Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and image forming method

The present invention relates to an image forming system and an image forming apparatus.

Some image forming devices such as printers, copiers, and multifunction devices have a web server function. When a web browser of a host device such as a personal computer sends a request for transmitting HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) data to a predetermined URL (Universal Resource Locator) of such an image forming device, the image forming device sends the request. Sends HTML data that describes the device status at that time to the host device. Then, the web browser of the host device displays the device status based on the HTML data (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device state is the state of an internal device such as a printer or a facsimile, and takes a value such as "no abnormality" or "communication error".

<p num="0003"><patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-206456</text></patcit></p>

<p num="0004"> By applying the above technology, the web browser of the host device acquires the HTML data of the screen instructing job execution from the image forming device, displays the job execution screen based on the HTML data, and displays the job execution screen for the job execution screen. When a predetermined operation is detected, it is conceivable to send a command for executing a job such as printing or transmitting a document in a document box to the image forming apparatus and causing the image forming apparatus to execute the job.</p><p num="0005"> In the image forming apparatus, there are many parameters (that is, job setting items) that can be set when executing a job. Therefore, when a job is executed from the host device, all the setting items and the input section for the setting items (on the job execution screen, which is the operation screen for setting or changing the values of the job setting items, executing the job, etc.) Displaying input fields, menus, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc. makes it difficult for the user to operate the job execution screen.</p><p num="0006"> The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to obtain an image forming system and an image forming device for displaying a job execution screen that is easy for a user to operate on a terminal device.</p>

<p num="0007"> In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is as follows.</p><p num="0008"> The image forming system according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus connected to a network and a terminal device connected to the network. When the web server and the web server receive a request for job execution screen data from the terminal device, the image forming device is a user of the terminal device and the terminal device from all the setting items whose values can be specified by the user. A web server that generates job execution screen data including job setting items selected by the setting item management section and the setting item management section that selects job setting items corresponding to at least one of the above, and sends it to the terminal device on the web server. It has a management department. The terminal device sends a request for job execution screen data to the web server, receives the job execution screen data from the web server, and based on the job execution screen data, the job including the job setting item selected by the setting item management unit. It has a web browser that displays the execution screen.<u style="single">Then, the request for the job execution screen data is an HTTP request, and the setting item management unit of the image forming apparatus identifies the type of the terminal device from the user agent information included in the header of the HTTP request, and the user agent information is used. When it is the user agent information of the web browser for the embedded system, it is determined that the type of the terminal device is a mobile terminal. Further, the display screen size is registered in advance in the image forming apparatus in association with the user agent information, and the setting item management unit of the image forming apparatus is registered in association with the user agent information included in the header of the HTTP request. From the display screen size, the job setting items to be included in the job execution screen data are determined. The number of job setting items included in the job execution screen data when the terminal device type is a mobile terminal is smaller than the number of job setting items included in the job execution screen data when the terminal device type is not a mobile terminal.</u></p><p num="0009"> As a result, the web browser of the terminal device can display the job execution screen including an appropriate number of job setting items. Therefore, a job execution screen that is easy for the user to operate is displayed on the terminal device.</p><p num="0010"> The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the terminal device and the terminal device from all the setting items whose values can be specified by the user when the web server and the web server receive a request for job execution screen data from the terminal device. Generates job execution screen data including the setting item management unit that selects job setting items corresponding to at least one of the users of the terminal device and the job setting items selected by the setting item management unit, and sends it to the terminal device on the web server. It has a web server management unit for sending.<u style="single">Then, the request for the job execution screen data is an HTTP request, and the setting item management unit identifies the type of the terminal device from the user agent information included in the header of the HTTP request, and the user agent information is for the embedded system. If it is the user agent information of the web browser, it is determined that the type of the terminal device is a mobile terminal. In addition, the display screen size is registered in advance in association with the user agent information, and the setting item management unit uses the display screen size registered in association with the user agent information included in the header of the HTTP request to display the job execution screen. Determine the job setting items to be included in the data. The number of job setting items included in the job execution screen data when the terminal device type is a mobile terminal is smaller than the number of job setting items included in the job execution screen data when the terminal device type is not a mobile terminal.</u></p><p num="0011"> As a result, the web browser of the terminal device can display the job execution screen including an appropriate number of job setting items. Therefore, a job execution screen that is easy for the user to operate is displayed on the terminal device.<u style="single">In particular, on a mobile terminal with a small screen size, the number of job setting items displayed is reduced. Therefore, a job execution screen that is easy for the user to operate is displayed on the terminal device.</u></p>

