JP2000295395A - Network terminal device and its image inputting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network terminal device and its image inputting method which improve user's operability when an image input device capable of being shared on a network inputs an image from a terminal device connected to the. SOLUTION: When an image input device capable of being shared on a network inputs an image, this image inputting method instructs the image input device to read an image (S501), discriminates whether an image read processing mode in the instructed image input device is a mode showing a window or a mode that does not show the window (S502) and displays an alarm message when a discriminated result is the mode showing the window (S503).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network terminal device for inputting an image using an image input device that can be shared on a network, and an image input method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an image is read from a client device connected on a network by a server-side image input device, a window may not be displayed depending on application software for starting the image input device. Generally, when displayed, the UI (User Inter
The face-less mode is called a UI-less mode (windowless mode). Also, OCR
In application software such as
Less mode.

[0003]

Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when reading an image from a client device by an image input device on the server side, if the read control (driver) of the image input device to be used is in the UI mode, the server is not used. There is a drawback that the operability is not good because only a predetermined UI dialog is displayed on the side and nothing is notified to the client side. SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide a network that improves user operability when inputting an image from a terminal device connected to the network using an image input device that can be shared on the network. It is an object to provide a terminal device and an image input method thereof.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a network terminal device for inputting an image by an image input device that can be shared on a network. Instruction means for instructing reading of an image, determination means for determining whether the mode of image reading processing in the image input device specified by the instruction means is a mode in which a window is displayed or a mode in which the window is not displayed, and a determination by the determination means In the case where the result is a mode in which a window is displayed, there is provided notification means for notifying the user of the fact, and the user causes the image reading process to execute image reading in accordance with the notification by the notification means. .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image input method for a network terminal device for inputting an image using an image input device sharable on a network. An instructing step of instructing reading, a discriminating step of discriminating whether a mode of the image reading process in the image input device designated in the instructing step is a mode of displaying a window or a mode of not displaying, and a discrimination result in the discriminating step In the case of a mode for displaying a window, there is a notification step of notifying the user of the fact, and the user causes the image reading process to execute reading of an image according to the notification in the notification step, and inputs an image. It is characterized by the following.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of the network system according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a case where a network board (NB) 101 for connecting a printer to a network is connected to a printer 102 having an open architecture. The NB 101 connects to a local area network (LAN) 100 by, for example, an Et having a coaxial connector.
It is connected via a LAN interface such as a hernet interface 10Base-2 or 10Base-T having RJ-45.

A plurality of personal computers (PCs) 1
03, 104, etc. are also connected to the LAN 100,
Under the control of the network operating system, these PCs 103 and 104 can communicate with the NB 101. In this state, one of the PCs, for example, a PC
103 can be designated for use as a network manager. Also, for example, PC1
A peripheral device such as the printer 105 connected to the printer 04 may be connected.

The file server 10 is connected to the LAN 100.
6 is connected, and manages access to files stored in the network disk 107 having a large capacity (for example, 10 gigabytes). Print server 108
Causes the connected printers 109a and 109b or the printer 105 at a remote location to perform printing. Further, other peripheral devices (not shown) may be connected to the LAN 100.

More specifically, the network shown in FIG. 1 can use network software such as Novell or UNIX software in order to efficiently communicate between various connected network members. Although any network software can be used, for example, NetWare, a Novell network software (registered trademark of Novell, hereinafter abbreviated)
Can be used. See the online documentation included with the NetWare package for a detailed description of this networking software. It can be purchased from Novell with the NetWare package.

Briefly describing the configuration of FIG. 1, the file server 106 serves as a file management unit for receiving, storing, queuing, caching, and transmitting data files between LAN members. For example, a data file created by each of the PC 103 and the PC 104 is sent to the file server 106,
The file server 106 arranges these data files in order, and according to a command from the print server 108,
The arranged data file is transmitted to the printer 109a.

The PC 103 and the PC 104 generate a data file, transmit the generated data file to the LAN 100, receive a file from the LAN 100, and display and / or process such a file. It consists of a normal PC that can.
It should be noted that although FIG. 1 shows a personal computer device, other computer devices that are suitable for executing network software may be included. For example, if you are using UNIX software,
IX workstations may be included in the network,
These workstations, under appropriate circumstances,
It can be used with the PC shown.

