Granted Patent B2

US 7,890,772 · App. 11/200,691 · Granted Feb 15, 2011

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A document processing device configured to communicate with a first device and a user input device, comprising:

a controller having memory and operable to receive a first communication from the first device, the first communication including a job to be processed by the document processing device, the job having a first shortcut access code associated with the job, the first shortcut access code being a proposed shortcut access code and stored in the memory of the controller and included in the first communication, the controller being operable to receive a second communication from the user input device, the second communication including a second shortcut access code;

wherein the controller holds the job to be processed until the controller receives the second communication and verifies the second shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code, and

wherein the controller further includes a shortcut module operable to receive the proposed shortcut access code and to compare the proposed shortcut access code a list of existing shortcut access codes and determining whether the proposed shortcut access code is valid if the proposed shortcut access code does not match a shortcut access code included in the list of existing shortcut access codes.

2. The document processing device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface having a display, the user interface being coupled to the controller.

3. The document processing device of claim 2 , wherein the controller displays the job on the display of the user interface in response to the controller verifying the second shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code.

4. The document processing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller processes the job subsequent to the controller verifying the second shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code.

5. The document processing device of claim 4 , wherein the controller deletes the job when the controller processes the job.

6. The document processing device of claim 4 , wherein the controller is operable to receive a third communication from the user input device, the third communication including a third shortcut access code.

7. The document processing device as of claim 6 , wherein the controller continues to hold the job until the controller receives the third communication and verifies the third shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code.

8. The document processing device of claim 7 , wherein the controller processes the job subsequent to the controller verifying the third shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code.

9. The document processing device of claim 1 , wherein the first communication also includes a shortcut access code request.

10. The document processing device as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the controller further includes a shortcut module operable to receive the shortcut access code request and operable to generate the first shortcut access code associated with the job.

11. A method of accessing a held job at a multi-function printing device coupled to a user input device, comprising:

receiving a communication from a device, the communication including a held job and a shortcut access code associated with the held job, the shortcut access code being a proposed shortcut access code and included in the communication;

receiving an input access code via the user input device;

verifying whether or not the input access code matches the shortcut access code; and

displaying the held job at the multi-function printing device such that the held job can be accessed by a user, in response to the input access code matching the shortcut access code;

wherein the multi-function device includes a shortcut module operable to receive the proposed shortcut access code and to compare the proposed shortcut access code to a list of existing shortcut access codes and determines whether the proposed shortcut access code is valid if the proposed shortcut access code does not match a shortcut access code included in the list of existing shortcut access codes.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising processing the held job in response to a prompt by the user.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the held job is a confidential print job and wherein the processing the held job in response to the prompt by the user includes printing the confidential print job in response to a prompt by the user.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising holding the held job at the multi-function printing device such that the held job cannot be accessed by the user subsequent to the processing the held job in response to the prompt by the user.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving a second input access code via the user input device;

verifying whether or not the second input access code matches the shortcut access code; and

displaying the held job at the multi-function printing device such that the held job can be accessed by the user, in response to the second input access code matching the shortcut access code.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising processing the held job in response to a prompt by the user.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing the shortcut access code in a memory of the multi-function printing device.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing the shortcut access code in a memory of the multi-function printing device.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the displaying the held job includes displaying the held job on a user interface such that the held job can be accessed by the user, in response to the input access code matching the shortcut access code.

20. A multi-function printing device configured to communicate with a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices includes at least one computer and a user input device, the multi-function printing device comprising:

a user interface having a display;

a controller coupled to the user interface and having memory, the controller operable to receive a first communication from the at least one computer, the first communication including a confidential print job to be processed by the multi-function printing device and a first shortcut access code associated with the confidential print job, the first shortcut access code being a proposed short access code and stored in the memory of the controller and included in the first communication, the controller is also operable to receive a second communication from the user input device, the second communication including a second shortcut access code;

wherein the controller holds the confidential print job to be processed until the controller receives the second communication and verifies the second shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code; and

wherein the controller displays the confidential print job on the display of the user interface in response to the controller verifying the second shortcut access code matches the first shortcut access code, and

wherein the controller further includes a shortcut module operable to receive the proposed shortcut access code and to compare the proposed shortcut access code to a list of existing shortcut access codes and determine whether the proposed shortcut access code is valid if the proposed shortcut access code does not match a shortcut access code included in the list of existing shortcut access codes.

21. The multi-function printing device of claim 20 , wherein the user interface also includes a user control and wherein the controller prints the confidential print job in response by the prompt from the user via the user control.

Assignments (8)