End-of-scan reporting system

Abstract

A reporting system capable of reporting the end of a scanning session to a user through existing computer peripheral devices is proposed. By reporting at the end of a scanning session, the user can proceed with subsequent scanning operations with no delay. Hence, idle time of the scanner is greatly reduced.

1. A method of reporting an end of a scanning session to a user, comprising the steps of:
 selecting a peripheral device capable of reporting the end of a scanning session to the user; and   notifying the user through the selected peripheral device after a series of scanning tasks has ended.   
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device includes a sound card capable of emitting sound. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device includes a loudspeaker installed inside a computer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device includes a network card capable of transmitting electronic mail to a mailbox of the user. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device includes a digital data recorder capable of dialing a telephone number. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device includes a digital data recorder capable of dialing a pager number. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device includes a digital data recorder capable of dialing a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
       8. A method of reporting an end of a scanning session to a user, comprising the steps of:
 using a computer to detect how many peripheral devices are available for reporting the end of a scanning session to the user;   selecting at least a peripheral device to report the end of a scanning session to the user;   performing all scanning tasks in a scanning session;   notifying the user, through the selected peripheral device, that a series of scanning tasks has ended; and   determining if a scanning operation is waiting, wherein if a scanning operation is waiting, the method jumps to the step of selecting the peripheral device, and if no scanning operation is waiting, the scanning operation is terminated.   
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral device includes a sound card capable of emitting sound. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral device includes a loudspeaker installed inside a computer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral device includes a network card capable of transmitting electronic mail to a mailbox of a user. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral device includes a digital data recorder capable of dialing a telephone number. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral device includes a digital data recorder capable of dialing a pager number. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the peripheral device includes a digital data recorder capable of dialing a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
       15. A method of reporting an end of a scanning session, comprising
 receiving an input at a user interface for a scanner, the input selecting at least one notification from among multiple different types of notification available for reporting completion of the scanning session, and wherein the multiple different types of notification are provided by local peripheral devices that are each coupled to the scanner;   responsive to receiving the input at the user interface, initiating the scanner to execute one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session;   receiving a local end-of-scan signal from the scanner after the scanner completes the one or more scanning tasks; and   responsive to receiving the local end-of-scan signal, activating at least one of the local peripheral devices to provide the notification selected by the input for reporting the completion of the scanning session.    
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
 controlling the user interface for the scanner with a user interface program;   controlling activation of the local peripheral devices with one or more application programs; and   executing the user interface program together with the one or more application programs.    
     
     
       17. A method of reporting an end of a scanning session, comprising:
 receiving an input at a user interface for a scanner, the input selecting at least one notification from among multiple different types of notification available for reporting completion of the scanning session, and wherein the multiple different types of notification are provided by local peripheral devices that are each coupled to the scanner;   responsive to receiving the input at the user interface, initiating the scanner to execute one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session;   receiving a local end-of-scan signal from the scanner after the scanner completes the one or more scanning tasks;   responsive to receiving the local end-of-scan signal, activating at least one of the local peripheral devices to provide the notification selected by the input for reporting the completion of the scanning session;   identifying pending scanning tasks while activating the at least one of the local peripheral devices;   receiving a new input at the user interface selecting a different notification from among the multiple different types of notification for reporting completion of the pending scanning tasks;   responsive to receiving the new input, initiating the scanner to execute the pending scanning tasks; and   activating one of the local peripheral devices to provide the different notification selected by the new input.    
     
     
       18. A method of reporting an end of a scanning session, comprising:
 receiving an input at a user interface for a scanner, the input selecting at least one notification from among multiple different types of notification available for reporting completion of the scanning session, and wherein the multiple different types of notification are provided by local peripheral devices that are each coupled to the scanner;   responsive to receiving the input at the user interface, initiating the scanner to execute one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session;   receiving a local end-of-scan signal from the scanner after the scanner completes the one or more scanning tasks;   responsive to receiving the local end-of-scan signal, activating two of the local peripheral devices at the same time to provide the notification selected by the input for reporting the completion of the scanning session, wherein the two local peripheral devices are configured to provide two different types of notification reporting completion of the scanning session.    
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18, wherein a first activated one of the local peripheral devices is configured to provide a local notification directly from the scanner and a second activated one of the local peripheral devices is configured to send a remote notification to a location remote from the scanner.  
     
     
       20. The method of claim 15, wherein the local peripheral devices are each directly coupled to the scanner.  
     
     
       21. The method of claim 15, wherein one of the local peripheral devices comprises a digital data recorder configured to dial a mobile telephone number.  
     
     
       22. The method of claim 15, further comprising directing the notification selected by the input to a same user initiating the input.  
     
     
       23. The method according to claim 18 wherein a first activated one of the local peripheral devices is configured to provide an audio notification and a second activated one of the local peripheral devices is configured to provide a displayed notification.  
     
     
       24. The method of claim 15 further comprising monitoring for the local end-of-scan signal while the scanner executes the scanning tasks.  
     
