U.S. patent application number 10/906565 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-23 for printer driver with automatic inquiry of user preferences.
This patent application is currently assigned to SHARP LABORATORIES OF AMERICA. Invention is credited to MATHIESON, Rono James.
Application Number | 20050138573 10/906565 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34676934 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050138573 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MATHIESON, Rono James |
June 23, 2005 |
PRINTER DRIVER WITH AUTOMATIC INQUIRY OF USER PREFERENCES
Abstract
A user interface for controlling peripheral devices including a
peripheral option display for presenting peripheral options to a
user immediately following selection of the peripheral device.
Inventors: |
MATHIESON, Rono James;
(Camas, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVID C RIPMA, PATENT COUNSEL
SHARP LABORATORIES OF AMERICA
5750 NW PACIFIC RIM BLVD
CAMAS
WA
98607
US
|
Assignee: |
SHARP LABORATORIES OF
AMERICA
5750 Pacific Rim Blvd
Camas
WA
|
Family ID: |
34676934 |
Appl. No.: |
10/906565 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10906565 |
Feb 24, 2005 |
|
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09587629 |
Jun 5, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/809 ;
358/1.15; 715/810 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/1253 20130101;
G06F 3/1204 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/809 ;
358/001.15; 715/810 |
International
Class: |
G06F 003/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A user interface for providing an alternate means of printing a
document on a computer to a printer comprising: a printer option
display generated by the printer's device-specific options driver
software for presenting printer-specific peripheral options to a
user immediately following selection of the printer from a command
bar icon in an independent vendor's PC application wherein the
independent vendor's PC application initiates the printing sequence
activating the printer's device-specific options driver software,
and wherein said printer option display includes a printer-specific
user interface.
2. The interface of claim 1 which includes a bypass function for
de-selecting said printer option display.
3. A user interface for providing an alternate means of printing a
document on a computer to a printer comprising: a printer options
display generated by the printer's device-specific driver software
which automatically displays printer options in a printer option
display including a printer-specific user interface to a user
immediately following selection of a printer icon from a command
bar in an independent vendor's PC application which includes access
to a printer as a secondary function wherein said printer options
display includes a printer-specific user interface, wherein the
independent vendor's PC application initiates the printing sequence
activating the printer's device-specific options driver
software.
4. The interface of claim 3 which includes a bypass function for
de-selecting said printer option display.
5. A print device-specific user interface for providing an
alternate means of printing a document on a computer to a printer
comprising: a printer-specific driver which presents, upon
selection of a printer icon, a print option device-specific display
including a printer-specific user interface, wherein the
independent vendor's PC application initiates the printing sequence
activating the printer's device-specific options driver software;
and a bypass function for de-selecting said printer-specific
display.
6. A peripheral-device user interface for a peripheral device
coupled to a computer system, comprising: a peripheral-device user
interface generated by a device driver for the peripheral device in
response to selection within an application by a user of an
operation provided by the peripheral device, the application being
independent from the device driver for the peripheral device.
7. The peripheral device user interface according to claim 6,
wherein the operation provided by the peripheral device is a
scanning operation.
8. The peripheral device user interface according to claim 6,
wherein the operation provided by the peripheral device is a
printing operation.
9. The peripheral device user interface according to claim 6,
wherein the operation provided by the peripheral device is a
facsimile transmission operation.
10. The peripheral device user interface according to claim 6,
wherein peripheral device user interface includes a bypass function
for disabling device driver from generating the peripheral device
user interface.