<p num="0017"> According to the present invention, a job execution screen that is easy for the user to operate is displayed on the terminal device.</p>

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus in FIG.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device in FIG.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of each device in the image forming system shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="5">FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a parameter setting screen in the job execution screen displayed in the terminal device shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="6">FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating job execution screen data in the second embodiment.</figref>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the system shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is connected to the network 2, and the terminal apparatus 3 is connected to the network 2. The image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus such as a printer, a scanner machine, a copier, a multifunction device, and the like. The network 2 is not limited to a wired network, and may be a partially or wholly wireless network.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 in FIG.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a printer 11, a scanner 12, a facsimile apparatus 13, an operation panel 14, a communication apparatus 15, and an arithmetic processing unit 16.

The printer 11 is an internal device that prints a document image based on print data. The scanner 12 is an internal device that optically reads a document image from a document and generates image data of the document image. The facsimile machine 13 is an internal device that generates a facsimile signal from the image data of the original image to be transmitted, transmits the facsimile signal, and receives the facsimile signal and converts it into the image data.

Further, the operation panel 14 is arranged on the surface of the housing of the image forming apparatus 1 and has a display device for displaying various information to the user and an input device for detecting the user operation. As the display device, for example, a liquid crystal display is used. As the input device, a key switch, a touch panel, or the like is used. The key switch is a hardware key, and the software key is realized by the display device and the touch panel. As described above, the operation panel 14 is the user interface of the image forming apparatus 1.

Further, the communication device 15 is a device that is connected to the network 2 and performs data communication with another device (terminal device 3 or the like) via the network 2 using a predetermined communication protocol. As the communication device 15, a network interface, a modem, or the like is used.

The arithmetic processing unit 16 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and loads a program from a storage device, ROM, etc. (not shown) into RAM. , Various processing units are realized by executing the program on the CPU.

After the image forming apparatus 1 is started, various programs are appropriately executed by the arithmetic processing unit 16. In this embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 16 uses an operating system, a controller 31, a communication processing unit 32, a panel control unit 33, a job control unit 34, an authentication authorization management unit 35, a status management unit 36, and a web server management (not shown). Processing units such as unit 37, setting item management unit 38, and service execution unit 39 are realized.

The controller 31 is a processing unit that monitors and controls internal devices such as a printer 11, a scanner 12, a facsimile machine 13, and an operation panel 14. The controller 31 notifies the status management unit 36 of the status of the internal device.

The communication processing unit 32 is a processing unit that controls the communication device 15 to execute data communication. The communication processing unit 32 has a web server and communicates with the web browser of the terminal device 3 by HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

The panel control unit 33 is a processing unit that uses the controller 31 to display various screens on the operation panel 14, detects user operations on the operation panel 14, and performs screen transitions according to user operations and the like.

The job control unit 34 is a processing unit that executes a job according to a request received by the service execution unit 39. The job control unit 34 uses the controller 31 to operate an internal device (printer 11, etc.) according to the job type.

Authentication Authorization management unit 35 performs user authentication, determines whether to allow the user to log in, and allows the user to execute jobs for one or more predetermined job types based on the job authorization information. Judge whether or not. The authentication / authorization management unit 35 identifies the attribute information (user's display name, e-mail address, etc.) of the logged-in user (that is, the user who is permitted to log in) as necessary. The user attribute information is associated with the user ID, and the attribute information of the logged-in user is specified based on the user ID entered at the time of login.

The status management unit 36 receives information on the internal device status from the controller 31 and holds data indicating the current internal device status.

The web server management unit 37 generates job execution screen data including the job setting items selected by the setting item management unit 38 as one HTML file, and transmits the job execution screen data to the terminal device 3 by the web server of the communication processing unit 32.