Typically, a LAN such as LAN 100 provides services to a somewhat local group of users, such as a group of users on a single floor or multiple consecutive floors within a building. For example, a wide area network (WAN) may be created as a user moves away from another user, such as when the user is in another building or another prefecture. W
An AN is basically an aggregation formed by connecting several LANs with a high-speed digital line such as an integrated high-speed service digital network (ISDN) telephone line. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
N110 and LAN 120 are modulated / demodulated (MODE
M) / Connected via transponder 130 and backbone 140 to form a WAN. These connections are
It is a simple electrical connection with several buses. Each LAN includes a dedicated PC, and usually, but not necessarily, includes a file server and a print server.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Is a PC 111, a PC 112, and a file server 113.
, Network disk 114, print server 1
15 and a printer 116 and a printer 117.
In contrast, LAN 120 includes only PC 121 and PC 122. LAN100, LAN110, LAN1
20 can access the functions of other LAN devices via a WAN connection.

Here, a case will be described as an example in which an image input device such as a scanner is connected to the PCs 103 and 104 shown in FIG. 1 and connected to a network as an image input server device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image input server device according to the embodiment. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a system bus, which is a bus that connects each constituent block described later. 202 is a CPU (central processing unit)
And controls the entire apparatus according to a program described later. Reference numeral 203 denotes a program memory (referred to as PMEM), and a program to be executed by the CPU 202 is appropriately selected and read from a hard disk described later. The PMEM 203 also functions as a text memory, and stores data input from a keyboard described later as code information.

Reference numeral 204 denotes a communication control unit which controls data communication performed through a communication port described later. A communication port 205 is connected to a communication port of another device on the network via a communication line 206. In this embodiment, data exchange with peripheral devices such as printers and scanners shared on a network is performed via the communication control unit 204. Also,
The communication line 206 is described as a network such as a LAN, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied even if the communication port connected to the communication control unit 204 and the communication line 206 are general public lines.

Reference numeral 208 denotes an external storage device control unit, for example, a 209 floppy disk (referred to as FD),
Access to a data file disk, such as a hard disk 210 (referred to as HD).

An input control unit 211 is connected to input devices such as a keyboard 212 and a mouse 213 as a pointing device (PD). The operator operates the keyboard 211 to issue a system operation command or the like. By operating the mouse 213, a processing instruction of image information is issued on a CRT described later. More specifically, a cursor on a CRT, which will be described later, is arbitrarily moved in the X and Y directions, a command icon on a command menu is selected to give a processing instruction, and an instruction to be edited, a drawing position instruction, and the like are given. Do.

Reference numeral 214 denotes a video image memory (VR)
AM), and stores bitmap data developed for display. 215, a display output control unit;
The bitmap data on the RAM is output to the CRT 216. A printer control unit 217 controls data output to the connected printer 218. 2
Reference numeral 20 denotes an image input device control unit, which controls an image input device 221 such as a connected scanner. An external device control unit 219 controls the printer control unit 217 and the image input device control unit 220.

When an image input device is connected to form an image input server device, the configurations of the image input device control section 220 and the image input device 221 are indispensable, but the PCs 103 and 104 shown in FIG. Such a client-side device can use the same components shared by the server via the communication control unit 204 and the communication port 205 described above.

As described above, the image input device 221
The image input device control unit 220 and the image input device control unit 220 may be configured by physically separate components, or the image input device 221 may be configured by one component including the image input device control unit 220.

Next, a description will be given of a configuration of a module for realizing each function related to the image input device in the image input server device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of each functional module in the image input server device. In the figure, reference numeral 301 denotes a network server module, which converts data received from a server extension module, which will be described later, into a data format that can be exchanged on a network compatible with a general-purpose network protocol, and is transmitted from a client-side device. The server network module converts the network data into an internal data format that can be interpreted by the server extension module.

Reference numeral 302 denotes a server extension module which analyzes data passed from the network server module 301 and selects a designated one from a plurality of image service modules under the control of this module.
The service is provided, or data is transferred from one service module to another service module. For example, an image input device control module is called from an OCR module described later.

Reference numeral 303 denotes a common interface conversion module, which is a control corresponding to a module for controlling the requested image input device when a service provision is requested from the server extension module 302 to any of the image input devices. Convert to instructions. Conversely, it converts the device-specific control information from the module that controls the image input device into a general interface that can be passed to the server extension module 302. Specifically, one is image reading parameter setting information from the client device, and the other is a result of the reading instruction,
These are the obtained image information and its accompanying information.

Reference numeral 304 denotes an OCR module, which is called from the server extension module 302 when there is a request from a client device to convert image data read by an image input device into document data. An image data format conversion module 305 is a module for converting the format of image data obtained from an image input device into an image data format specified by a client. Reference numeral 306 denotes an image input device control module for performing control according to each image input device 307, and performing input / output of (specialized) control commands / information corresponding to each device.

