JP2006181711A - Document processing method and document processing system using data storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a large document queue when a user waits for a document in a queue waiting for printing with respect to a multi-function peripheral device. The user may not be sure about the timing of the print output of the workpiece.
When a USB data storage device is inserted into a USB port and a desired function displayed on the USB port is selected, a document conversion utility is started, the USB data storage device is scanned, and the data storage device is supported. Display the files to be saved. Each desired function has a plurality of options that the user can select. For example, when an option to print is selected, selection items such as double-sided, portrait / landscape, multi-page, and the number of prints are displayed on the display.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic data storage device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system capable of performing printout, fax transmission or email transmission directly from a data storage device.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, universal serial bus (Universal Serial Bus, hereinafter referred to as USB) -connected data storage devices are becoming increasingly popular as general devices for storing data and transferring data between computers. This device is used to store various documents such as Microsoft Word®, Microsoft PowerPoint®, Microsoft Excel® and other electronic documents as well as PDF files and CAD drawings. . (In this case, various electronic files and electronic documents are described as “documents.”) Since the storage capacity of these documents tends to increase gradually, they are now used for storing them. New mobile storage media and devices that replace the traditional floppy disks and zip (registered trademark) disks that have been used are becoming common. A typical example is a USB data storage device that a user attaches to a USB port of a computer. With this data storage device, data files can be transferred directly from a computer to a USB data storage device. After data transfer, the user can remove the USB data storage device, carry it, carry it, and connect it to another computer. The user can access the USB data storage device to another computer and transfer the desired stored data file from the USB data storage device to the hard disk of the second computer.

  Currently, it includes not only a printer (a device having a single print function but also an image forming apparatus having a scanner function, a copy function, a facsimile transmission function, etc. in addition to a print function, so-called MFP: Multi-Function Peripheral. As a print device necessary for communication with a multifunction peripheral device), a computer that can be connected to a USB data storage device and can transmit data from the computer to other printers is generally used. The user must determine the action / job to be performed by the connected multifunction peripheral. If multiple users have a document waiting in a queue waiting for printing, it may accumulate as a large document queue, and the document queue will have multiple print jobs in front of that user. Therefore, there is a problem that the user cannot be confident about the timing of the print output of the work and cannot selectively control the processing.

  Because of the problems described above, there is a need for a method and system that can perform printing, fax transmission, or e-mail transmission by a multi-function peripheral device directly from a data storage device without depending on the presence of a network. .

  In one embodiment of the present invention, an associated data storage device including at least one electronic document stored in the generated native application format is received in the image forming device; Receiving management data, selectively starting a document processing service associated with the image forming apparatus simultaneously with insertion of the data storage device according to the received management data, and document processing associated with the data storage device Generating a user prompt for an option; and receiving a user input for at least one selected document processing option to be performed on at least one file. There is a way to handle.

  Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is suitable for receiving an associated data storage device including at least a portion of an electronic document stored in a generated native application format within an imaging device. Means for selectively receiving management data for document processing privileges, and selectively starting a document processing service associated with the image forming apparatus simultaneously with insertion of the data storage device according to the received management data. Means suitable for generating a user prompt for a document processing option associated with the data storage device and a user input for at least one selected document processing option executed on at least one file A document from a data storage device, characterized in that it has means suitable for receiving It is because of the system.

  The present invention can provide a method and system for a multi-functional peripheral device to print, copy, fax, or send e-mail directly from a data storage device. The present invention further provides a document processing method and a document processing system that can directly access a data storage device from a display console of a multifunction peripheral.

  Some of the objects, effects, and novel features of the present invention will be fully described through examples of embodiments of the present invention described later, and other parts will be apparent by examining the following description. Or will become apparent by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by applying the various methods or systems within the scope of the claims.

  In this case, the terms “controller” and “printer” are image forming apparatuses that perform image processing by rendering or the like, and are almost synonymous with “multifunctional peripheral apparatus” (MFP) used in the preferred embodiments described later. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the application of the invention described above and below is not limited to a particular controller or printer. In other words, as described above, the present invention can be applied to other printing devices / duplicating devices (scanners, ink jet printers, laser jet printers and the like, and multifunction peripheral devices having a plurality of these functions. Naturally it is recalled that this applies to (including but not limited to). Also, various services related to the device can be incorporated into any of the devices for application to the methods and systems contemplated by the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is an exemplary system showing client machine 102, USB data storage device 104, and multifunction peripheral device 116. A suitable client machine is any suitable networked computer or terminal device as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. Although reference has been made to a networked computer as a representative client machine, it will be appreciated that a networked computer is not necessarily required for use in the methods and systems according to the present invention.

