System, device and method for accessing shared infrastructure
A computer processing device for providing access to one or more electronic devices is provided. The device comprising processing means ( 103 ) configured to: determine a location identifier associated with a user login event; associate the location identifier with a user session identifier; and communicate ( 3013 ) the location identifier and associated user session identifier to an application ( 109 ).
1. A data processing system for providing user access to one or more devices, the system comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor in communication with the memory, the at least one processor being configured to:
i. determine a location identifier for a user, wherein the location identifier defines a predetermined area associated with the one or more devices;
ii. associate the location identifier with a user identifier for the user;
iii. communicate the location identifier and associated user identifier to an application; and
iv. provide the user access to one or more associated capabilities of the one or more devices based on the association of the user identifier and the location identifier;
v. wherein the location identifier defines a location according to a hierarchical structure stored in a database, wherein each location identifier is associated with a predetermined location and a hierarchical tree is provided that defines a location relative to each predetermined location and wherein the one or more devices are communicatively coupled to a first communication channel and communicatively coupled to a second communication channel wherein the first communication channel is configured to communicate data defining a document to be processed, wherein the second communication channel is configured to communicate data defining device capabilities associated with the one or more devices, and wherein the first communication channel is linked to or associated with the second communication channel using the location identifier.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a user login event message associated with the user.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate a user session identifier for the user wherein the user session identifier is associated with a user login event.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is communicatively coupled to sending or receiving means for sending or receiving one or more messages or data.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate a login event message in response to receiving a user login message.
6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send a user login event message to the application.
7. The system according claim 1 wherein the location identifier comprises an alpha-numeric string.
8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more devices for the processing data or a document and wherein the document is a boarding pass or bag tag and wherein the one or more devices are further configured to print or read the data or document.
9. A data processing method for providing user access to one or more devices, the method executed on a computer processor, the method comprising the steps of:
i. determining a location identifier for a user, wherein the location identifier defines a predetermined area associated with the one or more devices;
ii. associating the location identifier with a user identifier for the user;
iii. communicating the location identifier and the associated user identifier to an application; and
iv. providing the user access to one or more associated capabilities of the one or more devices based on the association of the user identifier and the location identifier;
v. wherein the location identifier defines a device location according to a hierarchical structure stored in a database, wherein each location identifier is associated with a predetermined location and a hierarchical tree is provided that defines a location relative to each predetermined location and wherein the one or more devices are communicatively coupled to a first communication channel and communicatively coupled to a second communication channel wherein the first communication channel is configured to communicate data defining a document to be processed, wherein the second communication channel is configured to communicate data defining device capabilities associated with the one or more devices, and wherein the first communication channel is linked to or associated with the second communication channel using the location identifier.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the location identifier defines a location at any position within a predetermined area or region.
11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the location identifier defines each device location within a plurality of different regions and wherein at least some of the different regions define a sub region which is contained within one or more other regions and wherein each sub region defines a portion or part of the one or more of the different regions.
12. The method according claim 9 , further comprising receiving, via an application, a message comprising first data defining data to be processed by one of the devices in response to a request by the user and wherein the first data comprises the location identifier associated with the user or a further user.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the first data further comprises a device label associated with the location identifier, and wherein the first data comprises the location identifier concatenated with the device label and wherein the first data is associated with a user session identifier.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a first data comprises data defining a document to be processed by one of the devices and wherein the first data comprises a location identifier associated with the user or a further user.
15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein a first data comprises data defining a boarding pass or a bag tag.
16. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising generating, via an application, a further message for processing of at least some of a first data.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the further message comprises data for printing or processing a document such as a boarding pass or a bag tag and wherein the data for printing a boarding pass or bag tag is encoded within the further message according to a portable document file format and further wherein the further message comprises data associated with a boarding pass or bag tag including data defining any one or more of a flight number, departure date, class, origin, destination, departure gate, seat number, passenger name, and seat number, unique bag identifier, and intermediate stops between an origin and destination and wherein the message comprises defining a format associated with the boarding pass or bag tag.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program for providing user access to one or more devices, wherein the program, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to:
i. determine a location identifier for a user, wherein the location identifier defines a predetermined area associated with the one or more devices;
ii. associate the location identifier with a user identifier for the user;
iii. communicate the location identifier and the associated user identifier to an application; and
iv. provide the user access to one or more associated capabilities of the one or more devices based on the associated of the user identifier and the location identifier;
v. wherein the location identifier defines a device location according to a hierarchical structure stored in a database, wherein each location identifier is associated with a predetermined location and a hierarchical tree is provided that defines a location relative to each predetermined location and wherein the one or more devices are communicatively coupled to a first communication channel and communicatively coupled to a second communication channel wherein the first communication channel is configured to communicate data defining a document to be processed, wherein the second communication channel is configured to communicate data defining device capabilities associated with the one or more devices, and wherein the first communication channel is linked to or associated with the second communication channel using the location identifier.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein only data defining a document to be processed is communicated on the first communication channel and wherein only data defining device capabilities associated with the one or more devices is communicated on the second communication channel.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one computing device is communicatively coupled to a third communication channel and a fourth communication channel and wherein the third communication channel is linked to or associated with the fourth communication channel using the location identifier.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20 , wherein only data defining a document to be processed is communicated on the third communication channel and wherein only data defining device capabilities associated with the one or more devices is communicated on the fourth communication channel.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , further comprising a field gateway module or application for uniquely identifying one of a plurality of the devices based on the location identifier and a device label associated with the device and wherein the location identifier and device label are provided within a concatenated field within a message.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , further comprising a module or application for uniquely determining which of a plurality of devices to send a message based on a unique device identifier associated with each device.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the location identifier is associated with a transportation hub in particular an airport.
25. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the association of the user identifier and the location identifier is based on a URL for providing the user access to the one or more associated capabilities.
26. The system according to claim 1 , wherein providing the user access to one or more associated capabilities of the one or more devices comprises providing access to a printer in the predetermined area based on the location identifier.