JP2012008806A - Program for setting electric appliances, setting method and terminal for executing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To activate setting programs different depending on electric appliances for integrating interfaces of different setting programs in changing the setting of the electric appliances.SOLUTION: A display part of a user terminal 10 displays a Company A setting tool window 20 for a Company A setting tool to set an electric appliance 50a of Company A, and a Company B setting tool window 25 to set an electric appliance 50b of Company B. When an integration setting program is activated, an integration setting tool window 60 is displayed, and a setting value 22 is displayed in the integration setting tool window 60 which is a display area other than a display area of the Company A setting tool window 20 (display example 62). Through an interface using the integration setting tool window 60, a change of setting value is received from a user, and when the change is accepted, an interface of manufacturer setting program is used to reflect the change of setting value.

Description

  The present invention relates to a program for setting appliances, a setting method, and a terminal that executes the program, and in particular, when a different setting program is activated in each of a plurality of appliances, a setting program that integrates these programs, The present invention relates to a setting method and a terminal that executes the setting method.

  Conventionally, for electrical appliances such as printers installed in homes and offices, manufacturers that provide electrical appliances have provided tools for setting electrical appliances, and installed on personal computers, etc., to make various settings for electrical appliances. Is known to do.

  For example, it is known that a manufacturer that provides a printer provides a setting tool for the printer of the company, and from this tool, various settings can be made for the printer provided by the manufacturer (for example, non-patent literature). 1).

Hewlett-Packard Company, “HP Web Jet Admin 7.5”, [online], [May 28, 2010 search], Internet <URL: http://www.lasercare.com/downloads/webjetadmin7.5 .pdf>

  For example, in the method of Non-Patent Document 1 described above, if the type of printer connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) is a model that is supported by the manufacturer that provides the setting tool, the setting can be performed by the setting tool. Is possible.

  However, if the type of printer connected to the LAN is a plurality of manufacturers and the setting tool is compatible only with a predetermined model, setting of all printers is impossible only with the setting tool. In some cases. Therefore, the user must activate each corresponding setting tool and individually set the printer using a different setting tool for each printer. This greatly impairs the convenience at the time of setting for the user who is the user.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a setting program, a method, and a terminal that integrate the interfaces of these different setting programs when changing the setting of the electric appliance by starting different setting programs depending on the electric appliance. For the purpose.

  The present invention provides the following solutions.

  The invention according to the first aspect is a program for causing a terminal (user terminal 10) to change a set value of an electric appliance (electric appliance 50a, b) connected via a network, and is set for the electric appliance. A step of starting a manufacturer setting program for changing a value, a step of displaying the set value of the electric appliance by starting the manufacturer setting program (A company setting tool window 20, B company setting tool window 25), Acquiring the set value from the data displayed by the manufacturer setting program; displaying the set value in another display area other than the display area of the manufacturer setting program (integrated setting tool window 60); A step of accepting a change in the set value displayed in the other display area; The step of reflecting the set value of over mosquito setting program, a program for execution.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the manufacturer setting program for changing the setting value for the electric appliance is activated, and the setting value of the electric appliance is displayed. Then, the setting value is acquired from the data displayed by the manufacturer setting program, and the setting value is displayed in another display area other than the display area of the manufacturer setting program. Furthermore, the change of the setting value displayed in the other display area is accepted, and the setting value accepted for the change is reflected in the setting value of the manufacturer setting program.

  Therefore, when a different setting program is activated by an electrical appliance, it is possible to provide a single setting program that integrates the interfaces of these different setting programs. Furthermore, by setting the interface that accepts setting changes in other display areas to be an interface that is easy for the user to handle, even if the interface based on the manufacturer setting program is difficult to handle, an interface that is easy for the user to use can be used as an alternative interface.

  The invention according to the first feature exhibits the same operation and effect not only in the program in the category of the invention but also in the method and the terminal.

  The invention according to the second feature is a server that is communicably connected to the terminal, and provides a part or all of the program for changing the setting value according to the invention according to the first feature. is there.