  The multi-function peripheral 116 can operate independently of the computer network. Alternatively, client machine 102 can operate independent of any computer network. Client machine 102 forms at least one USB port (not shown) suitable for accepting any USB enabled device. Incorporating USB ports is usually well known, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that computers generally have more than one USB port. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the operation of the USB port is platform independent, so that the operating system of the client machine 102 does not affect the installation or removal of the USB data storage device 104.

  The USB data storage device 104 is any USB (Universal Serial Bus) data storage device (Data Storage Device) known in the art. A typical USB data storage device is generally a portable data storage device (portable data storage) about the size of an AA battery, and is immediately recognized when inserted into a USB port of a desktop PC or notebook PC. A flash memory based data storage device. The USB data storage device 104 is composed of, for example, a NAND flash memory that is mainly nonvolatile and can retain the memory even after the power is removed.

  The USB data storage device 104 is suitable for holding an arbitrary number of files of various formats. Current storage capacity is available in the range of 32MB, 64MB, 128MB, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB. However, continuous progress and improvements will further increase capacity. The present invention need not be limited to NAND flash memory, but rather can be applied to any mass data storage device that can interface directly with a USB port, regardless of memory configuration. It is recognized by. Those skilled in the art further understand that the USB ports described herein are typically USB 2.0 ports. However, it is naturally conceived that the present invention is applied to a USB 1.1 port or a new USB port after USB 2.0.

Multifunctional peripheral device 116 may be any suitable printer, fax machine, copier, scanner, or other device that functions as an office machine with liquid crystal display 112 for a user interface, or the like. Can be a thing. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a liquid crystal display includes a touch-sensitive screen.
While the preferred embodiment described herein utilizes a separate keypad 110 for user input, in another embodiment of the present invention, a responsive touch screen is used to display user input and reception. Can be used.

  In addition, the multi-function peripheral device 116 has USB ports 106 and 108 to allow connection with one or more data storage devices. That is, although an embodiment using a single USB data storage device is described as an example of the embodiment of the present invention, the method and system to which the present invention is applied can easily use a plurality of data storage devices.

Subsequently, embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated and the usage according to the preferred examples will be described.
FIG. 2 illustrates a method of management control service that operates in the multi-function peripheral device 116. The following description represents a service flow in the print control apparatus. The service can be controlled by an administrator who has the authority to enable or disable the service for some or all users. As used herein, a controller represents a component of the multifunction peripheral device 116 that controls the work of the multifunction peripheral device 116 including scanning, copying, faxing, email, printing, and the like. The use of the current controller need not limit the present invention to a multifunction peripheral having a controller, but rather will be incorporated into other control methods or components within other types of multifunction peripherals. This will be understood by those skilled in the art. As the method is described below, the components described in FIG. 1 are conventionally used to illustrate rather than limit the application of the envisaged method.

  The method starts from step 202 of inserting the USB data storage device 104 into the USB port 106 of the multi-function peripheral device 116 (specifically, the end of the USB data storage device 104 or a connection terminal is connected to the USB port 106). In the form of plugging in). According to the driver built in the controller, in step 204, the controller detects the USB data storage device 104 and then accesses it. At this time, the USB data storage device 104 preferably obtains power from the USB port 106. However, those skilled in the art recognize that access to the USB data storage device 104 requires an external power source. When accessing the USB data storage device 104, the controller displays a menu listing functions that can be executed by the multi-function peripheral device 116 on the LCD display unit 112 (step 206).

  FIG. 3 is an example of a menu displayed by the controller. The screen of the menu 300 is displayed on the LCD display unit 112 of the multifunction peripheral device 116. Using the user interface 110 or, alternatively, a touch screen capable display, the user selects one of four options (step 208). The user presses a designated icon among “Print” 302, “E-Mail” 304, “Fax” 306, and “EXIT” 308. The process waits until the user selects one of the four options at step 208. When the user decides not to execute any of the functions displayed on the LCD display unit 112, the user selects the “EXIT” 308 icon. The controller allows for quick and safe removal of the USB data storage device 104 from the USB port 106, thereby allowing the multifunction peripheral device 116 to be accessed for another purpose of use.

