Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Generic control system – apparatus or process – Sequential or selective
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2003-04-29
Follansbee, John A. (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Generic control system, apparatus or process
Sequential or selective
C700S020000, C700S065000, C345S215000, C709S223000, C709S229000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06556875
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of controlling devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
When one computer is connected to, for example, a scanner and a printer and a user of the computer desires to read image data with the scanner and to print the input image data with the printer, a prior art technique first activates an applications program for supporting the scanner, controls the scanner to read the image data according to the applications program, and temporarily stores the input image data into a memory in the computer. In this process, the technique causes a user interface for operating the scanner to be displayed in a window on a monitor. The user specifies desired settings, for example, regarding a reading operation, via the user interface for the scanner and gives instructions regarding the desired settings to the computer. The computer then causes the scanner to read the image data according to the desired settings. The technique subsequently activates another applications program for supporting the printer, reads the image data from the memory according to the applications program, and controls the printer to print the image data with the printer. In this process, the technique also causes a user interface for operating the printer to be displayed in a window on the monitor. The user specifies desired settings, for example, regarding a printing operation, via the user interface for the printer and gives instructions regarding the desired settings to the computer. The computer then causes the printer to print the image data according to the desired settings.
As described above, the prior art technique requires to activate the plurality of applications programs for supporting the respective devices and implement the data transfer between the devices, such as the scanner and the printer.
In one exemplified configuration, it is assumed that a certain device is connected to one computer and another device is connected to another computer, among a plurality of computers connecting with one another via a network. In this configuration, the prior art technique makes it rather difficult to transfer data between the certain device and the another device according to an applications program, which is activated by still another computer, since these computers are connected to one another via the network.
In the prior art technique, one predetermined device can receive and process the data transmitted from another predetermined device. It is, however, not guaranteed that one arbitrary device can receive and process the data transmitted from another arbitrary device. In some cases, effective data transfer is accordingly not available between these arbitrary devices.
The prior art technique causes different user interfaces for the respective devices to be displayed separately in the process of performing the data transfer between these devices. This configuration forces the user to separately specify instructions on the different user interfaces, thereby undesirably worsening the operatability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is thus to provide a device control system that enables a substantially fixed control according to an applications program, regardless of different types of devices, such as a scanner and a printer, and different types of communications paths, such as a local connection and a network connection.
At least part of the above and the other related objects is attained by a device control system for controlling at least one device. The device control system includes: a device abstraction unit that respectively corresponds to the device and transmits data or information to and from the corresponding device; an interface unit that respectively corresponds to the device abstraction unit and is connected to the corresponding device abstraction unit via a communications path, the interface unit mediating transmission of data or information between the corresponding device abstraction unit and an application unit, which is constructed by a specified applications program; and a communications path abstraction unit that is respectively interposed between each of the device abstraction unit and each of the interface unit, which mutually correspond to each other. The device abstraction unit apparently removes a difference in control procedure due to a type of the corresponding device, so as to provide the application unit with an identical control environment, which does not depend upon the type of the device, via the interface unit. The communications path abstraction unit apparently removes a difference in control procedure due to a type of the communications path, which connects each of the at least one device abstraction unit with the corresponding interface unit, so as to provide the application unit with an identical control environment, which does not depend upon the type of the communications path, via the interface unit.
The present invention is also directed to a method of controlling at least one device. The method includes the steps of: (a) creating a device abstraction unit that respectively corresponds to the device, transmits data or information to and from the corresponding device, and apparently removes a difference in control procedure due to a type of the corresponding device, so as to provide an application unit, which is constructed by a specified applications program, with an identical control environment, which does not depend upon the type of the device; (b) creating an interface unit that respectively corresponds to the device abstraction unit, is connected to the corresponding device abstraction unit via a communications path, and mediates transmission of data or information between the corresponding device abstraction unit and the application unit; (c) creating a communications path abstraction unit that respectively corresponds to the interface unit and apparently removes a difference in control procedure due to a type of the communications path, which connects the corresponding interface unit with the device abstraction unit further corresponding to the interface unit, so as to provide the application unit with an identical control environment, which does not depend upon the type of the communications path; and (d) causing the application unit to control the device via the interface unit, the communications path abstraction unit, and the device abstraction unit.
In the device control system and the method of controlling the devices according to the present invention, each device abstraction unit transmits data or information to and from the corresponding device and apparently removes a difference in control procedure due to the type of the corresponding device, so as to provide the application unit, which is constructed by a preset applications program, with an identical control environment that does not depend upon the type of the device. Each interface unit connects with the corresponding device abstraction unit via a communications path and mediates transmission of data or information between the corresponding device abstraction unit and the application unit. Each communications path abstraction unit apparently removes a difference in control procedure due to a type of the communications path, which connects each device abstraction unit with the corresponding interface unit, so as to provide the application unit with an identical control environment that does not depend upon the type of the communications path.
In the specification hereof, the devices include not only physical devices but part of the functions of the physical devices, those having the equivalent functions to the physical devices by the software, and those handled equivalently to the physical devices. The physical devices include a scanner, a printer, a digital camera, a facsimile, a copying machine, and a variety of other computer peripheral equipment. The part of the functions of the physical devices include, for example, an external presentation of only the facsimile function o
Hisamatsu Yutaka
Nagasaka Fumio
Follansbee John A.
Hartman Jr. Ronald D
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