When the web server of the communication processing unit 32 receives the job execution screen data request (HTTP request) from the terminal device 3, the setting item management unit 38 selects the value from all the setting items that can be specified by the user. , Select the job setting item to be displayed on the job execution screen corresponding to at least one of the terminal device 3 and the user of the terminal device 3.

The service execution unit 39 receives a user operation on the operation panel 14 and a user request (print, copy, facsimile transmission, system setting change, etc.) by a command supplied from the terminal device 3 via the network 2, and responds to the request. Execute the process. The service execution unit 39 causes the job control unit 34 to execute jobs such as printing, copying, and facsimile transmission.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 3 in FIG. The terminal device 3 is, for example, a personal computer or a portable electronic device having a network communication function in which an operating system, a web browser, or the like is installed.

The terminal device 3 includes a communication device 41, a display device 42, an input device 43, and an arithmetic processing unit 44.

The communication device 41 is a device that is connected to the network 2 and performs data communication with another device (such as an image forming device 1) via the network 2 using a predetermined communication protocol. As the communication device 41, a network interface, a modem, or the like is used.

The display device 42 is a device such as a liquid crystal display that displays various screens to the user of the terminal device 3. The input device 43 is a device such as a keyboard or a mouse that detects a user operation.

Further, the arithmetic processing device 44 is a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and various processing units are loaded by loading a program from a storage device, ROM, etc. (not shown) into RAM and executing the program on the CPU. Realize.

After the terminal device 3 is started, various programs are appropriately executed by the arithmetic processing unit 44. In this embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 44 realizes a processing unit such as an operating system, a communication processing unit 61, and a web browser 62 (not shown).

The communication processing unit 61 is a processing unit that controls the communication device 41 to execute data communication. The web browser 62 is a processing unit that uses the communication processing unit 61 to acquire an HTML file from a web server via HTTP and displays a screen based on the HTML file on the display device 42.

The web browser 62 sends a request for job execution screen data to the web server of the communication processing unit 32 of the image forming apparatus 1, receives an HTML file containing the job execution screen data from the web server, and converts the job execution screen data into the job execution screen data. Based on this, the display device 42 displays the job execution screen including the job setting item selected by the setting item management unit 38 in the image forming device 1.

Next, the operation of each device in the above system will be described.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of each device in the image forming system shown in FIG.

First, in the terminal device 3, the web browser 62 is started by the user operation on the operation panel 14 (step S1).

Then, when a predetermined URL is selected in the web browser 62, the web browser 62 uses the communication processing unit 61 to send a request for login screen data (HTML file of the login screen) of the image forming apparatus 1. (Step S2).

In the image forming apparatus 1, when the web server of the communication processing unit 32 receives the request, the login screen data is transmitted to the web browser 62 (step S3).

When the web browser 62 receives the login screen data, the web browser 62 displays the login screen on the display device 42 based on the login screen data (step S4).

The login screen has a user ID and password input field and a submit button. When the user operates the input device 43 to enter the user ID and password in the input field and presses the submit button, the web browser 62 Sends a login request including a user ID and password to the image forming apparatus 1 (step S5).

In the image forming apparatus 1, when the web server of the communication processing unit 32 receives the login request, the authentication / authorization management unit 35 authenticates the user based on the user ID and password included in the login request (step S6). .. If the user authentication determines that the user of the terminal device 3 is a legitimate user, login is permitted, and if not, login is denied.

The web server of the communication processing unit 32 sends the login result to the web browser 62 (step S7).

If login is permitted, the authentication authorization management unit 35 issues an authentication token for the user, and the web server of the communication processing unit 32 sends the authentication token to the web browser 62 together with the login result, and then logs out. , The web browser 62 adds the authentication token to the request to the web server of the communication processing unit 32. The authentication / authorization management unit 35 manages the authentication token in association with the user ID.

When the web browser 62 receives the login result indicating that the login is permitted, the web browser 62 sends a request for job execution screen data to the web server of the communication processing unit 32 (step S8). In the first embodiment, the job execution screen data is an HTML file, and the request for the job execution screen data is an HTTP request.

