Hewlett-packard Company

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Patrick Simon Arnold

Peter Michael Williams

Peter James Macer

Anthony Sowden

Frederik Willerup

Method and apparatus for device interaction by format

A method and apparatus are provided by which one device ( ) can be used to control another device ( ) without any requirement that the controlling device ( ) has any knowledge of the nature or functionality of the controlled device ( ). The controlled device ( ) transmits to the controlling device ( ) a set of possible parameter choices, together with information identifying the possible parameter choices. The controlling device ( ) then displays (or otherwise provides to the user) both the set of parameter choices and the information so that a user ( ) is able to select a set of actual parameter choices through the user interface of the controlling device ( ). The set of actual parameter choices is then transmitted back to the controlled device ( ), whose operational parameters are then modified in accordance with the set of actual parameter choices. The controlling device ( ) thus needs no knowledge of the nature of the controlled device ( ), as it only has to present the information and choices provided by the controlled device itself to the user ( ). The nature of this presentation can be determined by the display and user interface capabilities of the controlling device.

Method and apparatus for device control

There is provided a method of passing information between two or more information handling devices, such as a printer, a personal computer or a scanner. There exists a means for communication of information such as network with network connection means between the information handling devices. Each passage of information consists of one or more interactions from an interaction set, none of the interactions of the interaction set being dependent on the function to be carried out on the information by any of the information handling devices. This is particularly advantageous where each passage of information relates to sharing of a surface between a first device and one or more second devices, wherein the surface is a representation of an internal state of the first device. Preferably, each surface comprises data and a set of formats in which the data can be provided by the first device, and further comprises a property set, the property set defining to which interactions of the set of interactions the first device is adapted to respond.

Method and apparatus for device interaction by protocol

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Boise, ID, United States of America

Patrick Simon Arnold