U.S. patent application number 15/070566 was filed with the patent office on 2017-09-21 for management of an image forming apparatus using test page data.
The applicant listed for this patent is KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.. Invention is credited to Arthur Alacar.
Application Number | 20170269890 15/070566 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 59828209 |
Filed Date | 2017-09-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170269890 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alacar; Arthur |
September 21, 2017 |
MANAGEMENT OF AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS USING TEST PAGE DATA
Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to a system, a method, and an
apparatus that manage an image forming apparatus using test page
data. In example embodiments, when a client computing device
requires verification of the functionality of an image forming
apparatus, the client computing device can initiate a request with
a managing server. Through the transmission of a test page print
request to the image forming apparatus, a scanning of a test page
that is printed by the image forming apparatus, a transmission of
data from the printed test page to the managing server, and the
managing server verifying the data transmitted by the client
computing device, the client computing device and managing server
can verify the image forming apparatus.
Inventors: |
Alacar; Arthur; (South
Pacheco, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. |
Osaka |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
59828209 |
Appl. No.: |
15/070566 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/1224 20130101;
G06F 3/121 20130101; G06F 3/1288 20130101; G06F 3/1289 20130101;
G06K 15/027 20130101; H04N 1/00015 20130101; G06F 3/1204 20130101;
H04N 2201/0096 20130101; G06F 3/1256 20130101; H04N 2201/0084
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/12 20060101
G06F003/12; H04N 1/00 20060101 H04N001/00; G06K 15/02 20060101
G06K015/02 |
Claims
1. An image forming apparatus management system, comprising: an
image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is
configured to print a test page, and wherein the test page
comprises a code; and a client computing device, wherein the client
computing device is configured to: transmit a test print data
request to a managing server; transmit a test page print request to
the image forming apparatus; scan the test page; extract the code
from the scanned test page; and transmit the code extracted from
the scanned test page to the managing server, wherein the managing
server is configured to: transmit test print data to the client
computing device, wherein the test print data comprises a code used
to confirm that the image forming apparatus is functioning
correctly; and verify the code extracted from the scanned test page
against the code transmitted to the client computing device in the
test print data scanned from the test page against the test print
data, and wherein the client computing device is further configured
to determine whether the code extracted from the scanned test page
matches the code transmitted to the client computing device in the
test print data.
2. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the client computing device utilizes a scanner or a camera
to scan the test page.
3. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the code transmitted to the client computing device in the
test print data is alphanumeric, and wherein the code transmitted
to the client computing device comprises a string of characters
representing a password usable by the client computing device to
log into the managing server when the code extracted from the
scanned test page matches the code transmitted to the client
computing device in the test print data.
4. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the test print data comprises a Quick Response (QR) code or
a barcode.
5. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 4,
wherein the QR code comprises each of the primary colors from the
CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and key) color model.
6. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 4,
wherein the QR code comprises each of the primary colors from the
RGB (red, green, and blue) color model.
7. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the client computing device executes an application (app)
to scan the test page and transmit the code extracted from the
scanned test page to the managing server, and wherein the app
comprises an application title, a test page scan button, a code
analysis section, a status indicator, and a transmit button.
8. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the test print data comprises text which can be evaluated
using Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
9. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the client computing device is a mobile computing device, a
tablet computing device, or a desktop computing device.
10. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of toner
colors, and wherein the code transmitted to the client computing
device in the test print image data comprises various colors placed
such that the code transmitted to the client computing device would
change, when printed, if at least one of the toner colors were
empty.
11. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 10,
wherein the managing server is further configured to disapprove of
the image forming apparatus based on the code extracted from the
scanned test page when the code transmitted to the client computing
device is not printed correctly by the image forming apparatus
because at least one of the toner colors is empty.
12. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the managing server is further configured to transmit an
approval notification to the client computing device, and wherein
the transmission of the approval notification denotes that the code
extracted from the scanned test page was successfully verified
against the code transmitted to the client computing device in the
test print data.
13. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 12,
wherein transmitting, by the managing server, an approval
notification to the client computing device further comprises
adding the image forming apparatus to a list of approved image
forming apparatuses within the managing server, and wherein the
list contains metadata regarding the image forming apparatus.
14. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the managing server is further configured to transmit a
disapproval notification to the client computing device, and
wherein the transmission of the disapproval notification denotes
that the code extracted from the scanned test page was not
successfully verified against the code transmitted to the client
computing device in the test print data.
15. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein the client computing device is a component of the image
forming apparatus.
16. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 12,
wherein, upon receiving the approval notification, the client
computing device is further configured to transmit the scanned test
page, in its entirety, to the managing server.
17. The image forming apparatus management system of claim 1,
wherein scanning the test page by the client computing device
comprises performing a photographic enhancement or manipulation
process in order to verify a number of colors on the test page.
18. A method for managing an image forming apparatus, comprising:
receiving, by a managing server, a test print data request;
transmitting, by the managing server, test print data, wherein the
test print data comprises a code used to confirm that the image
forming apparatus is functioning correctly; receiving, by the image
forming apparatus, a test page print request, wherein the test page
print request comprises the test print data; printing, by the image
forming apparatus, a test page, wherein the test page comprises a
code; scanning, by a client computing device, the test page;
extracting, by the client computing device, the code from the
scanned test page; determining, by the client computing device,
whether the code extracted from the scanned test page matches the
code in the test print data; receiving, by the managing server from
the client computing device, the code extracted from the scanned
from the test page; and verifying, by the managing server, the code
extracted from the scanned test page against the code in the test
print data.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting, by the
managing server, an approval notification to the client computing
device, wherein the transmission of the approval notification
denotes that the code extracted from the scanned test page was
successfully verified against the code in the test print data.
20. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus
is configured to: transmit a test print data request to a managing
server; print a test page, wherein the test page comprises a code;
scan the test page; and transmit data scanned from the test page to
the managing server, wherein the managing server is further
configured to: transmit a test page print request to the image
forming apparatus, wherein the test page print request comprises
test print data, and wherein the test print data comprises a code
used to confirm that the image forming apparatus is functioning
correctly; extract the code from the scanned test page; verify the
code extracted from the scanned test page against the code
transmitted to the image forming apparatus in the test print data,
and transmit, to the image forming apparatus, a message that
indicates that the verification of the code was completed
successfully and that the image forming apparatus has been verified
by the managing server.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described
in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application
and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this
section.
[0002] In recent years, various types of printing devices have
become popular for both business and consumer use. In addition to
traditional black and white printers, color printers, scanners,
copiers, fax machines, and other components are now common.
Multifunctional products (MFPs), that support two or more of these
operations, are also widely available.
[0003] Many of these printing devices are shared across multiple
client computing devices. In order to manage multiple printing
devices shared across multiple client computing devices, managing
servers are sometimes used.
[0004] The ability for managing servers to perform such tasks as
enrolling new printing devices in the network and establishing if
an existing networked printing device requires maintenance can be
important.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present application discloses embodiments that relate to
systems, methods, and apparatuses that manage an image forming
apparatus using test page data. By printing a test page, evaluating
the resulting test page, and comparing it with test print image
data established by a managing server, an image forming apparatus'
current status can be evaluated.
