Patent Application
20180278792
This application relates generally to multifunction peripherals. The application relates more particularly the storing and retrieval of scanned documents on a multifunction peripheral.
Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFP means any of the forgoing.
MFPs are typically provided with a fixed set of functions that are available to device end users. These typically include scanning, copying, printing or e-mailing documents. When an MFP is used as a scanner, a typical MFP will solicit a destination for the resultant electronic scan file. For example, if a scan is selected, the MFP may prompt for input of an e-mail address. Once scanned, the resulting electronic document will be e-mailed as an attachment to the specified e-mail address.
In accordance with an example embodiment tangible documents are scanned into electronic documents on an MFP. The MFP controller generates a scan command indicia and commences a scan when it is selected by a user. A processor in the controller an electronic document file from the scan operation associatively with a scan folder file and generates scan folder file indicia on a display and electronic document indicia corresponding to each electronic document file in the scan folder. A user selects a document and specifies instructions for processing it which is completed by the processor.
Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:
The systems and methods disclosed herein are described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and described examples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements, apparatuses, devices methods, systems, etc. can suitably be made and may be desired for a specific application. In this disclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements, etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely a general description of such a technique, arrangement, etc. Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be, and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unless specifically designated as such.
Scan functions on an MFP are typically associated with a method to move the scanned images from the MFP to another location. While this is useful, this fixed workflow fails to allow a user to easily re-use the scanned images. For example, a scan to e-mail will send the scanned files to the designated e-mail addresses, then erase the images from the MFP. If a user needs to send the document to another e-mail address, send it to another location, or make updates, re-scanning the originals is necessary.
There are situations when a user may wish to scan a document, but actions other than e-mailing are desirable. For example, the user may wish to send the electronic document to a network location, save it locally on the MFP, or save it to a portable data device, such as a flash drive, CD or DVD. A user may wish to send the electronic document to their networked computer, or to a portable device such as a tablet computer, notebook computer or smartphone, such as via a tethered connection, or wirelessly such as via BLUETOOTH, near field communication (NFC) or optical data transfer. A user interface is suitably created to allow a user to accomplish such options instead of just providing an e-mail option. But this too can be problematic, such as in situations involving multiple operations to be performed. This can be particularly problematic when multiple documents are scanned by a user, especially if different operations are desired for different documents in the scan set.
In accordance with the subject application, example embodiments include a capability for a network capable electromechanical device, such as an MFP, to store scanned files in a container that is easily accessible with fewer keystrokes, referred to herein as “one touch,” from the front panel of the device, while it will be understood that any suitable input or combination of inputs to accomplish device interaction are included with this designation. Once files are scanned into the device, with one touch, a user of the system can access the images to preview, edit, add or delete images, forward the images to various network destinations, or any number of other operations, or combinations of operations, associated with a scanning process.
Further example embodiments herein include an MFP with a capabilities to: scan and store image files to a container on the host machine that is easily accessible by a user from the front panel of the device; create a new container for each scan job, or chose to add to an existing container; delete the container and its contents at the end of a user session; or interface with other functions of the device in order to allow files within the container to be printed, faxed, or otherwise sent to multiple network locations.
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Processor 202 is also in data communication with a storage interface 208 for reading or writing to a storage 216, suitably comprised of a hard disk, optical disk, solid-state disk, cloud-based storage, or any other suitable data storage as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Processor 202 is also in data communication with a network interface 210 which provides an interface to a network interface controller (NIC) 214, which in turn provides a data path to any suitable wired or physical network connection 220, or to a wireless data connection via wireless network interface 218. Example wireless connections include cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, wireless universal serial bus (wireless USB), satellite, and the like. Example wired interfaces include Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Apple Lightning, telephone line, or the like.
Processor 202 can also be in data communication with any suitable user input/output (I/O) interface 219 which provides data communication with user peripherals, such as displays, keyboards, mice, track balls, touch screens, or the like. Hardware monitor suitably provides device event data, working in concert with suitably monitoring systems. By way of further example, monitoring systems may include page counters, sensor output, such as consumable level sensors, temperature sensors, power quality sensors, device error sensors, door open sensors, and the like. Data is suitably stored in one or more device logs, such as in storage 216.
Also in data communication with data bus 212 is a document processor interface 222 suitable for data communication with MFP functional units 250. In the illustrated example, these units include copy hardware 240, scan hardware 242, print hardware 244 and fax hardware 246 which together comprise MFP functional hardware 250. It will be understood that functional units are suitably comprised of intelligent units, including any suitable hardware or software platform.
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If it is determined at block 728 that a current user is not logged in, or otherwise identified or identifiable, then a default scan container, such as a file folder, is opened at block 732 and scan files are saved in that folder at block 736. Otherwise, a personalized scan container is suitably opened at block 740 and files are saved into that container at block 736. Next, indicia, such as a container icon, corresponding to the container containing the scan files is generated on the MFP display at block 744. If that container is not selected by the user at block 748, then process continues to block 768 as described below. If that container is selected by the user at block 748, such as by touching the icon on a touch screen display, content of that container is accessed at block 752 and indicia, such as document icons or thumbnails for the scan files are displayed at block 756. If a user selects a document by selection of its corresponding indicia at block 764, then that document is suitably rendered for display, in enlarged form in the case of thumbnails, at block 776. One or more user actions for the displayed document are selected at block 780 and these selections are implemented at block 784. The process then returns to block 756 until no other documents in the container require attention. When no document is selected at block 764, suitably from user input or passage of a set time period, the job is deemed ended at block 768, at which time container contents are deleted at block 788, any personalized container is deleted at block 792, and the process terminates at block 796.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the spirit and scope of the inventions.
