GB2423602A

GB2423602A - Remote option management of peripherals

Info

Publication number: GB2423602A
Application number: GB0503937A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benjamin John Parks; Julian John Ayling
Original assignee: Canon Europa NV
Current assignee: Canon Europa NV
Priority date: 2005-02-25
Filing date: 2005-02-25
Publication date: 2006-08-30
Also published as: GB0503937D0

Abstract

A dynamic configuration component is a service application for use on photocopier, or other printing device. It maintains a database of options for client applications. Preferably the database comprises an XML file for each client application storing for each option, its name, and current and default values. A client application may request both the current and default values for the application. All client applications may request option values from a file of common options and even form files for other one of the client applications. The component also provides user interface for changing in the current option values in the form of either a panel for the touch sensitive screen of the photocopier or a web page made accessible to user workstations on the same network as the photocopier by a web server on the photocopier. The user interface has respective screen controls for the options belonging to a particular application. The common format of the XML files makes it easy for the component to retrieve options and to construct the user interface. The invention is applicable to other kinds of printing device such as printers, scanners, multifunction devices etc..

Description

Dynamic Configuration Component The present invention relates to the

management of settings on a printing device or photocopier or the like.

One known series of photocopier models is the iRi 5000- 6000 series produced by Canon. These devices function as photocopiers, network printers and scanners.

Figure 1 shows a typical office network comprising workstations 11, 12 and a peripheral device, in this particular case a photocopier 13 which are able to communicate via a local-area network 14. The photocopier has a touch sensitive screen 15 through which the user can control the peripheral.

In Figure 2, which shows some details of these devices, reference numeral 12 denotes one of work stations shown in Fig. 1, and includes a CPU (central processing unit) 51 which executes processing of documents including a combination of graphics, images, characters, tables (including spreadsheets), etc., based on a document processing program, etc., stored in a program ROM of a ROM (read only memory) 52 or an external memory 53 (HD, USB, chip and so on) . The CPU 51 integrally controls each of the devices connected to a system bus 54. Also, the program ROM of the ROM 52 or the external memory 53 stores an operating system (OS), which is the control program of the CPU 51, a font ROM of the ROM 52 or the external memory 53 stores font data, etc., to be used for the document processing described above, and a data ROM of the ROM 52 or the external memory 53 stores various data to be used. Reference numeral 55 denotes a RAM (random access memory), and functions as a main memory, a work area, etc., of the CPU 51.

Reference numeral 56 is a keyboard controller (KBC) , and controls the input from a keyboard 57 and an unillustrated pointing device. Reference numeral 58 is a CRT controller (CRTC) , and controls the display of a CRT (cathode ray tube) display 59. Reference numeral 60 is a disk controller (DKC), and controls the access to and from the external memory 53 such as a hard disk (HO), a USE memory chip, etc., which store a boot program, various applications including applications needing print facilities and print drivers, font data, user files, edit files, etc. Reference numeral 61 is a print driver (PRTC), which is connected to photocopier 13 via the network 14, and executes communication control processing with photocopier 13. In this regard, CPU 51 executes, for example, outline-font expansion (rasterization) processing into a display information RAM, which is set in RAM 55, and provides WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) on CRT 59. Also, CPU 51 opens various registered windows, and executes various data processing based on the commands instructed by an unillustrated mouse cursor, etc., on CRT 59. The user can perform a print process for photocopier 13 described below.

In photocopier 13, reference numeral 62 is a CPU. CPU 62 outputs an image signal as output information to a print part (printer engine) 63 connected to a system bus 64 based on the control program, etc. , stored in a program ROM of a ROM 65 or the control program, etc., stored in a hard disc HD 66. Also, the program ROM of the ROM 65 stores a control program, etc., of the CPU 62. A font ROM of the ROM 65 stores font data, etc., to be used when the above-described output information is created. A data ROM of the ROM 65 stores information, etc., to be used when the printer 13 does not have a hard disk (HO) 66, etc. CPU 62 is capable of performing communication processing with the work station 12 through an I/F unit 67. Reference numeral 68 is a RAM which functions as a main memory, a work area, etc., of CPU 62, and the memory capacity thereof can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an unillustrated expansion port. In this regard, the RAM 62 is used for an output information expansion area, environment data storage area, an NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM), etc. HO 66 stores font data, documents files in mailboxes 21.

