Processing-independent tablet interface for a printing device

Abstract

To solve the problem in which a user interface of a printing device is processed by a printer processor and thus places additional burdens on the printer processor, which is tasked with other responsibilities including operating all physical components that perform scanning, printing, finishing, etc.SOLUTION: Printing devices 204 include a printer power supply 218, a printer processor 224 connected to the printer power supply, printing components connected to the printer power supply and the printer processor, and a tablet interface device 100 connected to the printer processor and the printer power supply. The tablet interface device includes a tablet processor, a USB connection electrically connected to the tablet processor and the printer power supply, and a touchscreen surface electrically connected to the tablet processor. The tablet processor operates independently of the printer processor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The systems and methods of this specification generally relate to printing devices, and more specifically, to interfaces of such devices.

Background Art

[0002] Very complex machines such as the latest multifunction printing devices (MFDs) can take years to develop due to the special and complex functions they perform. One issue that remains unchanged is to make the MFD as user-friendly as possible, which is particularly difficult due to the time lag between design and the manufacture of the final product. In many cases, MFDs have a user interface with a high-quality display screen (such as a touch screen) that can directly receive touch input, or a keyboard and / or buttons.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Menus displayed on the user interface are generated by a printer processor within the printing device, and data input by the user is similarly processed. This places an additional burden on the printer processor, which is also responsible for other tasks (including the operation of all physical components that perform scanning, printing, finishing, etc.). Furthermore, updating the user interface is time-consuming and difficult because it needs to be updated in accordance with the limitations and compatibility of the printer processor. This generally limits the ability to continuously improve the user experience, especially for legacy devices.

[0004] The various printing devices disclosed in this specification include, among other components, a printer power supply connected to a printer processor and a printing component within the body of the printing device. A tablet interface device is external to the body of the printing device and is connected to the printer processor and the printer power supply. A mount structure external to the body is also connected to the printer processor, the printer power supply, and the tablet interface device.

[0005] The tablet interface device has a tablet processor within the tablet interface device. The tablet processor is adapted to operate independently of the printer processor by communicating independently with other devices external to the printing device and processing data independently without using the processing resources of the printer processor. However, in some situations, the tablet processor can cooperate with the printer processor to share processing resources. For example, the tablet processor is adapted to execute applications that the printer processor cannot execute.

[0006] The tablet interface device also has a USB connection that extends through the exterior of the tablet. The USB connection is electrically connected to the tablet processor and the printer power supply, and the USB connection of the tablet interface device supplies both data and power to the tablet interface device. Further, the USB connection of the tablet interface device is the only electrical and communication connection between the tablet interface device and the printing device.

[0007] The touch screen surface forms part of the exterior of the tablet. The touch screen surface is electrically connected to the tablet processor. The external buttons are also on the exterior of the tablet. The external buttons are electrically connected to the tablet processor. The external buttons are adjacent to the touch screen surface and can have an LED backlight. Further, the tablet interface device can include a camera and / or a speaker electrically connected to the tablet processor. The camera is adjacent to the touch screen surface and the speaker can be located anywhere that enables the sound from the speaker to be heard outside of the tablet interface device.

[0008] These features and other features are described or apparent from the following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] With reference to the accompanying drawings, various exemplary systems and methods are described in detail below.

[0010]

Figure 1

[0011]

Figure 2

[0012]

Figure 3

[0013]

Figure 4

Figure 5

[0014]

Figure 6

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] As described above, the user interface function of the printer imposes an additional burden on the printer processor that is responsible for other duties (including the operation of all physical components that perform scanning, printing, finishing, etc.). Further, using the printer processor of the printer generally limits the ability to constantly improve the user interface, especially the user experience of legacy devices.

[0016] Therefore, the systems and methods of the present specification provide a processing-independent tablet interface for a printing device. The tablet interface described herein includes its own tablet processor, tablet memory, tablet input connection / output connection, etc., enabling the tablet interface to operate completely independently of the printer processor of the printing device. This expands the functionality of the printing device provided to the user. Since the tablet interface is independent, it can always be updated to run new applications to control all aspects of the printing device and provide processing capabilities outside the functions of the printing device. For example, this independence allows the tablet interface to integrate the functionality of dedicated microphones and speakers to enable voice communication, perform gesture recognition using the functionality of the camera, improve the user experience and enhance security using user recognition (face recognition), easily pair with external devices using the functionality of a near-field communication (NFC) device, etc., which can be improved by voice recognition.

[0017] Due to the characteristics of the tablet interface, it is possible to update legacy devices simply by replacing any existing previous interface with the tablet interface. In addition, the tablet's processor can handle all image capture, image processing, and data transmission / reception from other devices, and can delegate only the component control and print job processing functions to the printer processor of the printing device. Furthermore, the tablet processor can assist the main printing functions of the printer processor of the printing device when it is necessary to share processing resources between the two processors.