[0006] In one aspect, the present application describes an image
forming apparatus management system. The system includes an image
forming apparatus configured to print a test page. Additionally,
the system includes a client computing device configured to
transmit a test print data request to a managing server. The client
computing device is also configured to transmit a test page print
request to the image forming apparatus. The client computing device
is further configured to scan the test page. The client computing
device is additionally configured to transmit data scanned from the
test page to the managing server. Furthermore, the managing server
is configured to transmit test print data to the client computing
device. The managing server is also configured to verify the data
scanned from the test page against the test print data.
[0007] In a different aspect, the present application describes a
method for managing an image forming apparatus. The method includes
transmitting, by a client computing device, a test print data
request to a managing server. The method also includes
transmitting, by the managing server, test print data to the client
computing device. In addition, the method includes transmitting, by
the client computing device, a test page print request to the image
forming apparatus. The method further includes printing, by the
image forming apparatus, a test page. Furthermore, the method
includes scanning, by the client computing device, the test page.
Additionally, the method includes transmitting, by the client
computing device, data scanned from the test page to the managing
server. Still further, the method includes verifying, by the
managing server, the data scanned from the test page against the
test print data.
[0008] In a third aspect, the present application describes an
image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is configured
to transmit a test print data request to a managing server. The
image forming apparatus is also configured to print a test page.
The image forming apparatus is further configured to scan the test
page. The image forming apparatus is additionally configured to
transmit data scanned from the test page to the managing server.
The managing server is configured to transmit a test page print
request to the image forming apparatus. In addition, the managing
server is configured to verify the data scanned from the test page
against test print image data contained within the test page print
request.
[0009] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not
intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative
aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further
aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by
reference to the figures and the following detailed
description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0010] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an image forming system,
according to example embodiments.
[0011] FIG. 2 depicts an image forming apparatus, according to
example embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating computing
components of an image forming apparatus, a client computing
device, or a managing server, according to example embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a data flow diagram illustrating a method,
according to example embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a test page, according to
example embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a client computing device and a
managing server executing steps of the method illustrated in FIG.
4, according to example embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a data flow diagram illustrating another method,
according to example embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a data flow diagram illustrating another method,
according to example embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 9a is a data flow diagram illustrating another method,
according to example embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 9b is an extension of the data flow diagram presented
in FIG. 9a.
[0020] FIG. 10 is a data flow diagram illustrating another method,
according to example embodiments.
[0021] FIG. 11 is a data flow diagram illustrating another method,
according to example embodiments.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a data flow diagram illustrating another method,
according to example embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Example methods and systems are described herein. Any
example embodiment or feature described herein is not necessarily
to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments
or features. The example embodiments described herein are not meant
to be limiting. It will be readily understood that certain aspects
of the disclosed systems and methods can be arranged and combined
in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are
contemplated herein.
[0024] Furthermore, the particular arrangements shown in the
figures should not be viewed as limiting. It should be understood
that other embodiments might include more or less of each element
shown in a given figure. In addition, some of the illustrated
elements may be combined or omitted. Similarly, an example
embodiment may include elements that are not illustrated in the
figures.
I. OVERVIEW
[0025] Example embodiments include a managing server and a client
computing device that act to manage an image forming apparatus.
This management takes place in the form of the verification,
validation, and authentication of a code printed by the image
forming apparatus.
[0026] In one embodiment, a client computing device initiates a
method for verifying an image forming apparatus with a managing
server.
[0027] This may be done by the client computing device transmitting
a request to the managing server to initiate a validation process.
Thereafter, the managing server may send test print image data back
to the client computing device. The test print image data may
contain a code for use in the verification process. This code may,
in some embodiments, be a quick response (QR) code.
[0028] The client computing device may then transmit the test print
image data to the image forming apparatus in the form of a print
request. The print request indicates to the image forming apparatus
the content of the test print image data that is to be printed.
[0029] Then, the image forming apparatus may print the test page
requested in the print request. In response to the printing, the
client computing device gathers data from the printed test page.
This may be done by scanning in the test page, in part or whole,
using a camera, for instance. Upon scanning the test page, the
client computing device may attempt to extract the contents of the
code from the scanned test page.
[0030] This may include reviewing the scanned test page for the QR
code and then reading the QR code. The client computing device may
have software stored within memory that, when executed by a
processing device, is capable of identifying a region of an image
that contains QR code. Scanning the test page for the QR code may
include identifying the position boxes at the edge of the QR code
within an image file that represents the scanned test page.
[0031] The QR code, itself, may correspond to a string of
characters. This string of characters may be a web address or a
password, in some embodiments. Once the QR code is identified
within the page by the software, the software may analyze the light
and dark regions within the QR code to extract the corresponding
string of characters that represent the contents of the code.
[0032] Once the contents of the code are extracted from the scanned
test page by the client computing device, the client computing
device may transmit the code to the managing server. In some
embodiments, the managing server will verify the code received from
the client computing device against the code initially transmitted
to the client computing device in the test print image data.
[0033] If these two codes match one another, the managing server
may confirm that the image forming apparatus is functioning as
intended. Therefore, the managing server may transmit an approval
notification to the client computing device. Additionally, the
managing server may enroll the image forming apparatus into its
database.
[0034] Furthermore, this method may be used to service or perform
maintenance on image forming apparatuses that were previously
enrolled in the managing server. This method allows for the
verification of an image forming apparatus that is located remotely
from a managing server.
II. EXAMPLE SYSTEMS
[0035] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an image forming system 100,
according to example embodiments. The system 100 includes an image
forming apparatus 102, a client computing device 104, and a
managing server 106.
[0036] The image forming apparatus 102 is further detailed in FIG.
2, and may be a printing device or an MFP capable of performing
multiple image forming tasks, in addition to printing.
[0037] The client computing device 104 may be a desktop computing
device, a laptop computing device, a tablet computing device, or a
mobile computing device in various embodiments.
[0038] The client computing device 104 may have a component for
digitally recording copies of physical entities. For example, if
the client computing device 104 is a mobile computing device, it
may come equipped with a digital camera that allows recording
digital images on a non-volatile memory within the client computing
device 104. Alternatively, if the client computing device 104 is a
desktop computing device, it may contain a scanning unit capable of
capturing the image of a two-dimensional (2D) paper into digital
form.
[0039] Further, if the client computing device 104 is a mobile
computing device or a tablet computing device, it may have mobile
applications (apps) stored within a memory in the client computing
device 104. Communication between the client computing device 104
and the image forming apparatus 102 or between the client computing
device 104 and the managing server 106 may be routed/hosted by a
specific app.
[0040] Additionally, such an app could store data, in volatile or
non-volatile memory, regarding the settings of the validation
process, configuration settings, images taken of test pages,
listings of previously validated image forming apparatuses, etc.
(further described with regard to FIG. 6).
[0041] In some embodiments, the configuration settings stored by
the app may include printing settings for the image forming
apparatus 102. The printing settings may have been originally
transmitted by the managing server 106 for the purpose of test page
printing, and may be sent from the client computing device 104 to
the image forming apparatus 102 along with a test page print
request. The printing settings may correspond to respective
document types associated with the test print data, e.g., a
grayscale printing setting may be associated with a test page that
only contains text whereas a color printing setting may be
associated with a test page containing an artistic image.