Reference numeral 68 is a scanner part interface and controls documents scanned by scanner part 69 (scanner engine) . The scanned document may be printed by print engine 63 and sent to a work station 12.

The Canon iRi 5000-6000 series photocopiers contain a microprocessor which runs the Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform (MEAP platform) as it is known. The MEAP platform allows applications written in the Java programming language to be installed and run on the printer (these are known as "MEAP applications") . These applications can then control the operation of the printer, and can display information to and receive input from a user via a touch-sensitive screen.

Before being installed on a photocopier running the MEAP platform, MEAP applications are compiled into a Java bytecode, and packaged as a Java archive (JAR) file.

Many existing MEAP applications have settings or options that the user can edit and which are stored so that the application behaves in the same way the next time the user uses it. To do this, a MEAP application displays a dialog panel on the touch-sensitive screen and stores the settings values provided by the user in a file on the device.

Additionally or alternatively, some MEAP applications provide a servlet program run on the device's built-in web server so that users can change the settings remotely from their workstations.

The invention provides improvements in this area.

According to the present invention there is provided an option management software appiication for use on a peripheral device, the application being arranged, when executed on the peripheral device, to perform the following steps: providing a user interface that allows the user to enter option values for options contained in an option file, and updating the option values in the option file with the new values entered in response to the interface, wherein a client application to be used with the option management application has its own respective option file and the user interface provided for that client application allows the user to enter new values for options contained in that respective file.

The present invention also provides a peripheral device comprising: a controller arranged to: provide a user interface that allows the uer to enter option values for options contained in an option file, and update the option values in the option file with the new values entered in response to the interface, wherein a client application to be used with the option management application has its own respective option file and the user interface provided for that client application allows the user to enter new values for options contained in that respective file.

The present invention further provides a control method for a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of: providing a user interface that allows the user to enter option values for options contained in an option file, and updating the option values in the option file with the new values entered in response to the interface, wherein a client application to be used with the option management application has its own respective option file and the user interface provided for that client application allows the user to enter new values for options contained in that respective file.

Further aspects of the invention provided are detailed in the appended claims and will be apparent from the embodiments disclosed below.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a typical computer network system; Figure 2 is a detailed diagram of the components of a Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the components of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a flow diagram for the process of changing an option value; Figure 5 is a web page for allowing the user to change an option value; Figure 6 is a flow diagram for the process of a client application looking up an option value; and Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the option services for applications provided in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a MEAP application called "Dynamic Configuration Component" (DCC) is provided on a photocopier. This is generally a component for use by other MEAP applications, and so it is not generally accessed directly by the user (e. g. from the menu of applications) . The DCC comprises an application programming interface (API), which acts as an interface between MEAP applications and a file containing configuration options or settings for those applications.

Figure 3 shows the embodiment in more detail. The DCC comprises an API 21, at ieast one XML document 23, a configuration panel 24 and a web serviet 25. The API 21 acts as an interface between a MEAP application 22 and the respective XML document 23 which holds the configuration options for those applications.

As will be explained later below, the configuration options in the XML document 23 may also be used by other MEAP applications.

An example of the XML configuration file 23 is shown in

Table 1.

<name>Background colour</name>

<value>160, 160, 192</value> <defaultvalue>160, 160, 192</defaultvalue> </option> <option> <name>Global font</name> <value>Dialog,BOLD, 16</value> <defaultvalue>Dialog,BOLD, 16</defaultvalue> </option> </options>

Table 1

As can be seen, each possible "option" has a "name" (for example "Background colour") identifying it, a "value", the current value in use ("160,160,192"), and a "defaultvalue", the default value (here also "160, 160,192" - in other words, the background colour setting is currently set to the default) . The file of Table 1 comprises two options. The XML file could store further options in this way, each having an <option> tag.

When the user wishes to change the settings for the MEAP application 22, he or she indicates that to the application 22 by pressing an "options" button, or the like, provided for the purpose by the application 22, on the touch-sensitive screen 15. A flow diagram for this process is shown in Figure 4. In response, the application 22 requests the configuration display panel 24 for its options from the DCC (step 31) The DCC then attempts to access the XML configurations options document 23 belonging to the MEAP application 22 in the storage on the photocopier (usually the disk drive HD 66) (step 32) . If the file is not present (step 33) then it is retrieved (step 34) from the application's Java installation archive (JAR) file which will have remained in the storage from when the application was installed.

