METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY CONTROLLING DURING RUN TIME A MULTIFUNCTION PERIPHERAL (MFP) TOUCH PANEL USER INTERFACE (UI) FROM AN EXTERNAL REMOTE NETWORK-CONNECTED COMPUTER

摘要

In a system for dynamically and remotely providing user interface (UI) display and processing information to a touch panel embedded within a multifunction peripheral (MFP) such as a digital copier having an internal computer for controlling the touch panel, a method that comprises linking the internal computer to an external data communication network having an external remote computer on the network; and upon the inputting of desired selections by a user at the UI and communicating the same over the network to the external computer, providing information from the external computer via the network back to the internal computer that enables dynamically changing or updating the UI display and behavior during run time of the MFP.

主权项

1. A multifunction peripheral device capable of communicating with an external computer over a network, the multifunction peripheral device comprising:
a user interface including a touch panel display to display user interface controls that allow a user to access a set of capabilities of the multifunction peripheral device; and an internal computer coupled to the user interface, the internal computer programmed to operate the multifunction peripheral device to perform operations associated with the set of capabilities, the internal computer programmed to, subsequent to the user selecting a service, communicate to the external computer via the network that the service has been selected, and to receive information, provided by the external computer via the network, describing at least one user interface control to be displayed on the touch panel display and/or at least one processing rule for at least one user interface control, the internal computer programmed to update the touch panel display based on the received information.