[0042] The configuration settings may also include scanning
settings transmitted by the managing server 106, such as scanning
resolution, output document type (png, jpeg, tif, bmp, pdf, etc.),
and output save location. These settings may be used by the client
computing device 104 or the image forming apparatus 102 to scan a
printed test page.
[0043] Furthermore, the configuration settings may change during
the verification process. If, for example, the code scanned from
the printed test page and submitted to the managing server 106 is
illegible, the test page may be reprinted. Alternatively, or
additionally, a rescanning of the code from the printed test page
may occur. This reprinting and/or rescanning may occur using
modified configuration settings. Such modified configuration
settings may aid in a determination of what caused the initial
verification failure. For instance, if the scanned code submitted
to the managing server 106 is unable to be read, the managing
server 106 may transmit a message to the client computing device
104 indicating that the scanning resolution within the
configuration settings be increased. Upon increasing the scanning
resolution within the client computing device 104, rescanning the
code, and resubmitting the code to the managing server 106, the
code can now be clearly read and verified by the managing server
106. This would indicate to both the client computing device 104
and the managing server 106 that the initially lower scanning
resolution was likely the reason the code was unable to be
read.
[0044] The managing server 106 validates the image forming
apparatus 102. Within the managing server 106 are one or more codes
that can be embedded in an image and transmitted to the image
forming apparatus 102 for printing.
[0045] Also, the managing server 106 is configured to validate
codes that it transmits embedded within images against codes that
it receives from the client computing device 104. This could be
done using a general purpose processing unit, for example.
[0046] In addition, the managing server 106 may maintain a list of
all approved image forming apparatuses for use by client computing
devices 104 that are enrolled in the managing server's 106
network.
[0047] FIG. 2 depicts an example image forming apparatus 102. The
image forming apparatus 102 may be configured to print
partially-stored and/or fully-stored electronic documents on
various types of physical output media (i.e., the image forming
apparatus 102 may be configured to print document incrementally, as
they are received by the image forming apparatus 102, or documents
that have been fully received by the image forming apparatus 102).
These output media include, but are not limited to, various sizes
and types of paper, overhead transparencies, three-dimensional (3D)
plastics, and so on. The image forming apparatus 102 may be
interchangeably referred to as a "printer."
[0048] The image forming apparatus 102 may serve as a local
peripheral to the client computing device 104, such as a personal
computer, a server device, a print server, etc. In these cases, the
image forming apparatus 102 may be attached to the client computing
device 104 by cable, such as a serial port cable, parallel port
cable, Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, FireWire.RTM. (IEEE 1394)
cable, or High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable. Thus,
the client computing device 104 may serve as a source of electronic
documents for the image forming apparatus 102.
[0049] On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 102 may
include a wireline or wireless network interface, such as an
Ethernet or Wi-Fi.RTM. (IEEE 802.11 standards) interface. So
arranged, the image forming apparatus 102 may serve as a printing
device for any number of computing devices that can communicate
with the image forming apparatus 102 over a network.
[0050] In some embodiments, the image forming apparatus 102 may
serve as both a local peripheral and a networked printer at the
same time.
[0051] In order to use the image forming apparatus 102, computing
devices may install one or more printer drivers. These printer
drivers may include software components that convert the electronic
documents to be printed from various local representations stored
on the computing devices to one or more representations supported
by the image forming apparatus 102.
[0052] Regardless, the image forming apparatus 102 may comprise a
computing device, and may carry out both printing-related and
non-printing related tasks. For instance, the image forming
apparatus 102 may also include copier, fax, and scanner functions.
In some embodiments, the image forming apparatus 102 may use a
scanning element to facilitate copier and/or fax functions. For
instance, the image forming apparatus 102 may scan a physical
document into an electronic format, and then print the resulting
electronic document to provide a copy, and/or transmit the
resulting electronic document via a telephone interface to provide
a fax operation. Additionally, the image forming apparatus 102 may
be able to receive a faxed electronic document via a telephone
interface, and then compress and store a representation of this
electronic document.
[0053] In order to support its various capabilities, the image
forming apparatus 102 may include a document feeder/output tray
202, paper storage 204, a user interface 206, a scanning element
208, and a chassis 210. It should be understood that image forming
apparatuses may take on a wide variety of forms. Therefore, the
image forming apparatus 102 may include more or fewer components
than depicted in FIG. 2, and/or components arranged in a different
fashion than depicted in FIG. 2.
[0054] The document feeder/output tray 202 may hold physical
documents (e.g., a stack of one or more sheets of paper) that are
to be scanned, copied, or faxed. Advantageously, the document
feeder/output tray 202 may allow the image forming apparatus 102 to
automatically feed multiple physical documents for processing by
the image forming apparatus 102 without requiring manual
intervention. The document feeder/output tray 202 may also include
one or more separate output trays for holding physical documents
that have been processed by the image forming apparatus 102. These
may include physical documents that have been scanned, copied, or
faxed by the image forming apparatus 102, as well as physical
documents that have been produced by, e.g., the fax and/or copying
functions of the image forming apparatus 102.
[0055] Paper storage 204 may include trays and/or feeding elements
for various types of physical media. For instance, paper storage
204 may include separate trays for 8.5.times.11 inch paper, A4
paper, letterhead paper, envelopes, and so on. For any operation of
the image forming apparatus 102 that involves outputting physical
media (e.g., printing, copying, and/or receiving a fax), paper
storage 204 may supply the physical media. In embodiments where the
printing devices 104, 106, 108 are capable of 3D printing, the
paper storage 204 may supply the physical media in the form of
acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate--PMMA), acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene (ABS), or polylactic acid (PLA), for example.
[0056] The user interface 206 may facilitate the interaction of the
image forming apparatus 102 with a human or non-human user, such as
to receive input from a user and to provide output to the user.
Thus, the user interface 206 may include input components such as a
keypad, keyboard, touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive panel,
joystick, microphone, still camera, and/or video camera. The user
interface 206 may also include one or more output components such
as a display screen (which, for example, may be combined with a
presence-sensitive panel), a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid
crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) based display,
a display using digital light processing (DLP.RTM.) technology, a
light bulb, and/or one or more other similar devices, now known or
later developed. The user interface 206 may also be configured to
be able to generate audible output(s), via a speaker, speaker jack,
audio output port, audio output device, earphones, and/or other
similar devices, now known or later developed in the future.
[0057] The scanning element 208 may be a glass panel below which a
movable light source operates to scan physical media placed on top
of the glass panel. Alternatively, a digital camera below the glass
panel may "scan" the physical media placed on top of the glass
panel by taking a picture of the physical media. Images of scanned
physical media may be stored in data storage associated with the
image forming apparatus 102.
[0058] The chassis 210 may include a physical housing that contains
and/or interconnects various components of the image forming
apparatus 102, such as the document feeder/output tray 202, paper
storage 204, the user interface 206, and the scanning element 208.
Additionally, the chassis 210 may house other components not shown
in FIG. 2. For example, the chassis 210 may contain one or more
toner cartridges, liquid ink jets, belts, rollers, and/or power
supplies. Further, the chassis 210 may include communication
interfaces, such as wireline and/or wireless network interfaces, a
telephony interface (e.g., an RJ45 jack), a USB interface, a
Bluetooth.RTM. interface, a card reader port, etc.