Next, the DCC inspects the contents of the XML document 23 and constructs the display panel 24 having a data entry box for each option in the document 23 (step 35) . Each box is then filled with the current value of its option as given by the <value> tag, and a respective label as given by the <name> tag is provided next the box. The DCC then passes the display panel 24 to the application 22 for it to display on the touch-sensitive screen 15.

The user may then change the settings, which are submitted to the DCC (step 36) . Once the user has indicated that he or she has finished, the DCC saves (step 37) any changed values to the appropriate <value> tag in the XML document 23. The user can also reset any of the values, in which case the current value is replaced by the value stored to the <defaultvalue> tag. The panel is then removed (step 38) from the touch-sensitive screen, and control is returned to the MEAP application.

The preferred embodiment also has a web serviet application 25 for use by the DCC. The serviet is installed on the web server on the photocopier. The serviet can be accessed remotely, for example from a workstation 12. (Other workstations 11 could equally access the serviet.) The interface for the servlet 25 (the web page 26) is shown in Figure 5. The serviet also performs the process of Figure 4 for changing the option settings. Again, for each configuration option in the XML document 23 there is provideu in the web page 26 a respective data entry box labelled with the name of the option. The user can change any of the values, and when finished submit the changes to the web servlet 25. The serviet then communicates the changes to the DCC, which then updates the XML document 23 accordingly.

The web page 26 for changing the settings in the XML document 23 is built dynamically based on the settings in the XML document itself. To that end, when the user requests the web server to display the servlet page, the serviLet obtains a list of the boxes required from the API 21, which provides them from the XML document 23, and the servlet builds an HTML document which provides data entry boxes in the web page accordingly. (Again, if the XML file is not present, the DCC retrieves a copy from the application's JAR archive file.) For some applications it is not appropriate to display a panel on the touch panel and so the web page provides an alternative. An example of where the web page interface might be preferred is when the options to be changed are ones that an administrator rather than a general user would change.

MEAP applications of course make use of the option values in their operations. The use of the DCC by a client MEAP application to retrieve those options is shown in Figure 6. When the application 22 needs to know a particular configuration option, it requests that option from the DCC by name, i.e. the value of the <name> tag. (Preferably the API 21 is not kept permanently in memory so, as an initial step (step 41) the application 22 first creates an instance of it.) In response to the request, the DCC looks for the configuration XML document 23 (step 42) . If the file is not found, the DCC looks for a copy in the JAR file of the application (step 43) . Once it has found the default XML document, or if the XML document already exists, the DCC loads the requested option setting from the configuration XML document 23 (step 44) . The DCC then passes the configuration option to the application (step 45) Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the option services for applications provided by the DCC 21. As described above, the DCC provides a service 72 which allows a client application 22 to retrieve an option value present in the configuration XML document 23. The DCC also provides a service 71 that allows a client application to retrieve the default value present in the configuration XML document 23.

This is a value that a client application can use if it finds a value set by the user inappropriate.

Further, the DCC provides a service 73 that allows a client application to set the option value in the configuration XML document 23 (rather than the user setting it), which will then be the option value retrieved when subsequent requests are made by client MEAP applications.

This is used if the client application obtains the value by another means, or in the case that a value in the XML document (e.g. one provided by the user) is inappropriate the client application can obtain the default value and use this service to write the default value of the option back to the XML document as the current value.

The DCC also provides a service 75 that allows an application 22 to retrieve settings belonging to other applications. The form of the request from the MEAP application to the DCC is modified in that the MEAP application also has to provide either the name of the other application or the filename of the configuration XML documenL 23' that belongs to that other application. The DCC then retrieves the option from the appropriate file. The DCC also provides a service 74 that allows an application 22 to retrieve default value settings belonging to other applications.