Next, the PC 103 and PC 10 shown in FIG.
4, a module for realizing each function for inputting image information from a locally connected image input device, and an image input server device connected via a network. The configuration of a module that realizes each function for inputting a.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of each functional module in the client device. In FIG.
Each of the modules 1 to 404 is necessary for accessing a locally connected image input device from a general application in the client device.
Here, reference numeral 401 denotes a general application that requires input of image information, and reference numeral 402 denotes an image input device manager that provides a general-purpose image input interface to the application 401. The image input device manager exchanges information with a designated one of the image input device control modules under the control thereof in response to an instruction from the image input interface.

Reference numeral 403 denotes an image input device control module having general-purpose I / O. This module 403 is for controlling the image input devices individually connected by a general-purpose interface, which are negotiated with the image input device manager 402. Further, the module 403 includes the image input device control module 3 shown in FIG.
Unlike 06, it provides a general-purpose interface. That is, functionally, the image input device control module 3
06 and the common interface conversion module 303
And a general-purpose image input interface conversion module described later.

That is, the image input device manager 402
For example, TWAIN (Technoligy Without Any Intereste
d Name) manager, and 403 corresponds to a TWAIN driver corresponding to each image input device. Reference numeral 404 denotes individual image input devices locally connected to the apparatus.

Reference numeral 405 denotes a client function control module which performs overall management of a module for realizing a client extension function described later. Reference numeral 406 denotes an image input device connection information generation module which obtains attribute information of peripheral devices connected to the server device obtained by using a network client module described later and information necessary for network connection. This is a module for generating individual image input device information. At the same time, a virtual image input device control module 409 is automatically generated. By generating these modules, the image input device manager 402 can handle image input devices on the network as if they were virtually connected.

Reference numeral 407 denotes a general-purpose image input interface conversion module. The image input device manager 402 stores control information for the image input device on the server side obtained by using the network client module 408.
It is for converting to a general-purpose interface corresponding to. The module 407 directly controls the functions of these interfaces by using the image input device manager 402.
, But via an individual virtual image input device control module 409 as described later.

Network client module 40
8 converts the data into a data format that can be exchanged on a network compatible with a general-purpose network protocol so that the above-described modules and the server-side module can communicate with each other.

Virtual image input device control module 409
Is one with the image input device on the set network
Generated one-to-one. This module 409 basically returns the information of the corresponding image input device connection information 410, or passes the information to the general-purpose image input interface conversion module 407, and passes the result to the image input device manager 402. Only intermediate processing is performed. As described above, since most of the actual processing is performed by the general-purpose image input interface conversion module 407, the module needs to be small, and even if modules for a plurality of image input devices on the network are created, the overhead is small. I'm done.

In the above configuration, an application such as the OCR of the image input server device is transmitted from the client device.
A process of starting software and reading a document from an image input device (scanner) connected to the image input server device will be described.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control in the client device according to the present embodiment. First, in step S501, the user sets the OC of the image input server device.
When reading from an image input device (scanner) is instructed by application software such as R, step S
The flow advances to step 502 to send this read instruction to the image input server device on the network via the communication control unit 204 and the communication port 205, and wait for a response from the image input server device.

On the other hand, the image input server device starts the designated application software, and this application displays a UI (User Interface) for displaying a window here.
ce) Determine whether the mode is a UI-less mode (windowless mode) in which no display is performed. Then, the result of this determination is notified to the client device.

Here, based on the determination result from the image input server device, if the application software is in the UI mode, the client device proceeds to step S503, for example, "a window is displayed on the server,
Do you want to continue loading? Is displayed on the CRT 216. Then, step S50
In step 4, if the user's instruction is to stop reading, this process ends.

In step S502 described above,
If the application is set to the UI-less mode, or if reading is to be continued in step S504, the process proceeds to step S505 to send a reading start instruction to the image input server device on the network.
Start reading.

As a result, in the image input server device, an instruction is passed to the server extension module 302 described above, and the image input device control module 306 is activated via the common interface conversion module 303. And
The image input device control module 306 controls the image input device 30
7 to read the original, and thereafter, when the reading is completed, deliver the image to the application of the client device via the network.

[Other Embodiments] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In another embodiment, even if the reading control (driver) for reading an image is set to the UI mode,
If there is another driver that supports the UI-less mode, the image is read using the driver.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control in the client device according to another embodiment. First, in step S601, the user operates the O of the image input server device.
When reading from an image input device (scanner) is instructed by application software such as a CR, the process proceeds to step S602, and the reading instruction is transmitted to the communication control unit 204.
And sends it to the image input server device on the network via the communication port 205, and waits for a response from the image input server device.