[0059] Moreover, as the image forming apparatus 102 may be based on
general-purpose and/or specially-designed computing device
components, the chassis 210 may also house some or all of these
components. To that point, FIG. 3 depicts an example embodiment 300
of computing device components (e.g., functional elements of a
computing device) that may be included in the image forming
apparatus 102, the client computing device 104, or the managing
server 106.
[0060] Computing device components 300 may include a processor 302,
memory 304, and an input/output unit 306, all of which may be
coupled by a system bus 308 or a similar mechanism. The processor
302 may include one or more central processing units (CPUs), such
as one or more general purpose processors and/or one or more
dedicated processors (e.g., application specific integrated
circuits (ASICs) or digital signal processors (DSPs), etc.).
[0061] Memory 304, in turn, may comprise volatile and/or
non-volatile data storage and can be integrated in whole or in part
with the processor 302. Memory 304 may store program instructions,
executable by the processor 302, and data that are manipulated by
these instructions to carry out the various methods, processes, or
functions described herein. Alternatively, these methods,
processes, or operations can be defined by hardware, firmware,
and/or any combination of hardware, firmware, and software.
Therefore, memory 304 may include a tangible, non-transitory,
computer-readable medium, having stored thereon program
instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors 302,
cause the respective devices to carry out any of the methods,
processes, or functions disclosed in this specification or the
accompanying drawings.
[0062] Memory 304 may also be configured to store compressed and
non-compressed electronic documents that may later be processed
(e.g., printed or faxed), such as a document that represents a
print job that is received by the image forming apparatus 102 and
designates a future time for completion. Thus, memory 304 may serve
as an output medium for these electronic documents.
[0063] The input/output unit 306 may include any of the operations
and/or elements described in reference to the user interface 206.
Thus, the input/output unit 306 may serve to configure and/or
control the operation of the processor 302. The input/output unit
306 may also provide output based on the operations performed by
the processor 302.
[0064] These examples are provided for illustrative purposes. In
addition to and/or alternatively to the examples above, other
combinations and/or sub-combinations of printer and computer
technologies may also exist, among other possibilities, without
departing from the scope of the embodiments herein.
III. EXAMPLE PROCESSES
[0065] Throughout the remainder of the specification, terms such as
"validation", "verification", and "authentication" may be used to
describe the processes performed by the client computing device 104
and the managing server 106 to monitor the image forming apparatus
102. It will be apparent that these terms can be taken to mean, but
are not limited to, such activities as performing maintenance on
the image forming apparatus 102, verifying the image forming
apparatus 102 is functioning properly, validating that the print
data provided to the image forming apparatus 102 can be properly
reproduced, and authenticating the image forming apparatus 102 such
that it may be relied upon for future processing of printing
jobs.
[0066] FIG. 4 is a data flow diagram illustrating an image forming
apparatus verification method 400, according to example
embodiments. The method is carried by the image forming apparatus
102, the client computing device 104, and the managing server
106.
[0067] At step 402, the method 400 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a request to the managing server 106 to
initiate the validation process. In some embodiments, this may
include submitting form data through a web browser to the managing
server 106. Alternately, the request of step 402 may be submitted
via an app, particularly if the client computing device 104 is a
mobile computing device.
[0068] Step 402 may be initiated through a user interacting with an
input device on the client computing device 104. This interaction
may be prompted by the client computing device 104 in response to a
new image forming apparatus being installed within a network. The
client computing device 104 may be alerted of the new image forming
apparatus joining the network through an update received from the
new image forming apparatus.
[0069] The validation request of step 402 may be accompanied with
additional information about the image forming apparatus 102, such
as make, model, serial number, physical location, network address
and image processing capabilities. This additional information may
be stored within the managing server 106 and accessible by other
members of the network.
[0070] Furthermore, if specific information about the validation
must be indicated by the client computing device 104 to the
managing server 106, it can be done during step 402. For instance,
if the client computing device 104 is not capable of processing QR
codes, but is capable of processing barcodes, it may be the case
that the client computing device includes within the request to
initiate validation of step 402 that the test print image data
contain only barcodes.
[0071] At step 404, the method 400 includes the managing server 106
transmitting the test print image data to the client computing
device 404. The test print image data contains information, for
transmission to the image forming apparatus 102, by which the
managing server 106 can validate the image forming apparatus
102.
[0072] This data contains, in some embodiments, a code used to
confirm that the image forming apparatus 102 is functioning
correctly. This code may be alphanumeric, and contained within
printable data (e.g., optical character recognition data--OCR data,
a barcode, or a QR code).
[0073] At step 406, the method 400 includes the client computing
device sending a print request of the test print image data to the
image forming apparatus 102. Step 406 may include, in some
embodiments, the client computing device 104 converting the test
print image data sent from the managing server 106 in step 404 into
a different form, such as a print job. For example, the client
computing device 104 may have a printer driver installed that can
convert test print image data from a form such as a portable
document format (PDF) to a form consumable by the image forming
apparatus 102.
[0074] In other embodiments, the print request sent in step 406
includes the client computing device 104 transmitting the test
print image data from step 404 to the image forming apparatus 102
in addition to a request to print the test print image data.
[0075] At step 408, the method 400 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 printing the test page. In some embodiments, the data
to be printed that was included with the print request 406 will
need to be converted by the image forming apparatus 102 prior to
printing. This may include separating a print job into printable
data and metadata, and selecting the printable data for
processing.
[0076] Step 408 may include transferring a form of the data
communicated in the print request 406 to a physical medium, i.e.,
printing the data. The printing executed in step 408 may be
performed using various printing techniques. Various embodiments
may use laser printing, dot matrix printing, inkjet printing, or 3D
printing, for example. The page or object printed in step 408
should contain the code transmitted by the managing server 106 in
step 404 and communicated in the print request of step 406 by the
client computing device 104.
[0077] At step 410, the method 400 includes the client computing
device 104 scanning the printed test page. Step 410 may include
recording a digital image using a digital camera built-in to the
client computing device 104 and storing the digital image within a
non-transitory, computer-readable medium within the client
computing device 104.
[0078] Alternatively, step 410 may include placing a printed page
onto a scanning device connected to or built within the client
computing device 104 and then scanning the image into a digital
format (PDF or portable network graphics--PNG, for instance). This
digital format may then be stored within memory in the client
computing device 104.
[0079] As an additional alternative, step 410 may include placing
the printed test page onto the scanning element 208 within the
image forming apparatus 102 and then scanning the image into a
digital format. This digital format may then be transmitted to the
client computing device 104 by the image forming apparatus 102 for
further processing.
[0080] The scanning of step 410 may include scanning the entire
test page/test object. In some embodiments, though, only a portion
of the test page/test object that includes the code may be
scanned/retained by the client computing device 104.
[0081] The scanning of step 410 may be guided by an app, in some
embodiments. In other embodiments, such as when the client
computing device 104 is a desktop computing device, step 410 may
occur using an auxiliary software for scanning images and storing
them within non-volatile memory in the client computing device
104.
[0082] At step 412, the method 400 includes the client computing
device 104 extracting the code from the printed test page. This may
include one or multiple image manipulation/analysis techniques,
such as rendering to monochrome or grayscale, increasing or
removing saturation, modifying brightness, modifying white-balance,
etc. in order to make the code legible by the client computing
device 104.