The DCC also provides a service 77 that allows an application 22 to retrieve options stored in a general configuration option document 79 or documents. These contain options that would be of interest to many different applications, for example options specifying the locality (e.g. country) in which the photocopier is located, the language used by the users, the company name or logo for displaying in dialog panels, the general colour scheme in use on the touch-sensitive screen. To read these options the application 22 again specifies to the DCC both the name of the option and file in which it is located. The DCC also provides a service 76 that allows an application 22 to retrieve default values for the general options, and a service 78 that allows an application 22 to set the general option values.

In the preferred embodiment described above the web pagJ simply comprises a simple data entry box for each option.

Alternatively, the XML configuration document 23 (or 23' or 75) can be extended to include extra tags defining the type of screen control to be provided in the web page for a particular option. The screen controls that can be specified include a list box and a group of option buttons. These allow the user input to be limited to one of a list of predefined values, which are enumerated in the extra tags of the XML document and are used to populate the list box or label the option buttOns.

While the invention has been described in the embodiments above with respect to a photocopier, the invention applies equally to other peripheral devices. These include printing devices, such has printers and multi- function devices, and other peripherals such as scanners and faxes. Devices providing combinations of selected ones or all of these and other functions are known as multi-function peripherals.

Claims

Claims: 1. An option management software application for use on a

peripheral device, the application being arranged, when executed on the peripheral device, to perform the following steps: providing a user interface that allows the user to enter option values for options contained in an option file, and updating the option values in the option file with the new values entered in response to the interface, wherein a client application to be used with the option management application has its own respective option file and the user interface provided for that client application allows the user to enter new values for options contained in that respective file.
2. An option management software application as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user interface for the file allows the user to edit options from that file and not from any other option file.
3. An option management software application as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the user interface for the said option file allows all the options in the file to be edited.
4. A software application as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the software application inspects the options in the said option file and provides in the user interface respective screen controls for those options.
5. A software application as claimed in claim 4 wherein the software application labels the screen controls with respective labels stored in the option file.
6. A software application as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the screen control for at least one of the options is an input box.
7. A software application as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the screen control for at least one of the options is list box, the values listed in the box being listed in the option file in respect of that option.
8. A software application as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the screen control for at least one of the options is a group of option buttons, each option button being for a value listed in the option file in respect of that option.
9. A software application as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the user interface is in the form of a panel to be displayed on a screen on the peripheral device.
10. A software application as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the user interface is in the form of a web page.
11. A software application as claimed in claim 10 wherein the software application includes a web server on the peripheral device arranged to serve the web page.
12. An software application as claimed in any preceding claim that is arranged to perform the following steps: receiving a request from the client application for an option value, in response to that request, retrieving the option from the respective option file for that client application, and returning the retrieved option value to the client application.
13. A software application as claimed in claim 12 that further performs the following step: if on attempting to retrieve an option the software application finds that the respective option file is not present it provides as that file a copy of a master version of that file.
14. A software application as claimed in claim 13 wherein the master version of the respective option file is stored in the installation archive file for the client application.
15. A software application as claimed in any preceding claim that further, on request from a client application, retrieves an option belonging to another client application from the respective option file for that other application.
16. A software application as claimed in any preceding claim that further, on request from a client application, retrieves an option from an option file common to the client applications.
17. A software application as claimed in any preceding claim that further, on request from a client application, retrieves a default value of an option stored in the option file respective to the client application.
18. A software application as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the respective option file conforms to an expected common data structure for the option files.
19. A software application as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the respective option file is an XML document file.
20. A peripheral comprising a software application as claimed in any preceding claim.
21. A peripheral device as claimed in claim 20 comprising the said client application.
22. A peripheral device as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21 comprising the said respective option file.
23. A peripheral device as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 21 wherein the peripheral device is a printing device.
24. A peripheral device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the option management software application is stored with the client application in a memory medium.
25. A peripheral device comprising: a controller arranged to: provide a user interface that allows the user to enter option values for options contained in an option file, and update the option values in the option file with the new values entered in response to the interface, wherein a client application to be used with the option management application has its own respective option file and the user interface provided for that client application allows the user to enter new values for options contained in that respective file.
26. A control method for a peripheral device, the method comprising the steps of: providing a user interface that allows the user to enter option values for options contained in an option file, and updating the option values in the option file with the new values entered in response to the interface, wherein a client application to be used with the option management application has its own respective option file and the user interface provided for that client application allows the user to enter new values for options contained in that respective file.