Method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium of searching and displaying image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12333294-B2
Application number	US-202318297337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2023
Priority date	Apr 8, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A method of searching and displaying an image forming apparatus includes obtaining a first information array of image forming apparatus through a first searching method; obtaining a second information array of image forming apparatus through a second searching method; determining if the first information array matches the second information array; determining an image forming apparatus discovered according to matching result is a wireless network image forming apparatus or a wired network image forming apparatus; and according to determining result, displaying a guide icon of driver installation of the image forming apparatus. The wireless network image forming apparatus has been connected to a network through a wireless network interface thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of searching and displaying an image forming apparatus, comprising:
discovering an image forming apparatuses for resource controlling by performing the steps of:
obtaining a first device feature information of image forming apparatus through a first searching method;
obtaining a second device feature information of image forming apparatus through a second searching method, wherein the second search method is a different searching algorithm from the first method and the first and second device feature information is at least one of: device name, IP, UUID, hostname, MAC address and user defined network identifier;
discovering a first image forming apparatus by determining that the first device feature information matches the second device feature information;
discovering an additional image forming apparatus by performing a third searching method having a different searching algorithm from the first and second methods;
determining that the additional image forming apparatus discovered through the third searching method and the first image forming apparatus discovered according to the matching result do not belong to the same network;
based on the discovery, ascertaining the network configuration associated with the first image forming apparatus and the additional image forming apparatus, wherein the first image forming apparatus is determined to be wireless based on the first image forming apparatus being connected to a network through a wireless network interface and the additional image forming apparatus is of a different type;
based on the network configuration of the first and additional image forming apparatuses, dynamically altering the appearance and performance of an associated guide icon for driver installation for each image forming apparatus, wherein the guide icon of the driver installation of the first image forming apparatus includes a driver installation mode configured to the connection mode corresponding to the network configuration of the first image forming apparatus and the guide icon is configurable to a USB connection configuration protocol, a wired network connection configuration protocol, and a wireless network connection configuration protocol; and

invoking the guide icon for the first and additional image forming apparatuses, wherein the invocation performs the steps of executing on the discovered image forming apparatus a network configuration operation and/or a driver installation operation associated with first and additional image forming apparatuses.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein ascertaining the network configuration associated with the first image forming apparatus and the additional forming apparatus and dynamically altering the appearance and performance of an associated guide icon for driver installation for each image forming apparatus further comprise:
parsing the first device feature information or the second device feature information and, according to parsing result, determining the first image forming apparatus is a wireless network image forming apparatus or a wired network image forming apparatus; and
according to determining result, directing the guide icon for driver installation of the wireless network image forming apparatus or the wired network image forming apparatus to be highlight-displayed or gray-displayed.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein, after directing the guide icon of the driver installation of the wireless network image forming apparatus or the wired network image forming apparatus to be highlight-displayed or gray-displayed, the method comprises:
when one image forming apparatus is discovered, obtaining user operation instruction from the highlight-displayed guide icon and prompting device information of the image forming apparatus;
when one image forming apparatus is discovered, obtaining user operation instruction from the gray-displayed guide icon and displaying prompt information to guide a user to perform a connection operation of the image forming apparatus; and
when multiple image forming apparatuses are discovered, obtaining user operation instruction from the highlight-displayed guide icon and displaying device information of the multiple image forming apparatuses to direct the user to select an image forming apparatus to perform a network configuration operation and/or a driver installation operation based on the device information of the multiple image forming apparatuses.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein ascertaining the network configuration associated with the first image forming apparatus and the additional forming apparatus and dynamically altering the appearance and performance of an associated guide icon for driver installation for each image forming apparatus further comprise:
parsing the first device feature information or the second device feature information and, according to parsing result, determining the first image forming apparatus is a wireless network image forming apparatus or a wired network image forming apparatus; and
when according to parsing result, the first image forming apparatus is determined to be the wired network image forming apparatus and the first image forming apparatus has a wireless network communication interface, directing the guide icon of the driver installation of the wireless network image forming apparatus to be highlight-displayed or gray-displayed.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein, after directing the guide icon of the driver installation of the wireless network image forming apparatus to be highlight-displayed or gray-displayed, the method comprises:
when one image forming apparatus is discovered, obtaining user operation instruction from the highlight-displayed guide icon and prompting device information of the image forming apparatus;
when one image forming apparatus is discovered, obtaining user operation instruction from the gray-displayed guide icon and displaying prompt information to guide a user to perform a connection operation of the image forming apparatus; and
when multiple image forming apparatuses are discovered, obtaining user operation instruction from the highlight-displayed guide icon and displaying device information of the multiple image forming apparatuses to allow the user to select an image forming apparatus to perform a network configuration operation and/or a driver installation operation based on the device information of the multiple image forming apparatuses.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
according to a display status of the guide icon of the driver installation of the image forming apparatus, obtaining a user operation instruction, installing a driver of the image forming apparatus, and adding the image forming apparatus.

7. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a memory containing a computer program for performing a method of searching and displaying an image forming apparatus; and
a processor coupled to the memory and, when the computer program is being executed, configured to:
discover an image forming apparatus for resource controlling by performing the steps of:
obtain a first device feature information of image forming apparatus through a first searching method;
obtain a second device feature information of image forming apparatus through a second searching method, wherein the second search method is a different searching algorithm from the first method and the first and second device feature information is at least one of: device name, IP, UUID, hostname, MAC address and user defined network identifier;
discover a first image forming apparatus by determining that the first device feature information matches the second device feature information;
discover an additional image forming apparatus by p

Assignees

• Zhuhai Pantum Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dong Liping
• Zhao Lujun
• Yang Minghui

Classifications

• G06F3/1236

  Connection management · CPC title

• G06F3/1231

  Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification · CPC title

• G06F3/123

  Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management · CPC title

• G06F3/1203

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title