[0083] For example, if the code from the printed test page cannot
be identified and/or read by the client computing device 104, the
client computing device 104 may apply one of the above listed image
manipulation techniques to attempt to improve the image. If the
client computing device 104 still cannot identify and/or read the
code, another image manipulation technique may be applied. These
steps of trying to identify and/or read the code by the client
computing device 104 and then applying an image manipulation
technique may be repeated multiple times in step 412. This may
occur until the code is legible or until a predetermined number of
image manipulations has occurred, indicating that future attempts
of the client computing device 104 to read the code are
unwarranted, and the code reading process has timed out. The
predetermined number of manipulations before timeout occurs may be
configurable.
[0084] Step 412 may include the use of one or more OCR algorithms
to extract code data from the scanned test page. Alternatively,
step 412 may include a reading of the barcode/QR code data from
within the scanned test page data of step 410. The code may be a
string of characters corresponding to the image information
contained within the printed test page.
[0085] In some embodiments the code may contain information for
accessing the managing server 106. For example, the string of
characters represented by the code may be a password that the
client computing device 104 needs to provide to the managing server
106 in order to log into the managing server 106 to complete the
verification process.
[0086] At step 414, the method 400 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting the extracted code to the managing server
106 for verification. For example, the client computing device 104
may transmit the string of characters corresponding to the printed
test page from step 412.
[0087] This communication may occur through the use of an app
executed by the client computing device 104 that communicates with
the managing server 106. Alternate mechanisms for transferring the
extracted code to the managing server 106 are also possible, such
as the client computing device 104 transmitting an email, the
client computing device 104 submitting a web form over the public
Internet, the client computing device 104 transmitting wirelessly
over Bluetooth.RTM., the client computing device 104 transmitting
locally through a router that serves a local area network (LAN), or
the client computing device 104 transmitting locally through a
direct wireline connection between the client computing device 104
and the managing server 106, such as a USB cable.
[0088] At step 416, the method 400 includes the managing server 106
evaluating the transmitted, extracted code for consistency with the
code that was transmitted with the test print image data. This may
involve checking, character-by-character, a string transmitted from
the client computing device in step 104 with a string stored within
non-volatile memory in the managing server 106 that corresponds to
the code transmitted with the test print image data in step
404.
[0089] Step 416 may further include separating the code portion
from the rest of the message transmitted by the client computing
device 104 in step 414. This may include removing header
information, such as destination, from the message.
[0090] If the code is successfully verified, step 416 may further
include generating an approval message for transmission to the
client computing device 104.
[0091] Furthermore, if the code was successfully verified, step 416
may include adding the image forming apparatus 102 to a list of
approved image forming apparatuses within the managing server 106.
This list may be a file stored within the non-volatile memory of
the managing server 106 that contains image forming apparatuses
within the network that are approved for the processing of image
forming requests from client computing devices. Additionally, this
list may contain metadata regarding each image forming apparatus
within the network that is approved, such as make, model, location,
image forming capabilities, etc. In some embodiments, this list may
be accessible by all client computing devices to determine
available image forming apparatuses for image forming requests.
[0092] At step 418, the method 400 includes the managing server 106
transmitting an approval notification to the client computing
device 104. This approval notification may further indicate to the
client computing device 104 that the image forming apparatus 102
has been enrolled in the server as an approved image forming
apparatus.
[0093] In addition, the approval notification may include metadata
regarding the validation process, such as how long it took, the
difficulty of the code assigned, the length of time the image
forming apparatus 102 will remain validated within the managing
server 106, etc.
[0094] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a test page 500, according to
example embodiments. This test page 500 may be the result of step
408 of method 400. Likewise, it could be a visual representation of
the test print data transmitted by the managing server 106 in step
404 of method 400 or the test page print request transmitted by the
client computing device 104 in step 406 of method 400.
[0095] The test page 500 may include a title 502, a continuous
toner test bar 504, a discrete toner test bar 506, a set of radial
lines separated by one-degree each 508, a visual image 510, text
for OCR analysis 512, a QR code 514, and a barcode 516. In various
embodiments the test page may contain more, fewer, or different
elements. The test page 500 is a tool used for verifying certain
functionalities of the image forming apparatus 102.
[0096] The test page 500 may vary when generated by various
managing servers 106, or when printed by various image forming
apparatuses 102. It may also be the case, in some embodiments, that
a printer driver associated with the test page 500 formats the
layout of the test page 500, as opposed to the client computing
device 104 or the managing server 106.
[0097] The title 502 indicates to the client computing device 104
or a user of the client computing device 104 the nature of the test
page 500. It helps differentiate the test page 500 from other pages
that may be printed by the image forming apparatus 102.
[0098] The continuous toner test bar 504 displays a specific toner
printed with 0% intensity up to 100% intensity, varied continuously
in between. This may be done, in some embodiments, for the black
toner. Additionally, this could be done for the cyan, magenta, and
yellow (CMY) toners, individually, in alternate embodiments. This
may indicate which subset of toner colors are depleted.
Furthermore, the red, green, and blue (RGB) toner set could be
used. For embodiments using multiple color toners, multiple
continuous toner test bars 504 may be included on the test page
500.
[0099] The continuous toner test bar 504 can also serve as a means
of displaying toner application resolution, i.e., how discretely
the toner can be applied. It may be the case in some embodiments
that the toner nozzle which controls how much toner is applied to
the printed paper in any one location can only vary by discrete
percentages, such as 2%, 4%, 6%, etc. By printing the continuous
toner test bar 504 on a printed test page, and analyzing it, the
toner application resolution of the image forming apparatus 102 can
be determined.
[0100] The discrete toner test bar 506 displays how a specific
toner looks when printed with 0% intensity up to 100% intensity,
similar to the continuous toner test bar 504. Also similar to the
continuous toner test bar 504, the discrete toner test bar 506 may,
in some embodiments, be printed separately for different colored
toners (CMY or RGB). Unlike the continuous toner test bar 504,
though, the discrete toner test bar 506 is varied in discrete
increments, e.g., 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, etc.
[0101] The set of radial lines separated by one-degree each 508
serves as a metric of the spatial resolution of an image forming
apparatus. If the individual lines can only be resolved at a
specific radial distance from the center of the circle (one inch,
for example), the minimum resolution distance can be determined
using arc-length. This may provide information about the image
forming apparatus such as the clarity of the toner heads, the
incremental distances the printer belt moves between width scans of
the test page 500, and the maximum resolution of the reader
contained within the printer driver software. Again, in some
embodiments, the set of radial lines separated by one-degree each
508 may be provided for each of many colored toners.
[0102] Further, the set of radial lines separated by one-degree
each 508 may serve as a mechanism for identifying unintended
distortion in the client computing device 104, e.g., a smudged or
curved lens on a camera component of the client computing device
104. Because the set of radial lines separated by one-degree each
508 are identifiable by the client computing device 104 and it is
well-defined how the lines should appear, the client computing
device 104 can perform a self-analysis on its scanning mechanisms
using the radial lines 508 printed on the test page 500.
Furthermore, if a distortion pattern is discovered within an image
of the test page 500 obtained by the client computing device 104,
it can be accounted for/corrected using software within the client
computing device 104, prior to transmission to the managing server
106. Such a correction will prevent some false negatives from
arising in the verification process, thereby more accurately
representing the state of the image forming apparatus 102.
