What is claimed is:
1. A method of document scanning comprising:
wirelessly communicating a request, initiated by a mobile computing device, to a scanner to image a paper document into an electronic document;
imaging the paper document with the scanner to produce the electronic document; and
sending the electronic document from the scanner to a document server identified by the mobile computing device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating step further comprises:
wirelessly sending from the mobile computing device, directly through at least one of a radio and infrared communication protocol, to the scanner a request to image a paper document at the scanner;
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating step further comprises:
wirelessly obtaining with the mobile computing device an address of the scanner and a document identifier of the paper document;
wirelessly sending from the mobile computing device to the document server an address of the scanner and the document; and
querying the scanner with the document server using the scanner address and the document identifier to request the electronic document.
4. A method of wirelessly activated document transportation comprising:
wirelessly sending from a mobile computing device to a scanner a request to image a paper document at the scanner;
imaging the document with the scanner to produce an electronic document; and
sending the electronic document from the scanner to a document server at an electronic address identified by the mobile computing device.
5. The method of claim 4 comprising:
sending a password from the mobile computing device to the scanner to authorize scanning the paper document.
6. A method of remotely activated scanning comprising:
wirelessly sending from the mobile computing device to a document server a scanner address and a document identifier with a request to obtain an electronic document from the scanner;
querying the scanner with the document server using the scanner address and the document identifier to request the electronic document; and
sending the electronic document from the scanner to the document server.
7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising:
prior to the first sending step, wirelessly obtaining from the scanner with the mobile computing device the scanner address and the document identifier.
8. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:
imaging a paper document with the scanner to produce the electronic document.
9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising:
storing the electronic document in a memory component of the scanner for retrieval by the document server.
10. A document scanner comprising:
an imaging mechanism configured for creating an electronic document from a paper document; and
a communication module configured for receiving wirelessly an imaging request from a mobile computing device and for sending the electronic document to a document server based on the imaging request.
11. The document scanner of claim 10 and further comprising:
a multifunction printer incorporating the imaging mechanism and wireless communication module.
12. A scanning system comprising:
a document server;
a scanner configured to image a paper document into an electronic document and having a wireless communication module configured for wirelessly receiving an imaging request from a mobile computing device and for sending the electronic document to the document server based on the imaging request.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the wireless communication module is configured for wirelessly sending the electronic document to the document server.
14. A wireless document scanning system comprising:
a document server;
a scanner configured to image a paper document into an electronic document and having a wireless communication module configured for sending the electronic document to the document server; and
a mobile computing device having a wireless communication module configured for sending a request to the scanner to image the paper document and configured for identifying to the scanner an address of the document server.
15. The scanning system of claim 14, wherein the scanner further comprises a multifunction printer configured for copying, scanning, faxing, and emailing documents.
16. The scanning system of claim 14 and further comprising:
a network communication link configured for facilitating communication between the mobile computing device, the scanner, and the document server.
17. The scanning system of claim 14, wherein the mobile computing device further comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, and a mobile phone.
18. A wireless document scanning system comprising:
a document server;
a scanner configured to image a paper document into an electronic document and having a communication module configured for wirelessly receiving a request from the document server to obtain the electronic document and configured for sending the electronic document to the document server; and
a mobile computing device having a wireless communication module configured to perform the following tasks:
wirelessly obtaining from the scanner an address of the scanner and an identifier of the paper document; and
wirelessly sending a request to the document server to obtain the electronic document at the scanner address using the document identifier.
19. A wireless document scanning system comprising:
a document server;
a scanner configured to image a paper document into an electronic document and having a wireless communication module configured for wirelessly receiving an imaging request and configured for sending the electronic document to the document server; and
a mobile computing device having a wireless communication module configured to perform the following tasks:
wirelessly sending the imaging request to the scanner; and
wirelessly requesting the scanner to send the electronic document to the document server.
20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of document scanning, the method comprising:
wirelessly communicating a request, initiated by a mobile computing device, to a scanner to image a paper document into an electronic document;
imaging the paper document with the scanner to produce the electronic document; and
sending the electronic document from the scanner to a document server identified by the mobile computing device.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the communicating step further comprises:
wirelessly sending from the mobile computing device, directly through at least one of a radio and infrared communication protocol, to the scanner a request to image a paper document at the scanner;
22. The method of claim 20 wherein the communicating step further comprises:
wirelessly obtaining with the mobile computing device an address of the scanner and a document identifier of the paper document;
wirelessly sending from the mobile computing device to the document server an address of the scanner and the document; and
querying the scanner with the document server using the scanner address and the document identifier to request the electronic document.
23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of wirelessly activated document transportation, the method comprising:
wirelessly sending from a mobile computing device to a scanner a request to image a paper document at the scanner;
imaging the document with the scanner to produce an electronic document; and
sending the electronic document from the scanner to a document server at an electronic address identified by the mobile computing device.
24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of remotely activated scanning, the method comprising: comprising:
wirelessly sending from the mobile computing device to a document server a scanner address and a document identifier with a request to obtain an electronic document from the scanner;
querying the scanner with the document server using the scanner address and the document identifier to request the electronic document; and
sending the electronic document from the scanner to the document server.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor, the optical fiber unit comprising:
an optical fiber cable;
a shaft including a peripheral surface having a male thread, and a through-hole in which the optical fiber cable is inserted; and
a head shaped as a polygonal prism including a plurality of sides and a bottom connected to the shaft, the plurality of sides including a first side and a second side adjacent to each other, the head includes a space that communicates with the through-hole, the space exposed at an opening formed in at least the first side and the second side among the plurality of sides, the opening including a first opening portion formed in the first side and a second opening portion formed in the second side, the first opening portion and the second opening portion communicating with each other to allow the optical fiber cable free movement across the two openings, wherein
the optical fiber cable is positioned through the space and extends from the opening.
2. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the opening has a width greater than a width of the first side and greater than a width of the second side.
3. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the first opening portion has a width equal to or greater than a width of the optical fiber cable.
4. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the second opening portion has a width equal to or greater than a width of the optical fiber cable.
5. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the optical fiber cable is positioned within the space and remains movable.
6. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the optical fiber cable is non-movably fixed within the through-hole or at an extension of the through-hole.
7. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:
a cover attached to the head to cover the space in a direction of a central axis of the through-hole,
wherein the cover includes a first side that is flush with the first side of the head, and a second side that is flush with the second side of the head.
8. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the space has a width that is greater at a location that is further from the through-hole.
9. The optical fiber unit for an optical fiber sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the communicating portion between the through-hole and the space is tapered.