Abstract:
A scanning device capable of directly sending scanned images to a printing device to be printed and a related method are proposed. An image information is obtained by scanning with an image sensor module, and then stored in a storage device. When a print client detects a print request, a storing server delivers the image information to the printing device through a picture transfer protocol. Accordingly, the image information is to be printed upon a direct link between the printing device and the scanning device without needing a computer serving as a bridge.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Taiwanese Patent Application No. 098110724 filed on Mar. 31, 2009. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a scanning device that can directly print the scanning results via a printer and the relative method, and more particularly, to a scanning device that can support the PictBridge protocol that allows printing the scanning results via a printer and the relative method. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0005]    Printers, as a subordinate of a computer peripheral system, have been developing for a long time. Based upon such an application, printers usually provide a set of printer control languages to facilitate computer software to communicate with the printers. Also, the set of printer control languages have to convert materials that require to be printed out to a format that can be accepted and recognized by the printers to complete printing tasks. 
         [0006]    Scanners, a common computer image input device, are similar to printers that connect to computers. When computer software manages to acquire external images via a scanner, the computer will give a command to control the scanner to perform the task of image-capturing under a control agreement provided by the scanner. 
         [0007]    Owing to the development of office automation and electronic documents, the popularity of printers and scanners has been rising. Some manufacturers have proposed a convenient document-copying project; that is to say, scanners, replacing computers, can directly interpret images which require to be printed out into a set of control languages that printers can understand. However, because scanners may be connected to different kinds of printers with non-unified specifications and control languages set forth by each manufacturer, it is almost impossible for scanners to connect and control all printers. The non-unified specifications and control languages are the biggest obstacles to the development of the direct printing for scanners. 
         [0008]    Since digital cameras become the mainstream of photography, Camera and Imaging Production Association (CIPA) of Japan proposed the PictBridge protocol to solve the complicated procedure for usage; that is to say, photos can only be printed out via a computer. The PictBridge protocol is related to a direct printing connecting a camera to a printer. The PictBridge protocol regulates a Universal Serial Bus (USB) as the transmission interface. Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) is the standard of all of the information transfer protocols. As long as a camera and a printer correspond to the standard, they can easily connect to each other, and photos can be printed out directly without a computer. 
         [0009]    Nowadays the PictBridge protocol regulates products, such as digital cameras, digital video recorders, camera phones, and printers. The PictBridge protocol requires that an image input device must have the function of server-saving, i.e., image-saving. However, based upon the development of conventional scanners, the scanners per se are not equipped with the function of image-saving. And the scanners divide images into lots of very small segments and transmit these segments to the computer or printer processing the image input, which does not meet the requirement of the PictBridge protocol. So, the conventional scanners cannot connect the printers regulated by the PictBridge protocol to cooperate. Therefore, to develop a scanning device that can directly print out the scanning results via a printer is the industry&#39;s ultimate goal. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide a scanning device that can print the scanning results directly via a printer and the relative method. The scanning device manages to equip a function of complete image-saving and a storing server capable of complying with the PictBridge protocol. In this way, the scanning device can print out the scanning results via the printer by supporting the PictBridge protocol. 
         [0011]    Briefly summarized, a scanning device for printing a scanning result via a printing device comprises an image sensor module, an image sensing circuit, a system controller, a storage device, a print client, and a storing server. The image sensor module is used for scanning an object to generate an induced signal. The image sensing circuit which is coupled to the image sensor module is used for converting the induced signal into an image signal. The system controller which is coupled to the image sensing circuit is used for processing the image signal to generate image information relating to the object. The storage device is used for storing the image information. The print client which is coupled to the system controller is used for detecting an inquiry signal from the printing device, and responding a working signal. The storing server is used for transmitting the image information from the storage device to the printing device by using Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP). 
         [0012]    In one aspect of the present invention, the scanning device further comprises a motor for activating a movement of the image sensor module, and a motor controller for driving the motor in response to a motor-driving signal from the system controller to activate the movement of the image sensor module. 
         [0013]    In another aspect of the present invention, the image sensor module comprises a light source for generating light to the object, a lens for focusing the reflected light from the object, and a photoelectric sensor for converting the sensing light intensity into the analog induced signal. 
         [0014]    In still another aspect of the present invention, the working signal from the print client comprises a printing-initiated signal and an idling signal. 
         [0015]    In yet another aspect of the present invention, the scanning device further comprises an interface controller for transmitting the image information to the printing device. And the interface controller transmits the image information by using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol. 
         [0016]    According to the claimed invention, a method of printing a scanning result of a scanning device via a printing device is proposed. The printing device comprises a print server and a storage client. The scanning device comprises a storing server, a print client, and a storage device. The method comprises the steps of: linking the printing device and the scanning device, the printing device sending an inquiry signal to the scanning device; scanning an object with the scanning device to generate an image information, and storing the image information into the storage device; conveying a printing-initiated signal to the printing device when the scanning device generating a printing instruction; the scanning device transmitting the image information to the printing device; and the printing device printing out the image information. 