[0103] The visual image 510 allows for a user of the image forming
apparatus 102 to identify deficiencies that may be present within
the apparatus. Familiar pictures, such as landscapes, famous
buildings, faces, pieces of art, etc. may be used, as they are
easily identifiable by users, and users, therefore, can identify
any inaccuracies.
[0104] Alternatively, the visual image 510 may, in some
embodiments, correspond to an image stored within the memory 304 of
the client computing device 104. This may allow the client
computing device 104 to perform a pixel by pixel comparison between
the test page 500 and the image stored within the memory 304, which
could alert the client computing device 104 of minute discrepancies
between the transmitted print job and the test page 500 that would
not otherwise be noticeable from the test page 500.
[0105] The visual image 510 may further contain colors that would
not be otherwise contained in the test page 500. This may aid in
analyzing the toner mixing qualities of the image forming apparatus
102. For instance, in some embodiments, it may be the case that the
cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (key) toner dispensing members in
the image forming apparatus 102 all function adequately
individually, but when mixing 2 primary toner colors to form a
different toner color, the toner is dispensed in incorrect
proportions, thereby yielding the incorrect hue of a certain color,
or the incorrect color entirely. Particularly if the visual image
510 is one whose intended colors are well established, the visual
image 510 would allow for identification of this potential
error.
[0106] The text for OCR analysis 512 may serve multiple purposes.
As with the visual image 510, the phrase or sentence contained in
the text for OCR analysis 512 may be recognizable by users,
allowing for identification of inaccuracies which may point to
specific deficiencies within the image forming apparatus 102.
Further, however, this text may contain the code transmitted in the
test page print request from the client computing device 104 to the
image forming apparatus 102 and transmitted in the test print image
data from the managing server 106 to the client computing device
104.
[0107] If the text for OCR analysis 512 contains the code, it may
be represented as a string of characters contained within the text.
Alternatively, it may be represented differently, such as the third
character of each line, the translation of the fourteenth word in
the text to a different language, or other even more intricate
codes in various embodiments. Regardless of what the code is, it
may be a code that can be scanned by the client computing device
104 and transmitted to the managing server 106 for validation.
[0108] The QR code 514 may additionally serve as a mechanism by
which the test page 502 displays the code to the client computing
device 104. The code may be read using a software that performs
image analysis on a picture taken by a digital camera on a mobile
computing device, in some embodiments. The QR code 514 may
correspond to a string of characters, a particular number, or a web
address, in various embodiments. These corresponding pieces of data
are transmitted from the client computing device 104 to the
managing server 106 for verification.
[0109] Additionally, the QR code 514 may be printed using multiple
colors. For example, the left third of the QR code may be printed
using cyan toner, the middle third using magenta toner, and the
right third using yellow toner. Therefore, if, for instance, the
cyan toner was empty, a portion of the code would not print
correctly on the test page 500. If a portion of the code did not
print correctly, the managing server 106 may then disapprove of the
image forming apparatus 102 based on the incorrect code scanned and
transmitted from the client computing device 104.
[0110] In other embodiments, the various colors may be
strategically placed such that the code would be changed if one of
the toner colors were empty. Again, for example, if the cyan toner
were empty, the code scanned and transmitted from the client
computing device 104 to the managing server 106 may indicate to the
managing server 106 the status of the image forming apparatus 102
(i.e. that the cyan toner cartridge needs to be replaced). The
managing server 106 may then indicate to the client computing
device 104 that, prior to verifying the image forming apparatus
102, the cyan toner cartridge must be replaced. The client
computing device 104 may then act to rectify the problem.
[0111] The barcode 516 may additionally serve as a mechanism by
which the test page 500 displays the code information to the client
computing device 104 (barcodes are a one-dimensional analog of QR
codes). As with the QR code 514, the barcode 516 may represent a
string of characters, a number, or a web address. This may then be
scanned and transmitted to the managing server 106 by the client
computing device 104 for validation of the image forming apparatus
102.
[0112] Many of the elements above may be combined into singular
features on the test page 500, in various embodiments. For example,
the barcode 516 may comprise multiple continuous toner test bars
504. The continuous toner test bars 504 could replace the bars in
the barcode 516. Furthermore, the continuous toner test bars 504
structured in this fashion may alternate among various colors, such
as from cyan to magenta to yellow to black (CMYK), for instance.
This would provide the client computing device 104 with multiple
pieces of information in one feature on the test page 500.
[0113] FIG. 6 is an illustration of the client computing device 104
and the managing server 106 executing steps 410, 412, and 414 of
method 400, for example. The client computing device 104 may be
executing an app to accomplish some or all of the steps of method
400, in some embodiments. The app may include an application title
602, a test page scan button 604, a code analysis section 606, a
status indicator 608, and a transmit button 610.
[0114] The action of scanning the test page 500 may be initiated by
engaging the test page scan button 604. Upon scanning the test page
500 (step 410 of method 400), either using a scanning device, a
camera, or some other mechanism, the client computing device 104
will identify the location of the scanned test page that contains
the code. Before identifying the code, the app may change the
appearance of the test page scan button 604 to indicate a scan has
already taken place (e.g., change the overlaid text from "Scan Test
Page" to "Re-scan Test Page").
[0115] Depending on how the scan was performed (e.g., using a
digital camera on a mobile computing device vs. using a local
scanner connected to a desktop computing device), the portion of
the scanned test page that contains the code could be the entire
scanned image or just a portion of it. Once the client computing
device 104 has identified the location of the code, it will attempt
to extract it (step 412 of method 400). During the extraction
process, the app on the client computing device 104 may indicate in
the code analysis section 606 which portion of the scanned image is
being analyzed. This allows a user to visually confirm that the
portion being scanned is the portion of the test page 500 that
contains the code.
[0116] Depending on the embodiment, the code could be analyzed
using image processing techniques applied to any or a combination
of the following: QR codes, barcodes, or OCR data.
[0117] Upon identification of the code by the client computing
device 104, the status indicator 608 may be updated to display that
the code has been analyzed. Furthermore, the status indicator 608
may be updated during any of the following activities: the
execution of the scan, the code analysis being performed, the
transmission of the code to the managing server 106, and the
completion of the transmission of the code to the managing server
106.
[0118] Additionally, not shown in FIG. 6, the app may indicate when
the client computing device 104 receives a confirmation from the
managing server 106 that the image forming apparatus 102 was
successfully verified. In addition, in some embodiments, it may be
possible for the client computing device 104 to list all of the
image forming apparatuses that have been verified by the managing
server 106, or a subset of those that have been verified by the
managing server 106, such as those image forming apparatuses that
are within a 1 mile distance of the client computing device
104.
[0119] The application title 602 indicates to a user of the client
computing device 104 which app is currently being executed by the
client computing device 104. In some embodiments, the application
title 602 may also indicate the name of the image forming apparatus
102 that is currently being evaluated, to prevent wrongful
association of a printed test page 500 or its code with a different
image forming apparatus.
[0120] The test page scan button 604 is engaged in order to scan
the printed test page 500 for code content. Pressing this button
may, in some embodiment, include recording a picture with a digital
camera. This may be a picture of the entire printed test page 500,
and then the app extracts the portion which contains the code data
(e.g., the QR code). Alternatively, the picture recorded by the
digital camera may be a section of the test page 500 that is
manually selected using the location of the digital camera.
