printing device 20 has the software and associated circuitry for accessing device information such as firmware, software, and/or settings information. This device information may include revision data, version data, and/or date of last update data. This data may be needed to determine if the printing device 20 needs the update information from the syndication change server 26. For example, if printer A has firmware version 1.5 and the syndication change server 26 has version 1.7 available, printer A can compare these versions. Printer A will then proceed to initiate, receive, and process this version update. If printer B has firmware version 1.7 and the syndication change server 26 has version 1.7 available, printer B has the most current version update and knows not to initiate transmission of the update. The capability of a printing device 20 to access update information and/or device information may be a native capability of the printing device's 20 firmware. Alternately, this capability may be an add-on feature through the use of a software application.
In one embodiment, printing devices 20 may be pre-configured by the manufacturer or retailer to access or subscribe to update information or a syndication feed located on a central server. For example, a printer 20 manufactured by Lexmark International, Inc. and sold by Dell Inc. may be pre-configured through firmware or software to access update information or a syndication feed located on servers owned and/or maintained by Lexmark International, Inc. Additionally, Dell Inc. may also pre-configure these printers 20 through firmware or software to access update information or a syndication feed located on servers owned and/or maintained by Dell Inc.
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Following from the above description and present invention summaries, it should be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that, while the methods and apparatuses herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the inventions contained herein are not limited to the above precise embodiments and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims. Likewise, it is to be understood that the present invention is defined by the claims and it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the present invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of the claims, since inherent and/or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein.