  The other three icons, “Print” 302, “E-Mail” 304, and “Fax” 306 are icons representing functions executed by the multi-function peripheral device 116. The “Print” 302 icon represents printing a document retrieved from the USB data storage device 104. The icon of “E-Mail” 304 indicates that one of e-mail transmission and attached document retrieved from the USB data storage device 104 is transferred. An icon “Fax” 306 indicates that a document retrieved from the USB data storage device is transmitted to the receiving facsimile.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the user selects the desired function to be performed at step 208. At step 210, the service operating at the controller determines whether the selected function is an email request. If Yes in step 210, the process proceeds to step 216, and a list of all documents and all files stored in the USB data storage device 104 is displayed. Since email can be handled in multiple formats, there is no need to limit the type of file returned, so the user is stored directly in the USB data storage device 104 from the LCD display 112 of the multifunction peripheral 116. Have access to send any or all of the files.

  After displaying the e-mailable file, in step 224, the user selects the document (s), figure or image to send. The file sent via email need not be a so-called word processing file; it is a group of files sent from the USB data storage device 104 to a third party via the multifunction peripheral device 116. It is recognized that the file format or image is used. When the user selects a specific file in step 224, the process proceeds to step 226, and a second menu including actions or options corresponding to the function selected in step 208 is displayed on the LCD display unit 112. Email action options in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, file attachment, address selection, subject line selection, simple message creation, encryption, decryption, and the like. If the selected action or option is confirmed in response to the selected function, the process proceeds to step 228 to instruct and control the multifunction peripheral 116 to execute the selected document action or selected option. .

  Returning to step 210, if it is determined that the selected function is not an email job, the process proceeds to step 212 to determine that the function selected by the user is facsimile creation and transmission. In step 218, a list of files existing in the USB data storage device is displayed. Thereafter, at step 224, the user is prompted to select one of the files displayed in the list. Subsequently, at step 226, the option corresponding to the function selected for the action menu or fax is displayed on the LCD display 112 of the multi-function peripheral 116. The user is required to select those options or actions in order to work on the selected file.

  Fax option actions in this example include, but are not limited to, selection of recipients (recipients), selection of subject / headline, greeting selection, error checking, selection of corresponding telephone numbers, and the like. The user is then prompted to confirm the selection items and actions to be performed. Following confirmation of the service or function selected by the user, the selected action or option is performed at step 228.

  Returning to step 212, if it is determined that the selected function is not a fax job, the process proceeds to step 214. In step 214, it is confirmed that the function selected by the user is a print / copy job. If the determination at step 214 is no, the user is prompted to begin work termination, secure the USB data storage device, and remove the USB data storage device from the USB port 104 of the multifunction peripheral device 116. When the user selects the print / copy function of the multifunction peripheral 116 at 208, the document conversion utility is called to determine the file types supported by the controller, and the USB data storage device 104 is available at step 220. become. The document conversion utility can convert many supported documents such as Microsoft Word (registered trademark), Microsoft PowerPoint (registered trademark) and Microsoft Excel (registered trademark), PDF, AutoCAD (registered trademark) into a postscript that can be understood by the printer. Can be converted. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the document conversion utility converts the document into a printer job language or page description language. The use of PostScript here is an example of one embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the implementation of the present invention in other forms.

  After activating the document conversion utility in step 220, the utility scans the USB data storage device 104 and generates a list of files that are present in the data storage device 104 and supported by the multifunction peripheral device 116. This list is returned to the LCD display 112 at step 222 for selection by the next user.

  FIG. 4 is a typical example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the display screen 400 is an LCD image associated with a list of files stored in the USB data storage device 104. In the case of a miss entry or error, the user can move from this screen using the EXIT icon 402. As displayed on the display screen 400, there is a list of supported file types, organized under the term “Work Folder”. Different folders on the USB data storage device 104 can access this screen by using a drop-down menu (pull-down menu). A drop-down menu (pull-down menu) can be expanded by a drop-down button (pull-down button) 410 to list all printable or copyable documents in the USB data storage device in alphabetical order. Also, additional files retrieved from USB data storage device 104 can be displayed using scroll buttons (scroll arrow) 404 and 406.

  After selecting the document selected in step 224, the user presses the “continue” 408 icon and proceeds to the next step. Returning to FIG. 2, in step 224, the user inputs a file to be printed or copied from the USB data storage device 104. In FIG. 4, as displayed, the user has selected the file “Schedule.doc” for printing or copying. In addition to the functions generated and selected at step 226, the user is provided with a list of actions or options that can be performed. FIG. 5 displays further illustration. FIG. 5 is a screen shot 500 of the options page corresponding to the print function. If the user accidentally selects the print function or selects the wrong file, the user can return to the previous screen by pressing the “EXIT” icon 502. There are number of copies 504, style 506, and finishing options 508 as displayed in print options screen shot 500. After selecting the appropriate option / action, if the user simply selects the “Print” icon, the document incorporating the selected option and action is printed directly from the USB data storage device.