[0121] In other embodiments, the test page scan button 604 may
initiate a scanning action by a scanning device. This may occur,
for example, when the client computing device 104 is a desktop
computing device using a local image forming apparatus equipped
with a scanning element as its image capture element.
[0122] In addition, the test page scan button 604 may, once
engaged, change configuration. For example, once the printed test
page 500 has been initially scanned, the test page scan button 604
may change its overlaid text from "Scan Test Page" to "Re-scan Test
Page" or from "Take Code Image" to "Retake Code Image". This would
display that the image has already been captured, and should only
be recaptured if it doesn't appear correctly in the code analysis
section 606. Re-engaging the test page scan button 604 may initiate
a rescanning action by the client computing device 104.
[0123] The code analysis section 606 may display the captured code
section of the image. This may allow a user to quickly identify
whether the printed test page 500 is being accurately reflected in
the captured image. If the printed test page 500 is not being
accurately reflected, it could inform the user of a problem within
the way the image was captured, or with the client computing device
104, itself.
[0124] The status indicator 608 may indicate the last action taken
on the client computing device 104, such as receiving a user's
engagement of the test page scan button 604 or completion of the
analysis of a QR code contained within the printed test page
500.
[0125] The transmit button 610 may be engaged to transmit the code
extracted from the printed test page 500 to the managing server
106. The transmit button 610 may not be able to be engaged unless
the test page scan button 604 has been previously engaged and the
code contained within the printed test page 500 has been
sufficiently analyzed, in certain embodiments.
[0126] FIG. 7 is a data flow diagram illustrating another image
forming apparatus verification method 700, according to example
embodiments. The method is carried out by the image forming
apparatus 102, the client computing device 104, and the managing
server 106.
[0127] Steps 702, 704, 706, 708, 710, 712, 714, 716, and 718 are
analogous to steps 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, and 418
of method 400, respectively. Please see the detailed description of
method 400 for further details regarding these steps.
[0128] At step 720, the method 700 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting the entire test page to the managing server
106. The test page may be in the form of a PDF file, a Joint
Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) file, or a PNG file, as examples.
This test page may be transmitted over the internet using secure
file transfer protocol (SFTP).
[0129] At step 722, the method 700 includes the managing server 106
storing the test page for later retrieval. This may include, in
some embodiments, the managing server 106 converting the test page
from one format to another and/or compressing the test page for
easier storage. It may also include the managing server 106 storing
the test page in a section of non-volatile memory within the
managing server 106.
[0130] At step 724, the method 700 includes the managing server 106
transmitting a message confirming receipt of the test page to the
client computing device 104.
[0131] FIG. 8 is a data flow diagram illustrating another image
forming apparatus verification method 800, according to example
embodiments. The method is carried out by the image forming
apparatus 102, the client computing device 104, and the managing
server 106.
[0132] Steps 802, 804, 806, 808, and 810 are analogous to steps
402, 404, 406, 408, and 410 of method 400, respectively. Please see
the detailed description of method 400 for further details
regarding these steps.
[0133] At step 812, the method 800 includes the client computing
device 104 extracting the code contained within the printed test
page 500, similar to step 412 of method 400.
[0134] At step 814, the method 800 includes the client computing
device 104 evaluating the extracted code and determining that it
does not match the code contained with the test print image data
received in step 804 and the print request transmitted in step 806.
Therefore, the client computing device issues a disapproval in step
814.
[0135] Additionally, an error in the code may be identified if the
client computing device 104 reads a nonsensical code (e.g., a 4
digit code when the code is only defined to be 5 digits).
[0136] At step 816, the method 800 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a disapproval message to the managing
server 106 to indicate that a disapproved code was scanned from the
printed test page 500. This disapproval message may indicate to the
managing server 106 not to expect a code transmission from the
client computing device 104, and to conclude the verification
process.
[0137] FIGS. 9a and 9b comprise a data flow diagram illustrating
another image forming apparatus verification method 900, according
to example embodiments (FIG. 9b depicts the steps occurring
subsequent to the steps occurring in FIG. 9a). The method 900 is
carried out by the image forming apparatus 102, the client
computing device 104, and the managing server 106.
[0138] Steps 902, 904, 906, 908, 910, 912, and 914 are analogous to
steps 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, and 414 of method 400,
respectively. Please see the detailed description of method 400 for
further details regarding these steps.
[0139] At step 916, the method 900 includes the managing server 106
evaluating the code transmitted by the client computing device 104.
In this embodiment, the managing server 106 determines in step 916
that the code transmitted by the client computing device 104 in
step 914 does not match the code transmitted by the managing server
106 in step 904. Therefore, the managing server 106 determines that
the image forming apparatus 102 should not be verified.
[0140] Because the code was unsuccessfully verified, step 916 may
further include generating a disapproval message for transmission
to the client computing device 104. The disapproval message
indicates to the client computing device 104 that the verification
of the image forming apparatus 102 failed.
[0141] At step 918, the method 900 includes the managing server 106
transmitting the disapproval message to the client computing device
104. This may include the managing server 106 transmitting an error
code or error message indicating what problems were contained
within the code, and why a verification failure occurred.
[0142] At step 920, the method 900 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a request to the managing server 106 to fix
the image forming apparatus 102. This may constitute a request by
the client computing device for information regarding how to
service the image forming apparatus 102 to improve functionality
and resolve printing errors.
[0143] At step 922, the method 900 includes the managing server 106
responding to the request transmitted by the client computing
device 104 in step 920. Step 922 includes the managing server 106
issuing instructions to the client computing device 102 indicating
which actions to perform on the image forming apparatus 102 to fix
it. This may include remote corrections, such as rebooting the
image forming apparatus 102 or initiating a native cleaning method
within the image forming apparatus 102 (i.e., cleaning utilities or
maintenance utilities that are built-in to and can be executed
independently by the image forming apparatus 102). Alternatively,
the fix provided by the managing server 106 in step 922 may include
instructions for manually manipulating the image forming apparatus
102 by a user. Such fixes may include replacing toner cartridges,
adding more paper to a paper tray, or clearing a paper jam.
[0144] At step 924, the method 900 includes the client computing
device 104 operating to fix the image forming apparatus 102. This
may include a user manually performing operations on the image
forming apparatus 102, as well as the client computing device 104
transmitting instructions to the image forming apparatus 102 for
self-correction.
[0145] At step 926, the method 900 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a request for a new verification test to
the managing server 106. This may include the client computing
device 104 transmitting the results of the previous verification
test, the details of the test, or the current status of the image
forming apparatus 102 indicating that it has been recently fixed.
In addition, the request transmitted in step 926 may be a request
to initiate a new verification using the same code as before or may
be a request to initiate a verification using an entirely different
code.
[0146] At step 928, the method 900 includes the managing server 106
transmitting to the client computing device 104 retry test print
image data. This data may indicate that it is intended to be used
as a retry case. Alternatively, the data may be the same as normal
test print image data, even though it is being transmitted as a
retry case.
[0147] At step 930, the method 900 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a retry print request to the image forming
apparatus 102. This retry print request may contain the retry test
print image data transmitted by the managing server 106 in step
928.