[0018] More specifically, FIG. 1 shows many components of the printer structure 204 of this specification, which may include, for example, printers, copiers, multifunction devices, multi-function devices (MFDs), kiosk printing, and the like. The printing device 204 includes a controller / tangible printer processor 224 (e.g., an integrated circuit (IC) chip) and a communication port (input / output) 214 operably connected to an external computerized network of the tangible printer processor 224 and the printing device 204. In addition, the printing device 204 may include at least one accessory function component such as a user interface (UI) assembly 100. The user can receive messages, instructions, and menu options from the user interface or control panel 100 and input instructions through them.

[0019] The input / output device 214 is used for communication to and from the printing device 204 and comprises a wired or wireless device (in any form, whether currently known or to be developed in the future). The tangible printer processor 224 controls various operations of the printing device 204. The non-transitory tangible computer storage medium device 210 (which can be optical, magnetic, capacitor-based, etc., and is different from a transient signal) is readable by the tangible printer processor 224 and stores instructions executed by the tangible printer processor 224 to enable the computerized device to perform its various functions such as those described herein. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the main housing has one or more functional components that operate on power supplied by a power supply unit 218 from an alternating current (AC) source 220. The power supply unit 218 may include a common power conversion unit, a power storage element (such as a battery), etc.

[0020] The printing device 204 uses a marking material and includes at least one marking device (print engine) 238 operably connected to a special image printer processor 224 (different from a general-purpose computer as it is specialized for processing image data), and a media path 236 arranged to supply a continuous medium or a sheet of media from a sheet feeder 230 to the marking device 238 and the like. After receiving various markings from the print engine 238, the sheet of media can optionally be passed to a finisher 234 that can perform various folding, stapling, sorting, etc. of the printed sheets. Also, the printing device 204 may similarly include at least one accessory functional component (such as a scanner / document handler 232 (automatic document feeder (ADF))) that operates on power supplied from an external power source 220 (via the power supply unit 218).

[0021] One or more printing engines 238 are intended to represent any marking device applicable in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional printing process to a continuous medium, a sheet of the medium, a fixed platform, etc., using a marking material (such as toner, ink, plastic, organic material, etc.), whether currently known or to be developed in the future. The printing engine 238 may include, for example, a device using an electrostatic toner printer, an inkjet print head, a contact print head, a three-dimensional printer, etc. One or more printing engines 238 may include, for example, a device using a photoreceptor belt or an intermediate transfer belt, or a device that directly prints on a printing medium (such as an inkjet printer, a ribbon-based contact printer, etc.).

[0022] Furthermore, the tablet interface device 100 is located outside the main body of the printing device and is connected to the printer processor 224 and the printer power supply 218 via the USB cable 206. A mounting structure 240 outside the main body of the printing device 204 is also connected to the printer processor 224, the printer power supply 218, and the tablet interface device 100 (some connections are not shown in the drawings to avoid confusion).

[0023] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the tablet interface device 100 mounted within the mount 240. Specifically, the mount 240 includes a tablet mounting structure 246 that is shaped to mount and hold the tablet interface device 100. The tablet mounting structure 246 includes clips, screw holes, bolts, etchings, etc. that can permanently hold the tablet interface device 100 within the tablet mounting structure 246. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the mount 240 includes a USB mount connector 242 to which the USB cable 206 is connected, and a user device receiver 244 that is shaped and adapted to connect the user's smart device 208. Additionally, accessory devices such as an optical barcode reader / QR code reader, contact / non-contact credit card reader, etc. (all of which are denoted by item 248) may be included as part of the mount portion 240.

[0024] Also, a USB interconnect or hub 249 can be included internally within the mount 240 (note that the dashed line is used to represent the USB hub 249 for illustrative purposes of an internal location within the mount 240). The USB hub 249 can interconnect all devices within and on the mount 240, including the tablet interface device 100, the smart device 208, the reader 248, and other items. By including the USB hub 249 within the mount 240, it enables the mount 240 to be a built-in stand-alone module that can be added to any existing printing device. Such a built-in stand-alone mount 240 only needs to use a few wiring connections (e.g., connection to the power supply unit 218 of the printer, connection to the printer processor 224, etc.), thereby enabling the built-in stand-alone mount 240 to be quickly and easily added to any existing printing device, and thus, can dramatically enhance the functionality of such a device, especially from the perspective of user interaction.

