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US 10,708,451 B1Granted
Method and system for device location updating using map validation by an end user
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorPeter J. Zehler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for tracking large deployments of managed devices in a facility are disclosed. A tracking system is embedded into the managed devices, which may include, for example, printers, copiers, scanners, and multi-function devices (MFD). Location information is generated and maintained using an external server, and when a deployment location check event is triggered, a user of the device is prompted to confirm its deployment location and/or update its location information.
Claims16
A system for tracking a deployment location of a plurality of portable multi-function devices, the system comprising:
- the plurality of portable multi-function devices, each portable multi-function device comprising:
- a user interface;
- a network interface;
- a processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable memory device containing programming instructions that are configured to instruct the processor to:
- receive a user-supplied floorplan associated with the portable multi-function device;
- process the user-supplied floorplan to extract one or more location features of the user-supplied floorplan;
- receive input from a user, via the user interface device, wherein the input includes at least one of:
- the deployment location of the portable multi-function device;
- and
- a validation signal of the deployment location of the portable multi-function device;
- communicate with a server, via the network interface, to send location information associated with the portable multi-function device to be stored in a memory of the server;
- and
- communicate with the server, via the network interface, to receive location information associated with the portable multi-function device stored in the memory of the server;
- wherein the location information associated with the portable multi function device includes at least one of:
- the user-supplied floorplan;
- the one or more location features extracted from the user-supplied floorplan;
- and the input received from the user,
- wherein the floorplan associated with the portable multi-function device includes a plurality of potential deployment locations for the portable multi-function device,
- wherein the one or more location features extracted from the image correspond to one or more potential deployment locations of the plurality of potential deployment locations for the portable multi-function device, wherein the deployment location of the portable multi-function device corresponds with one of the location features extracted from the image;
- wherein the non-transitory computer-readable memory device containing programming instructions are further configured to instruct the processor to:
- process, via the processor, the user-supplied floorplan to graphically identify at least one of the one or more extracted location features;
- and
- display, via the user interface device, the processed image wherein the location information associated with the portable multi-function device can further include the processed user-supplied floorplan and
- wherein the non-transitory computer-readable memory device containing programming instructions are further configured to instruct the processor to:
- prompt the user, via the user interface device, to validate the deployment location of the portable multi-function device by:
- receiving, from memory of the server, the location information associated with the portable multi-function device, wherein the location information includes the stored deployment location of the portable multi-function device and the processed user-supplied floorplan;
- presenting the location information to the user via the user interface device;
- and
- requesting input from the user, via the user interface device, wherein the input is the validation signal.
28 more elements
A method of tracking a deployment location of a plurality of portable multi-function devices, the method comprising:
- deploying the plurality of portable multi-function devices, each device having a user interface device, a network interface, and a processor configured to:
- receive a user-supplied floorplan associated with the deployment location of the portable multi-function device;
- process the user-supplied floorplan to extract one or more location features corresponding to one or more potential deployment locations of the portable multi-function device;
- receive input from a user, via the user interface device, wherein the input includes at least one of:
- the deployment location of the portable multi-function device;
- and a validation signal of the deployment location of the portable multi-function device;
- communicate with a server, via the network interface, to send location information associated with the portable multi-function device to be stored in a memory of the server;
- and
- communicate with the server, via the network interface, to receive location information associated with the portable multi-function device stored in the memory of the server;
- wherein the location information includes at least one of:
- the user-supplied floorplan;
- the processed user-supplied floorplan;
- the one or more location features extracted from the user-supplied floorplan;
- and the input received from the user;
- receiving, at the portable multi-function device, the user-supplied floorplan;
- processing, at the portable multi-function device, the user-supplied floorplan to extract the one or more location features;
- receiving input from the user, via the user interface device, identifying the deployment location of the portable multi-function device, wherein the deployment location corresponds to one of the one or more location features extracted from the user-supplied floorplan;
- storing the location information associated with the portable multi-function device in the memory of the server;
- monitoring the portable multi-function device for a deployment location event;
- and
- upon occurrence of the deployment location event, validating the deployment location of the portable multi-function device via the user interface device,
- wherein the deployment location of the portable multi-function device is validated by:
- retrieving, via the network interface, the deployment location of the portable multi-function device from the server;
- displaying, via the user interface device, the location information associated with the portable multi-function device;
- prompting the user, via the user interface device, to confirm the deployment location of the portable multi-function device;
- receiving, via the user interface device, a validation signal of the deployment location of the portable multi-function device indicating whether the deployment location is valid;
- if the retrieved deployment location is no longer valid, receiving new location information of the portable multi-function device from the user, the new location information including at least a new deployment location for the portable multi-function device;
- and
- storing the new location information of the portable multi-function device in the memory of the server.
26 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.