[0148] At step 932, the method 900 includes the image forming
apparatus printing the retry test page.
[0149] At step 934, the method 900 includes the client computing
device scanning the retry test page. As with step 410 of method
400, this may involve the client computing device utilizing a
scanning element or a digital camera to capture an image of the
printed test page.
[0150] At step 936, the method 900 includes the client computing
device 104 extracting a code from the printed retry page that was
printed in step 932 and scanned in step 934. The code extracted in
step 936 may be the same code that would have been extracted in
step 912 had the image forming apparatus 102 printed it correctly,
in some embodiments.
[0151] At step 938, the method 900 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting the retry code that was extracted in step
936 to the managing server 106 for verification.
[0152] At step 940, the method 900 includes the managing server 106
attempting to validate the retry code against the code that was
contained in the retry test print image data transmitted by the
managing server 106 to the client computing device 104 in step
928.
[0153] At step 942, the method 900 includes the managing server 106
transmitting a message to the client computing device 104
indicating that the code sent by the client computing device 104 in
step 938 and the image forming apparatus 102 were both successfully
verified.
[0154] FIG. 10 is a data flow diagram illustrating another image
forming apparatus verification method 1000, according to example
embodiments. The method is carried out by the image forming
apparatus 102, the client computing device 104, and the managing
server 106. The verification method 1000 illustrated in FIG. 10 is
analogous to the verification method illustrated in FIG. 4. The
primary difference is that the test print image data is transmitted
directly from the managing server 106 to the image forming
apparatus 102, without first being transmitted to the client
computing device 104.
[0155] At step 1002, the method 1000 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a request to the managing server 106 to
initiate a validation method. Similar to step 402 of method 400,
this may occur using an application within the client computing
device 104. This request may contain certain information about the
image forming apparatus 102 or the requested validation.
[0156] At step 1004, the method 1000 includes the managing server
106 transmitting test print image data to the image forming
apparatus 102. The test print image data may be legible by the
image forming apparatus 102 as transmitted. Alternatively, the test
print image data may require conversion to a different format
within the image forming apparatus 102 prior to printing.
[0157] The remaining steps of method 1000 (steps 1006, 1008, 1010,
1012, 1014, and 1016) are analogous to steps 408, 410, 412, 414,
416, and 418 of method 400, respectively. Please see the detailed
description of method 400 for further details regarding these
steps.
[0158] FIG. 11 is a data flow diagram illustrating another image
forming apparatus verification method 1100, according to example
embodiments. The method is carried out by the image forming
apparatus 102, the client computing device 104, and the managing
server 106. The verification method 1100 illustrated in FIG. 11 is
analogous to the verification method illustrated in FIG. 4. The
primary differences are (i) that the test print image data is
transmitted directly from the managing server 106 to the image
forming apparatus 102, without first being transmitted to the
client computing device 104 and (ii) that the scanned test page is
transmitted from the image forming apparatus 102 to the managing
server 106 for analysis, rather than using the client computing
device 104 to analyze the test page.
[0159] At step 1102, the method 1100 includes the client computing
device 104 transmitting a request to the managing server 106 to
initiate a validation method. Similar to step 402 of method 400,
this may occur using an application within the client computing
device 104. This request may contain certain information about the
image forming apparatus 102 or the requested validation.
[0160] At step 1104, the method 1100 includes the managing server
106 transmitting test print image data to the image forming
apparatus 102. The test print image data may be legible by the
image forming apparatus 102 as transmitted. Alternatively, the test
print image data may require conversion to a different format
within the image forming apparatus 102 prior to printing.
[0161] At step 1106, the method 1100 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 printing the test page from the test page image
data.
[0162] At step 1108, the method 1100 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 scanning the printed test page. This may include the
image forming apparatus 102 transferring the printed test page from
the output tray 202 to the scanning element 208 and then initiating
a scanning action using the scanning element 208. In alternative
embodiments, this may include a digital camera mounted above the
output tray 202 taking a digital photograph of the printed test
page.
[0163] At step 1110, the method 1100 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 transmitting data representing the scanned test page
to the managing server 106.
[0164] At step 1112, the method 1100 includes the managing server
106 attempting to extract the code from the scanned test page data.
The managing server 106 may use code extraction techniques similar
to those used by the client computing device 104 in step 412 of
method 400. Please see the detailed description of method 400 for
further details regarding these techniques.
[0165] At step 1114, the method 1100 includes the managing server
106 evaluating the extracted code. This is analogous to step 416 of
method 400. Please see the detailed description of method 400 for
further details regarding step 1114.
[0166] At step 1116, the method 1100 includes the managing server
106 transmitting a message to the client computing device 104 that
indicates that the verification of the code was completed
successfully and that the image forming apparatus 102 has been
verified by the managing server 106.
[0167] FIG. 12 is a data flow diagram illustrating another image
forming apparatus verification method 1200, according to example
embodiments. The method is carried out by the image forming
apparatus 102 and the managing server 106. The verification method
1200 illustrated in FIG. 12 is analogous to the verification method
400 illustrated in FIG. 4. The primary difference is the image
forming apparatus 102 is communicating directly with the managing
server 106 without the intermediary of the client computing device
104
[0168] At step 1202, the method 1200 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 transmitting a request to the managing server 106 to
initiate a validation method. Similar to step 402 of method 400,
this may occur using an application within the image forming
apparatus 102. This request may contain certain information about
the image forming apparatus 102 or the requested validation.
[0169] Furthermore, step 1202 may also include a user initiation of
a validation of the image forming apparatus 102. This may occur
through interaction with the user interface 206.
[0170] At step 1204, the method 1200 includes the managing server
106 transmitting test print image data to the image forming
apparatus 102. The test print image data may be legible by the
image forming apparatus 102 as transmitted. Alternatively, the test
print image data may require conversion within the image forming
apparatus 102 prior to printing.
[0171] At step 1206, the method 1200 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 printing the test page from the test page image
data.
[0172] At step 1208, the method 1200 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 scanning the printed test page. This may include the
image forming apparatus 102 transferring the printed test page from
the output tray 202 to the scanning element 208 and then initiating
a scanning action using the scanning element 208. In alternative
embodiments, this may include a digital camera mounted above the
output tray 202 taking a digital photograph of the printed test
page.
[0173] At step 1210, the method 1200 includes the image forming
apparatus 102 transmitting data representing the scanned test page
to the managing server 106.
[0174] At step 1212, the method 1200 includes the managing server
106 attempting to extract the code from the scanned test page data.
The managing server 106 may use code extraction techniques similar
to those used by the client computing device 104 in step 412 of
method 400. Please see the detailed description of method 400 for
further details regarding these techniques.
[0175] At step 1214, the method 1200 includes the managing server
106 evaluating the extracted code. This is analogous to step 416 of
method 400. Please see the detailed description of method 400 for
further details regarding step 1214.
[0176] At step 1216, the method 1200 includes the managing server
106 transmitting a message to the image forming apparatus 102 that
indicates that the verification of the code was completed
successfully and that the image forming apparatus 102 has been
verified by the managing server 106.
IV. CONCLUSION
[0177] The above detailed description describes various features
and functions of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods with
reference to the accompanying figures. While various aspects and
embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and
embodiments will be apparent. The various aspects and embodiments
disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not
intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the
following claims.
* * * * *