[0025] Figure 3 is a front view of the tablet interface device 100 only. Figure 3 shows that the tablet interface device 100 can include a camera 252, a touch screen 254, buttons 256, and a microphone 258. As seen in Figure 3, the surface of the touch screen 254 forms a part of the exterior of the tablet interface device 100. The external buttons 256 can be adjacent to the surface of the touch screen 254 and can have an LED backlight. The camera 252 and the microphone 258 are also adjacent to the surface of the touch screen 254.

[0026] Figure 4 is a rear view of the tablet interface device 100, showing the back cover 266 of the tablet interface device 100. Figure 4 shows a clearance cross-section 260 for the hinge pivot point within the back cover 266. A secure card (SC) port can be disposed, for example, behind one of the side covers of the tablet interface device 100. Figure 4 also shows that the back of the tablet interface device 100 includes a speaker grill 262 behind which a speaker is disposed. The speaker can be located anywhere that allows the sound from the speaker to be audible outside the tablet interface device 100.

[0027] Furthermore, Figure 4 shows a USB tablet connector 264 to which a USB cable 206 is connected. The USB cable 206 supplies both data and power connections to the tablet interface device 100 and is the only electrical connection between the printing device 204 and the tablet interface device 100. Additionally, a control button 268 is shown in Figure 4. The control button 268 is used to adjust volume, power, etc.

[0028] FIG. 5 also shows a rear view of the tablet interface device 100. However, in contrast to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 shows the rear of the tablet interface device 100 with the back cover 266 removed. Thus, in the view of FIG. 5, some of the components inside the tablet interface device 100 are exposed, such as the speaker 272 located behind the grill 262 and the back of the touch screen 254. FIGS. 4 and 5 also show that the USB tablet connector 264 extends through the back cover 266.

[0029] In addition, FIG. 5 shows that the tablet interface device 100 has a tablet processor 102 inside the tablet interface device 100. The touch screen 254 is electrically connected to the tablet processor 102 by various wirings 270. Additional wirings (not visible in the view shown in FIG. 5) connect the speaker 272, the button 256, the camera 252, the microphone 258, the NFC antenna, etc. to the tablet processor 102.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows an example of some components that can be mounted on the motherboard 112 inside the tablet or electrically connected to the motherboard 112 inside the tablet for arranging articles to communicate with each other electrically. Such devices include, for example, a tablet processor 102 (e.g., an IC chip), a computer storage medium 104 (which may be similar to the computer memory 210 described above), an input / output device 106, an SD card reader connector 108, an antenna 110, etc. Various wirings on or inside the motherboard 112 interconnect such devices. The antenna 110 shown can be one or more antennas that enable wireless communication to other devices such as the printer processor 224 of the printing device, the user's smart device (e.g., item 208 in FIG. 2), a wireless Internet connection, an NFC wireless connectivity, etc. The input / output 106 is connected to all the components of the tablet interface device 100 described above and can be connected to other components outside the tablet interface device 100.

[0031] The tablet processor 102 is adapted to operate independently of the printer processor 224. In one embodiment, the tablet processor 102 can communicate independently with other devices external to the printing device 204 and process data independently without using the processing resources of the printer processor 224. In another example, the tablet processor 102 is adapted to execute applications that the printer processor 224 cannot execute. Further, the tablet processor 102 can assist the main printing functions of the printer processor 224 when it is necessary to share processing resources between the two processors.

[0032] Accordingly, all elements within the tablet interface device 100 are adapted to operate independently of the elements within the printing device 204, but for thermal and energy consumption efficiency, it may be advantageous to utilize the power supply unit 218 of the printing device as the sole power source for the tablet interface device 100. This enables the tablet interface device 100 to extend the functionality of the printing device provided to the user.

[0033] In some embodiments, the computer storage medium 104 can store a computer program or "app" that can be executed by the tablet processor 102, and the printer processor 224 of the printing device 204 may not be able to execute such an app. Such an app can control all aspects of the printing device 204, but can also integrate the functions of the microphone 258 and the speaker 272 to enable voice communication with the user. Further, these apps can perform gesture recognition using the functionality of the camera 252. Additionally, the functionality of the camera 252 can provide user recognition (face recognition) to improve the user experience (such as avoiding having the user provide a password), and similarly, such user recognition can be used to verify the user before releasing a secure printing job or to enhance security by tracking who has used the printing device 204.

[0034] The features of the tablet interface 100 enable legacy devices to be updated by simply replacing the conventional interface with the tablet interface device 100. The tablet processor 102 is very complex and supports a dynamic operating system such as the Android OS. Android is an operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open source software, mainly designed for touch screen devices such as tablets. Android was developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance and is commercially supported by Google LLC of Mountain View, California.

