Patent Application
20100058194
The present invention in its several embodiments relates generally to remote access of a computing device in a networked environment, and more particularly to remote access of a computing device from a multi-function peripheral device in a networked environment.
In a computer networked environment, a first computing device may host a virtual network computing server and a second computing device may host a virtual network computing client where the client may access and control the desktop of the server. A multi-function peripheral (MFP) device is used to print and fax information from a computing device in communication, e.g., networked, with the MFP device. An MFP device may be configured additionally to scan sheets of documents and transmit the scanned sheets, in electronic form, to a computing devices. In computing networks where the computing devices are personal computers (PCs), an MFP device is not configured as a peer of the PCs, rather they are configured as peripheral equipment having capabilities generally limited to input and output of paper. Accordingly, the typical interaction of the computing device with the MFP device requires the user executing one or more steps at the computing device to cause the MFP device to print a job. In addition, the typical scanning operation requires the user executing one or more steps at the MFP device to direct the MFP device to send the scanned information to a particular computing device.
Where a computing device has merely logged onto a network having an MFP device, the user is unable to initiate at the MFP device a print job from the merely logged on computing device and the user is unable to view at the MFP device a scanned document file as received by the computing device. In addition, where a single user is responsible for secure printing of a file at a remote MFP device, more than a single trip from the source or file-originating computing device to the secure MFP device may be required especially in the case of reprinting. The network architecture may have an MFP device in a locked room separate from the file-originating computing device. In addition, the MFP device may be configured to support security measures such as printing responsive to the input of a personal identification number (PIN).
The present invention may be embodied as systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media for executing the remote access via an MFP device of one or more computing devices in a network of computing devices originating jobs for the MFP device based on a database comprising the IP address and password for each job-originating computing device logged into the network. For example, a multi-function peripheral device embodiment may comprise: a processing unit, addressable memory, and a user interface having a display; wherein the processing unit is configured to execute instructions, not necessarily in the following order, comprising: (a) identify, via the user interface, a first computing device logged onto the network of the MFP device, i.e. made available for remote device access via a network link; (b) initiate, via the user interface, a virtual desktop session with the first computing device; and (c) transmit a multi-function peripheral job instruction to the first computing device within the virtual desktop session. In some embodiments, the processing unit may be further configured to obtain an identifying element of the first remote computing device, i.e., the first remote computing device, from a second computing device and/or configured to obtain an identifying element of the first remote computing device from a second computing device based on a user-provided identifying element. For some embodiments, the processing unit may be further configured to obtain an identifying element of the first remote computing device from a second computing device based on a user-provided personal identification number. Also for some embodiment, the processing unit may be further configured to receive the multi-function peripheral job from the first computing device according to the transmitted job instruction.
The present invention may be embodied as a process. For example, embodiment of the present invention includes a machine-enabled method of job manipulation at a job source computing device via a user interface of a multi-function peripheral (MFP) device comprising a processing unit and addressable memory and a display, the method comprising steps, not necessarily in the following order, of: (a) identifying, via the user interface, a first computing device in networked communication with the MFP device, i.e., made available for remote device access via a network link, e.g., logged onto the same network as the MFP device; (b) initiating, via the user interface, a virtual desktop session with the job source computing device; and (c) transmitting a multi-function peripheral job instruction to the job source computing device within the virtual desktop session. Some embodiments as a machine-enabled method may further comprise obtaining an identifying element of the first remote computing device from a second computing device. Other embodiments such as a machine-enabled method may further comprise obtaining an identifying element of the first remote computing device from a second computing device based on a user-provided identifying element. Also, some embodiments as a machine-enabled method may further comprise obtaining an identifying element of the first remote computing device from a second computing device based on a user-provided personal identification number and embodiments as a machine-enabled method may further comprise receiving the multi-function peripheral job from the first computing device according to the transmitted job instruction.
Embodiments of the present invention may be present in a medium such as a DVD, a CD, or a portable flash memory device. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention may include a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a multi-function peripheral, are operative to cause the computer to: (a) identify, via the user interface, a first computing device in networked communication with the MFP device, i.e., made available for remote device access via a network link, e.g., logged onto the same network as the MFP device; (b) initiate, via the user interface, a virtual desktop session with the first computing device; and (c) transmit a multi-function peripheral job instruction to the first computing device within the virtual desktop session. The computer-readable medium may also have computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, are operative to cause the computer to obtain an identifying element of the first computing device from a second computing device. The computer-readable medium may also have as an option computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, are operative to cause the computer to obtain an identifying element of the first computing device from a second computing device. The computer-readable medium may also have computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, are operative to cause the computer to obtain an identifying element of the first computing device from a second computing device based on a user-provided identifying element. The computer-readable medium may also comprise computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, are operative to cause the computer to obtain an identifying element of the first computing device from a second computing device based on a user-provided personal identification number. The computer-readable medium may further comprise computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, are operative to cause the computer to receive the multi-function peripheral job from the first computing device according to the transmitted job instruction.
Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, and in which:
Returning to the exemplary system of
In some embodiments of the exemplary system embodiment of
Embodiments of the present invention may include a client node and a server node where at each node sufficient computer instructions are present to support access to a first computing node via a second computing node, i.e., remote access. Remote access software for such networks may be obtained from REALVNC™ by RealVNC Ltd and via the Remote Desktop Protocol of MICROSOFT™ WINDOWS™. A user of the server hosting a server version of remote access software may access the server via the user interface of a client hosting a client version of the remote access software. For example, a unique personal identification number (PIN) may be associated with the IP address of the server and a password allowing access to the server via a remote access interface provided by the remote access software. By inputting the PIN via the client user interface, the user may control the desktop of the server. The PIN may be input manually via a touch screen or a keyboard or via a proximity device, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or transponder like a proximity badge. Accordingly, a user may initiate a first print or may re-print a document with the corrected settings via the MFP device.
A user interface of
In some embodiments of the user interface of the MFP device, a display may output a set of the most recent jobs printed by, identifying them by print job names, for example. The processing of the MFP device may be configured to receive a selection by the user of one of these displayed jobs and a user-provided password. Responsive to the input of job name and password, the MFP device may then establish a remote desktop session with the IP address associated with the selected print job. In another embodiment, the printer driver at the first computing device as the source computing node, may embed its name, i.e., the computer name, into the print job. So, rather than outputting to a display the print job name of each of the most recent print jobs, the MFP device may display the computer name for each the most recent print jobs. Thereafter, the user may select the displayed computer name of choice and with a password or pin, may initiate a remote access of the selected computer from the MFP device.
The scanning of IP networks for NetBIOS name information may be embodied via NBTScan available at http://www.inetcat.net/software/nbtscan.html. The finding of computers logged into the system may be embodied via the User Locator by Motivate Systems™.
Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that provided herein are systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media for executing the remote access via an MFP device of one or more computing devices in a network of computing devices originating jobs for the MFP device based on a database comprising the IP address and password for each job-originating computing device logged into the network. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the modules and functions described herein may be further subdivided, combined, and/or varied and yet still be in the spirit of the embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based upon this disclosure, e.g., the exemplary flowcharts or processes described herein may be modified and varied and yet still be in the spirit of the invention. It is also contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed invention. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above.