The job execution screen is an operation screen for setting and changing the values of job setting items for jobs that can be executed from a remote web browser such as printing, sending, and downloading documents in the document box, and executing jobs. ..

When the web server of the communication processing unit 32 receives the request for the job execution screen data, the setting item management unit 38 sets the attributes (device type, web browser 62 type, etc.) of the terminal device 3 that sent the request, and logs in. Identify at least one of the users of Terminal Equipment 3 in, and select the set of job setting items for Terminal Equipment 3 and / or the user (step S9).

In the first embodiment, a set of job setting items according to the user is selected. At this time, the authentication / authorization management unit 35 identifies the user ID associated with the authentication token attached to the request, and the setting item management unit 38 is associated with the specified user ID and registered in advance. Select the set of job setting items you have.

For example, a set of job setting items registered for a user includes job setting items for functions that the user often uses (for example, double-sided printing), and functions that the user does not use (for example, aggregate printing, enlargement / reduction). Job setting items such as) are not included. As a result, a set of job setting items suitable for each user is selected.

The job setting items selected for each user are registered in advance by the user or the administrator. When job setting items are described in a menu such as a pull-down menu, only the options frequently used by the user are registered in advance by the user or administrator as the options (selectable setting values) included in the menu. You may do so.

Then, the web server management unit 37 makes it possible to input the setting value for the job setting item selected by the setting item management unit 38 (that is, when the job setting screen is displayed on the terminal device 3). Job execution screen data including (description in JavaScript, etc.) is generated as an HTML file (step S10), and the generated HTML file is sent to the web browser 62 of the terminal device 3 by the web server of the communication processing unit 32 (step S10). Step S11).

When the web browser 62 of the terminal device 3 receives the HTML file including the job execution screen data by using the communication processing unit 61, the web browser 62 displays the job execution screen based on the job execution screen data on the display device 42 (step S12). ).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a parameter setting screen in the job execution screen displayed in the terminal device 3 shown in FIG. On the job execution screen shown in Fig. 5, only the job setting items such as output destination, double-sided printing, aggregate printing, booklet, enlargement / reduction, and eco-print are selected and displayed, and other unselected job setting items are displayed. Is not displayed.

Then, the user of the terminal device 3 operates the input device 43 to select or input the setting value for each job setting item on the job execution screen. After that, when the user of the terminal device 3 operates the input device 43 and inputs the job execution request on the job execution screen, the web browser 62 sets each job selected or input on the job execution screen together with the job execution request. The set value of the item is transmitted to the web server of the communication processing unit 32 (step S13).

When the web server of the communication processing unit 32 receives the job execution request and the set value of the job setting item, it supplies the job execution request to the service execution unit 39. The service execution unit 39 causes the job control unit 34 to execute the job specified by the job execution request. The job control unit 34 reflects the setting value of the job setting item and executes the job (step S14).

As described above, according to the first embodiment, in the image forming apparatus 1, the setting item management unit 38 receives the request for the job execution screen data from the terminal device 3 by the web server of the communication processing unit 32. In this case, the job setting item is selected corresponding to at least one of the terminal device 3 and the user of the terminal device 3 from all the setting items whose values can be specified by the user, and the web server management unit 37 manages the setting item. Generates job execution screen data including job setting items selected by unit 38, and sends it to terminal device 3 on the web server of communication processing unit 32. In the terminal device 3, the web browser 62 sends a request for job execution screen data to the web server of the communication processing unit 32, receives the job execution screen data from the web server, and sets items based on the job execution screen data. Display the job execution screen that includes the job setting items selected by the management unit 38.

As a result, the web browser 62 of the terminal device 3 can display the job execution screen including an appropriate number of job setting items. Therefore, the job execution screen that is easy for the user to operate is displayed on the terminal device 3.

Embodiment 2.

In the image forming system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the setting item management unit 38 of the image forming device 1 requests the job execution screen data (HTTP request) from the terminal device 3 by the web server of the communication processing unit 32. When received, select a set of job setting items associated with the attributes of terminal device 3 (device type, web browser 62 type, etc.) from all the setting items whose values can be specified by the user.