11. A method of generating a peripheral-device user interface for a
peripheral device coupled to a computer system, the method
comprising: receiving an indication from an application that a user
has selected an operation provided by the peripheral device;
activating, in response to the received indication, a device driver
for the peripheral device, the device driver for the peripheral
device being independent from the application; and generating a
peripheral-device user interface in response to activation of the
device driver for the peripheral device.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the selected
operation provided by the peripheral device is a scanning
operation.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the selected
operation provided by the peripheral device is a printing
operation.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the selected
operation provided by the peripheral device is a facsimile
transmission operation.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein peripheral-device
user interface includes a bypass function for disabling device
driver from generating the peripheral-device user interface.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
[0001] The present patent application is a continuation patent
application of copending and co-owned U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 09/587,629, filed Jun. 5, 2000, invented by Rono James
Mathieson, entitled "Printer Driver With Automatic Inquiry Of User
Preferences," and incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a peripheral user interface, and
specifically to a user interface which negates the need for a user
to launch a driver in order to make control changes in the
peripheral.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is often difficult for users to set-up peripherals, and
particularly peripherals, such as printers in an office network
environment, to perform the jobs that the user wants to perform if
the user is limited to using current, prior art "print driver"
set-up method. The prior art requires the user to actively find and
open the driver to control the advanced functions of the device.
The problem with peripheral devices and the drivers therefor
applies to print, fax, scan and multi-function peripheral (MFP)
devices. For example, a user typically has only to click an icon on
a task bar of an application, such as a Windows.TM. application,
which causes peripheral to proceed using preset, default
parameters, without ever bringing up a driver user interface (UI).
Alternatively, a user may select an option from within the "File"
menu. At this point, the application presents a dialog box, which
usually contains a "Properties" button that will bring up the
driver UI. Only at this point may the user specify how the user
would like the job to be performed by the peripheral device.
Because of the difficulty of this approach, few users are able to
take advantage of the capabilities of powerful modern office
peripherals, or, may do so only with considerable effort.
[0004] In addition, considering the increased capabilities of
modern office peripherals, a user may want and need to change
settings often. For example, the user may want to print double
sided documents and needs to be able easily to turn the duplex
function on and off. Likewise, the user may need to turn a staple
function on and off. Prior art devices force the user to go through
the process of modifying the print driver as described above, which
is inefficient and time consuming. Because of the complexity of
modifying a print driver, the process is also error prone. Perhaps
the most irritating aspect of modifying a printer driver is that
the modification generally "sticks"--becoming a default setting, so
that if the user has printed a document in duplex, landscape and
stapled, the next document will also print in duplex, landscape and
be stapled, unless the user remembers to reset the printer driver
to more conventional settings, such as simplex, portrait, no
staple.
[0005] The prior art is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. In FIG. 1, an
application window is shown at 10. The first step of a print
process requires the user to Click "File" 12, then select "Print"
14. It should be noted that, in many Windows.TM. applications, if
the user clicks "Print" icon 16, the job is immediately sent to a
printer, with no opportunity for the user to select any options. An
application print UI, or "Print Menu" appears, as shown in FIG. 2
at 18. Note that this menu contains a "Properties" button 20.
Clicking on "Properties" button 20 produces a printer driver UI, or
"Properties Menu" 22 of FIG. 3, which provides access to five
additional menus (Finishing, Effects, Paper, Destination, and
Basics), each containing a variety of print options, such as
"Duplex" 24, "Print Quality" 26, "Collate" 28, etc. The user must
search through five menus, setting specific parameters, from each
of the menus. Once the "Properties are set, the user must select
"OK" on each of the five "Properties" menus, and then select "OK"
on the "Print" menu.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,114 to Kawamura et al., for Printer
comprising display means for displaying operation state thereof,
granted Feb. 5, 1991, describes a user interface which only
provides for status display.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,077 to Schooley, for Printer having an
active user interface feature, granted Sep. 10, 1996, describes a
user interface which is specific to a device rather than relating
to the printer driver.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,411 to McCormick et al., for Printer
status user interface and methods relating thereto, granted Jan. 6,
1998, only provides for status display and does not provide a user
interface for setting of user preferences.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A user interface for controlling peripheral devices
including a peripheral option display for presenting peripheral
options to a user immediately following selection of the peripheral
device.
[0010] An object of the invention is to provide a user interface
which allows a user to select peripheral functions with a minimal
number of actions.
[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a user
interface wherein a user is provided an option menu without
directly accessing a driver.