     
       25. A method of reporting an end of a scanning session, comprising:
 receiving an input at a user interface for a scanner, the input selecting at least one notification from among multiple different types of notification available for reporting completion of the scanning session, and wherein the multiple different types of notification are provided by local peripheral devices that are each coupled to the scanner;   responsive to receiving the input at the user interface, initiating the scanner to execute one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session;   receiving a local end-of-scan signal from the scanner after the scanner completes the one or more scanning tasks;   responsive to receiving the local end-of-scan signal, activating at least one of the local peripheral devices to provide the notification selected by the input for reporting the completion of the scanning session;   identifying pending scanning tasks; and   selectively executing the pending scanning tasks after receiving an additional input from the user interface.    
     
     
       26. The method according to claim 15 further comprising activating the local peripheral devices in real time as soon as the scanner completes the one or more scanning tasks.  
     
     
       27. An apparatus, comprising:
 a computer system configured to:   identify different types of notifications and receive an input selecting one or more of the different types of notifications; and   initiate a scanning operation responsive to receiving the input and activate the one or more different types of notifications selected by the input responsive to receiving an end-of-scan signal indicating the scanning operation is completed.    
     
     
       28. An apparatus, comprising:
 a computer system configured to:   identify different types of notifications and receive an input selecting one or more of the different types of notifications; and   initiate a scanning operation responsive to receiving the input and activate the one or more different types of notifications selected by the input responsive to receiving an end-of-scan signal indicating the scanning operation is completed, wherein the computer system is further configured to:
 identify pending scanning tasks remaining after the scanning operation is completed; 
 identify a new input selecting one or more of the different types of notifications; and 
 activate the one or more different types of notifications selected by the new input responsive to receiving another end-of-scan signal indicating the pending scanning tasks are completed.  
   
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising at least one local peripheral device coupled directly to a scanner, wherein the scanner is configured to perform the scanning operation.  
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the computer system comprises a user interface configured to control the scanner and select the different types of notifications.  
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a first local peripheral device configured to generate a local notification directly from the scanner, and a second local peripheral device configured to generate a remote notification remote from the scanner.  
     
     
       32. A method, comprising:
 receiving an input with a computer, wherein the input selects at least one notification device from among multiple different notification devices, and wherein each of the multiple different notification devices is coupled to the computer and each configured to generate a different type of notification for reporting an end of a scanning session;   initiating the scanning session with the computer when the computer receives the input;   monitoring the scanning session with the computer; and   activating the notification device with the computer when the end of the scanning session is detected by the computer.    
     
     
       33. The method of claim 32 further comprising activating the notification device with the computer responsive to an end-of-scan signal received from a scanner.  
     
     
       34. A method, comprising:
 receiving an input with a computer, wherein the input selects at least one notification device from among multiple different notification devices, and wherein each of the multiple different notification devices is coupled to the computer and each configured to generate a different type of notification for reporting an end of a scanning session;   initiating the scanning session with the computer when the computer receives the input;   monitoring the scanning session with the computer;   activating a first one of the notification devices when a first scanning task for the scanning session has completed;   continuing the scanning session when a second scanning task for the scanning session is pending; and   activating a second one of the notification devices when the second scanning task for the scanning session has completed.    
     
     
       35. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an input selecting one or more different types of local peripheral devices, wherein each of the different types of local peripheral devices is configured to provide a different type of notification for reporting an end of a scanning session;   initiating the scanning session responsive to receiving the input;   determining when one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session have ended; and   activating the local peripheral devices selected by the input when the one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session have ended.    
     
     
       36. The article of manufacture of claim 35 wherein the local peripheral devices, when activated, provide notification that the scanning session has ended to a same user entering the input.  
     
     
       37. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an input selecting one or more different types of local peripheral devices, wherein each of the different types of local peripheral devices is configured to provide a different type of notification for reporting an end of a scanning session;   initiating the scanning session responsive to receiving the input;   determining when one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session have ended; and   activating two of the local peripheral devices at the same time when the one or more scanning tasks for the scanning session have ended, wherein a first activated one of the local peripheral devices comprises an audio device and a second activated one of the local peripheral devices comprises a data display device.    
     
     
       38. A scanner, comprising:
 a user interface configured to select between different types of notification devices for reporting an end of a scanning session, wherein each of the different types of notification devices generates a different type of notification for reporting the end of the scanning session; and   a computer coupled to the user interface and the notification devices, wherein the computer is configured to report the end of the scanning session to the user interface and activate the notification devices selected by the user interface to report the end of the scanning session.    
     
     
       39. The scanner of claim 38 wherein a first one of the notification devices is configured to provide a local notification from the computer and a second one of the notification devices is configured to send a remote notification to a location remote from the computer.  
     
     
       40. A scanner, comprising:
 a user interface configured to select between different types of notification devices for reporting an end of a scanning session, wherein each of the different types of notification devices generates a different type of notification for reporting the end of the scanning session; and   a computer coupled to the user interface and the notification devices, wherein the computer is configured to report the end of the scanning session to the user interface and activate the notification devices selected by the user interface to report the end of the scanning session, wherein:
 the computer is further configured to identify pending scanning tasks after the end of the scanning session; and 
 the user interface is further configured to select a different one of the notification devices for reporting an end of the pending scanning tasks.  
   
     
     
       41. The scanner of claim 38 wherein the computer is further configured to initiate and control the scanning session.