  The number of copies 504 merely indicates one of the parameters selected by the user, and obviously does not limit the present invention. Style 506 is a pull-down menu that lists a plurality of possible style changes, double-sided, portrait / landscape, multi-page, number of prints, etc., as well as the format for a data file stored in a USB data storage device. Is incorporated. Finishing options 508 include general options such as stapling, drilling, binding, and the like. If the user selects the desired option, the process proceeds to step 228 and causes the multi-function peripheral device to execute the option or action selected by the user on the selected document.

  As described above, the present invention provides a method and system related to a multi-function peripheral device that directly processes a document from a data storage device, and is further stored in the data storage device according to the function selected by the user. A method and system capable of selectively processing a document is provided.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above have been illustrated and described for practical application of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms described. Absent. Since the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the essence of which the invention is intended, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments described above. All changes or modifications that are to be defined by the scope and that fall within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be embraced by the claims. Accordingly, it is possible for those skilled in the art to implement the present invention by making various modifications or changes to the present embodiment so as to suit the intended use of the present invention. It is not limited to changes and modifications within the scope of the added invention.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the embodiment of the system using this invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of operations according to the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of a typical display screen at the time of detection of the USB data storage device is shown. An example of a display screen for displaying a list of files stored in a USB data storage device in the embodiment of the present invention is shown. FIG. 6 shows an example of a display screen that displays available options for a selected document in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

102 Client Machine 104 USB Data Storage Device 116 Multifunctional Peripheral Device 300 Menu

Claims (20)

Receiving an associated data storage device in the image forming device that includes at least a portion of the electronic document stored in the generated native application format;
Receiving administrative data of document processing privileges;
Selectively starting a document processing service associated with the image forming apparatus simultaneously with insertion of the data storage device according to received management data;
Generating user prompts for document processing options associated with the data storage device;
A method of processing a document from the data storage device comprising receiving user input on at least one selected document processing option performed on at least one file.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the document processing option is displayed on a menu of a display console installed in the image forming apparatus.   The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage device is a universal serial bus data storage device. Displaying a menu of at least one action corresponding to the document processing option;
Selecting one of at least one displayed action;
Performing the document processing option according to at least one selected action;
The method of claim 1, wherein the document processing option is an email request. Displaying a menu of at least one action corresponding to the document processing option;
Selecting one of at least one displayed action;
Performing the document processing option according to at least one selected action;
The method of claim 1, wherein the document processing option is a facsimile request. Displaying a menu of at least one action corresponding to the document processing option;
Selecting one of at least one displayed action;
Performing the document processing option according to at least one selected action;
The method of claim 1, wherein the document processing option is a print request.   The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a processing parameter associated with the document processing option.   The method of claim 7, wherein the processing parameter is an image media parameter.   The method according to claim 7, wherein the processing parameter is an image transmission parameter.   The method according to claim 7, wherein the processing parameter is an image output position parameter. Means suitable for receiving in the image forming device an associated data storage device comprising at least a portion of the electronic document stored in the generated native application format;
A suitable means for receiving administrative data of document processing privileges;
Means suitable for selectively activating a document processing service associated with the image forming apparatus simultaneously with insertion of the data storage device according to received management data;
Means suitable for generating user prompts regarding document processing options associated with the data storage device;
A system for processing a document from a data storage device comprising means suitable for receiving user input regarding at least one selected document processing option performed on at least one file.   12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the document processing option is displayed on a menu of a display console installed in the image forming apparatus.   The system of claim 11, wherein the data storage device is a universal serial bus data storage device. Means suitable for displaying a menu of at least one action corresponding to the document processing option;
Means suitable for selecting one of the at least one displayed action;
Means suitable for performing the document processing option according to at least one selected action;
The system of claim 11, wherein the document processing option is an email request. Means suitable for displaying a menu of at least one action corresponding to the document processing option;
Means suitable for selecting one of the at least one displayed action;
Performing the document processing option according to at least one selected action;
The system of claim 11, wherein the document processing option is a facsimile request. Means suitable for displaying a menu of at least one action corresponding to the document processing option;
Means suitable for selecting one of the at least one displayed action;
Performing the document processing option according to at least one selected action;
The system of claim 11, wherein the document processing option is a print request.   The system of claim 11, further comprising means suitable for selecting a processing parameter associated with the document processing option.   The system of claim 17, wherein the processing parameter is an image media parameter.   The system of claim 17, wherein the processing parameter is an image transmission parameter.   The system according to claim 17, wherein the processing parameter is an image output position parameter.

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