Patent ID: 8832340

Claim:
A system for enabling at least one mass storage device connected to at least one multi-function device to be remotely accessible over a network, the system comprising: the at least one multi-function device further comprising a machine that can connect to a computing device and a network and is capable of at least one of printing, scanning, copying, and faxing; at least one processor; and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the at least one processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for: implementing a web service architecture on said at least one multi-function device comprising a device platform layer, a platform adaptor layer, and a web service layer; receiving a plurality of requests at the at least one multi-function device related to said mass storage device from one or more electronic devices wherein a presence of the at least one mass storage device is detectable before activation of the at least one multi-function device, comprising one or more computers via the implemented web service architecture; permitting the one or more electronic devices to access the at least one multi-function device via the implemented web service architecture; and allowing the one or more electronic devices to remotely and selectively access and modify electronic information located on the at least one mass storage device connected to the at least one multi-function device and accessible over the network via the implemented web service architecture.