[0035] For example, the Android OS can execute videos on the tablet interface device 100 and support several other interfaces such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), NFC, and audio. In contrast, conventional interfaces do not have such functions, and conventional interfaces rely on the printer processor 224 for all processing functions. Also, conventional interfaces do not have a usable internal storage device. However, the computer storage medium 104 of the tablet interface device 100 disclosed herein enables the tablet interface device 100 to store various items such as logs that can be extracted to assist in troubleshooting and the like.

[0036] Furthermore, the tablet processor 102 can assist the main printing functions of the printer processor 224 of the printing device 204 as needed. In one embodiment, when a print job requires a significant amount of raster image processing, the tablet processor 102 can monitor the progress performed by the printer processor 224 of the printing device 204 and take over or supplement some pre-printing processing calculations as needed.

[0037] Although some exemplary structures are shown in the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, and the claims presented below, although not shown, include more (potentially not many) features that are commonly utilized with such devices and systems. Therefore, the applicant does not intend that the claims presented below be limited by the accompanying drawings. Instead, the accompanying drawings are provided merely to illustrate some of the ways in which the claimed features can be implemented.

[0038] Many computerized devices have been discussed above. Computerized devices that include a chip-based central processing unit (CPU), input / output devices (including a graphic user interface (GUI), memory, comparator, tangible printer processor, etc.) are well-known and readily available devices manufactured by manufacturers such as Dell Computers (Round Rock TX, USA) and Apple Computer Co. (Cupertino CA, USA). Such computerized devices generally include input / output devices, a power supply, a tangible printer processor, electronic memory, wiring, etc., and the details of these are omitted herein in order to enable the reader to focus on the salient aspects of the systems and methods described herein. Similarly, printers, copiers, scanners, and other similar peripheral devices are available from Xerox Corporation (Norwalk, CT, USA), and the details of such devices are not discussed herein for the sake of brevity and the reader's focus.

[0039] As used herein, the terms "printer" or "printing device" encompass any device that performs a printing output function for any purpose, such as a digital copier, a bookbinding machine, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine, etc. The details of printers, print engines, etc. are well-known and are not described in detail herein in order to maintain the present disclosure focused on the salient features presented. The systems and methods herein can include systems and methods that print in color, monochrome, or handle color or monochrome image data. All of the foregoing systems and methods are particularly applicable to machines and / or processes of electrophotographic and / or dry copying methods.

[0040] In addition, terms such as "right", "left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "upper", "lower", "beneath", "below", "under", "above", "over", "parallel", "perpendicular", etc. as used herein are understood to be relative locations when they are oriented and shown in the drawings (unless otherwise specified). Terms such as "touching", "on", "in direct contact with", "abutting", "directly adjacent to", etc. mean that at least one element physically contacts another element (and no other element separates the recited elements). Further, the terms "automated" or "automatically" mean that once a process is initiated (by a machine or user), one or more machines execute the process without any further input from any user. In addition, terms such as "adapted to" mean that a device is specifically designed to have special internal or external components that automatically perform a particular action or function at a particular point in the processes described herein, and such special components are physically shaped and positioned to perform the specified action / function at the processing points shown herein (optionally without any input or action by an operator). In the drawings of this specification, the same identification numbers identify the same or similar items.

[0041] It will be understood that the features and functions disclosed above, and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined in other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or without precedent alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art, and these are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. Unless specifically defined in a particular claim itself, the steps or components of the systems and methods herein cannot be implied or imported from any of the above embodiments so as to be limited to any particular order, number, position, size, shape, angle, color, or material.

Claims

1. A printing device, comprising: a main body; a printer power supply unit within the main body; a printer processor within the main body and connected to the printer power supply unit; a printing component within the main body and connected to the printer power supply unit and the printer processor; a tablet interface device on the outer surface of the main body and connected to the printer processor and the printer power supply unit; a mounting structure on the outer surface of the main body and connected to the printer processor, the printer power supply unit, and the tablet interface device, wherein the tablet interface device includes: a tablet outer surface; a tablet processor within the tablet outer surface; a USB connection extending through the tablet outer surface and electrically connected to the tablet processor and the printer power supply unit, and the USB connection of the tablet interface device is the only electrical and communication connection between the tablet interface device and the printing device; a touch screen surface forming a part of the tablet outer surface and electrically connected to the tablet processor; The printing device is characterized in that the tablet processor is adapted to operate independently of the printer processor by communicating independently with other devices external to the printing device and processing data independently without using the processing resources of the printer processor.

2. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the tablet processor is adapted to execute applications that the printer processor cannot execute.

3. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the tablet interface device includes a camera electrically connected to the tablet processor, and the camera is adjacent to the touch screen surface.

4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the tablet interface device includes a speaker electrically connected to the tablet processor.

5. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the USB connection of the tablet interface device supplies data and power to the tablet interface device.

Images