[0012] This summary and objectives of the invention are provided to
enable quick comprehension of the nature of the invention. A more
thorough understanding of the invention may be obtained by
reference to the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiment of the invention in connection with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a prior art pull down File menu for MSWord
97.RTM.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a prior art pull down Print menu for MSWord
97.RTM.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a prior art pull down Printer Properties menu for
MSWord 97.RTM.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a print selection screen of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a print options screen of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] This invention solves the problems associated with prior art
peripheral user interfaces (UI) by automatically placing a dialog
box on the display after the user invokes an operation involving a
peripheral device. While the invention may be used with printers,
facsimiles, scanners or multi-function peripheral (MFP) devices,
the examples herein will focus on the use of the invention with a
peripheral printing device. The dialog box then presents print
options to the user allowing the user to take advantage of the
capabilities of the printer. For example, when the user clicks, or
selects, the application print icon, a simple dialog appears
offering choices such as number of copies, two-sided book style,
two sided presentation style, staple and advanced features. The
user then clicks one or two buttons to select the options.
[0019] The invention differs from the prior art in that prior art
drivers, supplied by a peripheral vendor, i.e., a printer driver,
does not automatically place a dialog box on the screen when the
user clicks on a "Print" icon on the command bar or when the user
selects "File" "Print" "OK." The preceding sequence merely prints a
job in accordance to the default or last selected parameters, which
may not even be appropriate for the current print job, i.e., duplex
on v. off; staple selected or not. The printing process is changed
by the invention in that a software component supplied by a vendor
of the peripheral device, when the device is selected,
automatically places a dialog box on the screen, which dialog box
offers a set of options for the peripheral device to the user. The
software component may take the form of a modified peripheral
driver, but may also be a modified Windows.TM. component, supplied
by the vendor of the peripheral device, which functions similarly
to a print drive.
[0020] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, an application window is
shown generally at 30. Window 30 includes a print icon 32. A dialog
box, or peripheral option display, 34 appears on the user's display
immediately after icon 32 is selected and the application passes
control of the printing operation to the driver. Dialog box 34
allows selection of user preferences to be made following the
selection of a print command. As previously noted, prior art
systems do not offer options to the user, and use only default
settings when the user clicks the print icon on the task bar, or
use the "File" "Print" "OK" sequence. The invention provides a
fundamentally different printing process, especially in a
Windows.TM. environment.
[0021] Dialog box 34 is a UI which is supplied by the print driver,
or windows component replacement. Normally, the driver executes the
print process using the current default settings, and does not
present a dialog box to the user enumerating available choices.
Because dialog box 34 is part of the print driver, it may pass
instructions to the peripheral in the same way that would be done
if the user selected the "File" "Print" "Properties" sequence, and
then selected the parameters.
[0022] Dialog box 34 may be provided by an OEM, or may be
customizable from within an existing printer driver, in the form of
an add-on software component. For example, an existing print driver
may offer a protocol for a user to set-up a predefined print
format, i.e., duplex presentation in which two sided, landscape,
tablet and staple are selected. Such a predefined print format may
then be displayed as the names on the pop-up dialog buttons. This
capability may be extended to allow a MIS department to determine,
at the time when the MIS department establishes a customer account
for the user, the set of buttons that appear for each user. In this
way, advanced functionality may be delivered to a novice user. For
example, a user may set up default, predefined print formats, and
install such formats at the same time that the peripheral is
installed on the user's PC. The user may also set up default,
predefined print formats on a server, such as a Window.RTM. NT
server. When the device is installed to the user's PC from the
server, the default, predefined print formats are also installed
and made available to the user.
[0023] The dialog would also typically contain an advanced settings
button that would bring up the drivers full UI. The dialog
typically will have a box that could be checked such as "Do not
display this dialog again" 36 that would allow the user to
de-select, or turn off box 34 if they do not wish to use it. If the
dialog box is de-selected, clicking on "Print" icon 32 will result
in the job being sent to the last selected printer with the last
selected option set. It should be appreciated that, as used herein,
and when dialog box 34 is not de-selected, "displaying peripheral
options" means that the options, or menu, is displayed
immediately--there is no need for the user to track through a long
string of menu boxes to reach the "properties" box, and make the
appropriate settings.
[0024] Thus, a system for providing an automatic inquiry of user
preferences has been disclosed. It will be appreciated that further
variations and modifications thereof may be made within the scope
of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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