On the other hand, the image input server activates the designated driver and determines whether the driver is in a UI (User Interface) mode for displaying a window here or in a UI-less mode (windowless mode) for not displaying the window. . Then, the result of this determination is notified to the client device.

Here, the client device determines whether the driver is a UI based on the determination result from the image input server device.
In the case of the mode, the process proceeds to step S603, and asks the user whether to perform reading by another readable driver. Here, when the user instructs reading of an image by another readable driver, step S6 is performed.
04, similarly to step S602 described above, based on the determination result from the image input server device, when another driver is in the UI mode, or in step S603,
If there is no other driver, the process proceeds to step S605,
For example, a warning message such as "A window is displayed on the server. Do you want to continue reading?"
Display on RT216. Then, in step S606,
If the user's instruction is to stop reading, this process ends.

The above-described steps S602 and S604
In step S606, if the driver is set to the UI-less mode, or if reading is to be continued in step S606, the flow advances to step S607 to send a reading start instruction to the image input server device on the network and start reading. I do.

Thus, in the image input server device, the instruction is passed to the server extension module 302 described above, and the image input device control module 306 is activated via the common interface conversion module 303. And
The image input device control module 306 controls the image input device 30
7 to read the original, and thereafter, when the reading is completed, deliver the image to the application of the client device via the network.

As described above, according to the embodiment, when reading from the client device using the image input device on the server side, it is determined whether the driver is in the UI mode or the UI-less mode. By displaying a predetermined warning message and prompting the user to continue reading or not, the operability of the user can be improved.

The present invention can be applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), and can be applied to a single device (for example, a copier, a facsimile). Device).

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (CPU or MP)
It goes without saying that U) can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instructions of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When inputting an image from a terminal device connected to the network using an image input device that can be shared on the network,
In the case where the mode of the process of reading an image is the mode of displaying a window, the user is notified of the fact to improve the operability of the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a network system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image input server device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of each functional module in the image input server device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of each functional module in the client device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating control in the client device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating control in a client device according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 201 System Bus 202 CPU 203 PMEM (Program Memory) 204 Communication Control Unit 205 Communication Port 206 Communication Line 207 Other Devices on Network 208 External Storage Device Control Unit 209 Floppy Disk 210 Hard Disk 211 Input Control Unit 212 Keyboard 213 Mouse 214 VRAM (video image memory) 215 Display output control unit 216 CRT 217 Printer control unit 218 Printer 219 External device control unit 220 Image input device control unit 221 Image input device

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A network terminal device for inputting an image by an image input device sharable on a network, comprising: an instruction unit for instructing the image input device to read an image; Whether the mode of the image reading process in the image input device is a mode of displaying a window,
A determination unit configured to determine whether the mode is not to be displayed; and a notification unit configured to notify a user when the determination result of the determination unit is a mode in which a window is displayed, the user being notified by the notification unit. A network terminal device for causing the image reading process to execute image reading according to the following. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not to execute image reading by another image reading process in a mode in which a result of the determination is displayed.
The network terminal device according to claim 1. 3. The network terminal according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit notifies the user by displaying a message indicating that the mode of the image reading process is a mode of displaying a window on a display unit. apparatus. 4. An image input method of a network terminal device for inputting an image by an image input device sharable on a network, wherein: an instruction step of instructing the image input apparatus to read an image; Whether the mode of the image reading process in the image input device indicated in the mode is a window display mode,
A discriminating step of discriminating whether the mode is not to be displayed, and, if the discrimination result in the discriminating step is a mode in which a window is displayed, the discriminating step of notifying the user to that effect. An image input method for a network terminal device, characterized by causing the image reading process to execute image reading according to a notification and inputting an image. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein in the determination step, in a mode in which a determination result is displayed, it is determined whether or not image reading is to be performed by another image reading process.
The image input method of the network terminal device described in the above. 6. The network terminal according to claim 4, wherein, in the notifying step, a message indicating that the mode of the image reading process is a mode for displaying a window is displayed on a display device to notify the user. Image input method of the device. 7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program code of an image input method in a network terminal device for inputting an image by an image input device sharable on a network, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a program code for the image input device. A code of an instruction step of instructing reading, a code of a determination step of determining whether a mode of the image reading process in the specified image input device is a mode of displaying a window or a mode of not displaying the window, and a determination result displaying a window And a notifying step code for notifying the user of the mode when the mode is set.