         [0017]    These and other objectives of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of a printing device and a scanning device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  demonstrates a flow chart of a method of printing out the scanning outcome of the scanning device via the printing device according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic diagram of the printing device and the scanning device to print out data, based upon the PictBridge protocol. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1  showing a block diagram of a printing device  140  and a scanning device  100  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the scanning device  100  comprises an image sensor module  102 , a motor  104 , an image sensing circuit  106 , an interface controller  108 , a motor controller  110 , a system controller  112 , a memory  114 , a print client  116 , a storing server  118 , and a storage device  120 . The scanning device  100  refers to an optical device that can scan an object to generate the object&#39;s image. The image sensor module  102  which comprises a light source  12 , lens  14 , and a photoelectric sensor  16  is used for scanning an object to generate an induced signal. The printing device  140  which comprises a print server  142  and a storing client  144  is used for printing out image which is scanned by the scanning device  100 . 
         [0022]    When the scanning device  100  starts to perform its tasks, the system controller  112  generates a motor-driving signal to the motor controller  110  and causes the motor controller  110  to drive the motor  104  to activate the movement of the image sensor module  102 . Meanwhile, the light source  12  inside the image sensor module  102  sends out light onto an object and then the light is reflected. The reflected light is focused on the photoelectric sensor  16  of which the dimension is the same as that of the scan view of the scanning device  100  via the lens  14 . The photoelectric sensor  16  converts sensing light intensity into analog induced signals. The image sensing circuit  106  converts the analog induced signals into digital image signals and outputs them to the system controller  112 . After the system controller  112  processes, the digital image signals will be transformed into complete image information of the scanned object. Finally, the generated image information will be stored in the storage device  120 . The memory  114  is utilized to temporarily store information that the system controller  112  requires in operation. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2  demonstrates a flow chart of a method of printing out the scanning outcome of the scanning device  100  via the printing device  140  according to the present invention. The method comprises the following steps: 
         [0024]    Step  200 : The scanning device  100  scans one object to generate some image information and store the image information into the storage device  120 . 
         [0025]    Step  202 : The print client  116  detects if any inquiry signal comes from the printing device  140 . 
         [0026]    Step  204 : When the print client  116  detects an inquiry signal coming from the printing device  140 , the print client  116  of the scanning device  100  will resend a printing-initiated signal. 
         [0027]    Step  206 : When the printing device  140  receives the printing initial signal, the storing client  144  of the printing device  140  will request the image information from the scanning device  100 . 
         [0028]    Step  208 : The scanning device  100  transmits the image information stored in the storage device  120  to the printing device  140  via the storing server  118  based upon Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP). 
         [0029]    Step  210 : When the printing device  140  completes printing the image information, the print server  142  of the printing device  140  will resend a printing-completed signal to the print client  116 . 
         [0030]    Step  212 : The print client  116  responds an idling signal to the printing device  140 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  shows a schematic diagram of the printing device  140  and the scanning device  100  to print out data, based upon the PictBridge protocol. When the scanning device  100  connects the printing device  140 , the print server  142  will inquire the scanning device  100  if any data requires to be printed out by a way of polling to determine if any image information needs printing and then to resend a working signal (Step  202 ). If a user does not operate an image collection device to print something, the print client  116  of the scanning device  100  will respond an idling signal, i.e., a message of “NO JOB” regulated in PictBridge protocol specification, to the printing device  140  (Step  212 ). If a user gives a print command to the scanning device  100 , the print client  116  of the scanning device  100  will respond and transmit a printing-initiated signal, i.e., a message of “DPS_STARTJOB” regulated in PictBridge protocol specification, to the print server  142  of the printing device  140 . Once the printing device  140  receives the printing-initiated signal, it will request the image information that needs printing from the scanning device  100  via the storing client  144  inside the printing device  140 . At this time, the storing server  118  inside the scanning device  100  will transmit the image information that needs printing to the printing device  140 , based upon Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP). The image information will be transmitted to the printing device  140  via the transmission interface utilized by the interface controller  108 . According to PictBridge protocol, preferably, the transmission interface utilized by the interface controller  108  can be a Universal Serial Bus (USB). The printing device  140  can do the printing job after receiving the image information. When the printing job is finished, the print server  142  of the printing device  140  will transmit a printing-completed signal, i.e., a message of “DPS_JOBEND” regulated in PictBridge protocol specification, to the print client  116  inside the scanning device  100  to notify that the scanning device  100  has finished the job. 
         [0032]    Based upon the above explanation, the scanning device  100  can store image information to the storage device  120  or an image buffer after collecting image information of an object. To achieve the goal of successful printing, during the procedure of printing, the printing device  140  would convey the needs of printing to the print server  142  of the printing device  140  via the print client  116 , and then request the image information that needs printing from the storage device  120  via the storing client  144  of the printing device  140 . Continuingly, the storing server  118  in the scanning device  100  extracts the image information from the image buffer or the storage device  120  and transmits it to the printing device  140 . 
         [0033]    In contrast to prior art, the scanning device of the present invention is equipped with the print client, the storing server, and the storage device. The scanning device can connect the printing device directly. Also, the printing device can print directly any image information generated by the scanning device according to the PictBridge protocol and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP). It is no longer necessary to print out image information via a computer. It would be greatly helpful in strengthening the function of the scanning device. 
         [0034]    As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. However, techniques, systems and operating structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein, which define the scope of the present invention.