The configuration of the image forming system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, the job execution screen data is generated by the setting item management unit 38 and the web server management unit 37 of the image forming apparatus 1 as follows.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of generating job execution screen data in the second embodiment.

In the second embodiment, when the web server of the communication processing unit 32 receives the job execution screen data request (HTTP request) from the terminal device 3 in the image forming device 1, the setting item management unit 38 receives the HTTP request. Parse the request header (step S21) and identify the user agent information contained in that header (step S22). The user agent information is information automatically described in the HTTP request header by the web browser, and includes information indicating the type of the terminal device 3 and / or the web browser 62.

Then, the setting item management unit 38 specifies the client type of the terminal device 3 based on the specified user agent information (step S23). In the second embodiment, the client type is either a mobile terminal or a standard PC. If the specified user agent information matches the pre-registered one (partial match or exact match), it is determined that the client type is a mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal is a small portable electronic device having a network function such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a game machine and having a small display screen. Therefore, for example, a notebook personal computer is classified as a standard PC.

For example, if a built-in system is built in and a web browser is pre-installed, the model name of the terminal device 3 is often included in the user agent information, so the terminal device 3 is mobile depending on the model name. It is determined that it is a terminal. Further, for example, when the specified user agent information is the user agent information of the embedded system web browser, the terminal device 3 may be determined to be a mobile terminal.

The setting item management unit 38 determines whether or not the client type of the specified terminal device 3 is a mobile terminal (step S24).

When the client type of the terminal device 3 is a mobile terminal, the setting item management unit 38 selects the job setting item set for the mobile terminal (step S25), and the web server management unit 37 selects the selected job setting item set. Generate job execution screen data including (step S26).

On the other hand, when the client type of the terminal device 3 is not a mobile terminal (that is, when it is a standard PC), the setting item management unit 38 selects the job setting item set for the standard PC (step S27) and manages the web server. Part 37 generates job execution screen data including the selected job setting item set (step S28).

In this way, different job setting item sets are selected depending on whether the terminal device 3 is a mobile terminal or not.

At this time, when the client type of the terminal device 3 is a mobile terminal, the setting item management unit 38 selects a smaller number of job setting items than the job setting items of the standard PC. As a result, the number of job setting items displayed on a mobile terminal with a small screen size is reduced. Therefore, the job execution screen that is easy for the user to operate is displayed on the terminal device 3.

In the second embodiment, the display screen size is registered in advance in the image forming apparatus 1 in association with the user agent information of the mobile terminal or the like, and the setting item management unit 38 executes the job from the display screen size. The job setting items to be included in the screen data and the number thereof may be determined.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the terminal device 3 displays a job execution screen including an appropriate number of job setting items according to the type of the terminal device 3.

Although each of the above-described embodiments is a preferable example of the present invention, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is.

For example, in the first embodiment, the job setting item according to the user is selected, and in the second embodiment, the job setting item according to the terminal device 3 is selected, but both the user and the terminal device 3 are selected. The corresponding job setting item may be selected. For example, for each user, both the job setting item set for the standard PC and the job setting item set for the mobile terminal are registered in advance, and as in the above embodiments 1 and 2, according to the user and the client type. All you have to do is select the job setting item set.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the user logs in to the image forming apparatus 1 with the department code instead of the user ID, the setting item management unit 38 associates the setting item management unit 38 with the department code as a job setting item associated with the user. Identify the job setting items that have been set.

Further, in the second embodiment, the job setting item can be selected in the same manner even when login is permitted without user authentication.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, when the job execution screen data is requested by the web browser, the standard job setting items included in the job execution screen data are, for example, the administrator operating the image forming apparatus 1. It can be customized by.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the job setting items included in the job execution screen data regarding the attributes of each user and each terminal device can be customized by the administrator by operating the image forming device 1. ..

The present invention is applicable to, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction device.

1 Image forming device 2 network 3 Terminal device 32 Communication processing unit (an example of a web server) 37 Web Server Administration Department 38 Setting item management department 62 Web browser