  According to the present invention, a setting program, a method, and a terminal are provided by integrating interfaces of these different setting programs when changing the setting of the electric appliance by starting different setting programs depending on the electric appliance. It becomes possible.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of the user terminal 10. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a display processing flow executed by the user terminal 10. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a change processing flow executed by the user terminal 10. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a screen image when the set value is acquired as text information. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a screen image that reflects a change in setting using the interface of the manufacturer setting program. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an interface of the integrated setting program.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This is merely an example, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this.

[Overview]
The outline of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The user terminal 10 is connected to an electric appliance 50a of company A and an electric appliance 50b of company B so that they can communicate with each other. On the display unit of the user terminal 10, a company A setting tool window 20 of a company A setting tool for setting the electric appliance 50a of company A and a company B setting tool window 25 for setting the electric appliance 50b of company B are displayed. And are displayed. When the integrated setting program is started, an integrated setting tool window 60 is displayed. The setting value 22 (in this example, the setting value “administrator name” item and its setting value “userX” are displayed from the text information displayed by the manufacturer setting program. ) Is acquired.

  And it displays on the integrated setting tool window 60 which is a display area other than the display area of A company setting tool window 20 (display example 62). Then, when a change in the setting value is received from the user via the interface using the integrated setting tool window 60 and the change is accepted, the change in the setting value is reflected using the interface of the manufacturer setting program. .

[System configuration]
With reference to FIG. 2, the system configuration of the present embodiment will be described. The setting system 1 includes at least a user terminal 10 (10a, 10b, 10c, 100a) and an appliance 50 (50a, 50b, 50c). The user terminal 10 and the electrical appliance 50 may be connected to each other only via a local area network (LAN) (like the user terminals 10a, 10b, and 100a), or via the local area network and the public line network 3. They may be connected to each other (user terminal 10c). Here, the electric appliance 50 may be able to communicate with the local network by wireless connection (electric appliance 50c). Further, the user terminal 10 may be able to communicate with the local area network by wireless connection (user terminals 10a and 10b), and may be able to communicate with the public line network 3 by wireless connection. (User terminal 10c).

  Furthermore, as will be described later, the gateway 300 or the server 200 may be connected to the user terminal 10 as an information control device so as to be communicable. That is, the gateway 300 is connected as a termination that connects the local network and the public line network 3. The server 200 is connected to the public line network 3.

[Description of each function]
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the user terminal 10. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  The user terminal 10 is, for example, a mobile phone, a portable information terminal, a computer (personal computer), a television, a telephone, a smartphone, a netbook terminal, a slate terminal, an electronic book terminal, a portable music player, an audio component, content playback / It may be an information home appliance used as a terminal by a user such as a recording player, printer, FAX machine, copier, scanner, MFP (multifunctional peripheral device, multifunction printer), digital camera or the like.

  The user terminal 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like as a control unit, a wired / wireless compatible communication device as a communication unit, and a storage unit as a storage unit. One or both of HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive) are provided. Furthermore, a display unit such as a liquid crystal monitor for displaying an image may be provided, and an input unit such as a mouse or a touch panel for receiving input from the user may be provided. In the user terminal 10, the control unit reads a predetermined program, and inputs and outputs various data.

  The user terminal 10 includes a manufacturer setting program starting unit 11, a setting value display unit 12, a setting value acquisition unit 13, a setting value other area display unit 14, a setting value change receiving unit 15, an automatic setting unit 16, A maker setting program / integrated setting program storage unit 17 is provided, and these units are realized by the above-described control unit, storage unit, communication unit, display unit, and input unit.

  The manufacturer setting program is a dedicated program for the electric appliance 50 for visually checking or changing the set value of the electric appliance 50. The manufacturer setting program is based on the premise that each program is started depending on the type of the electric appliance 50, and one manufacturer setting program may be able to set a plurality of electric appliances 50, but the electric appliance 50 that cannot be set. One or more.

  In general, the manufacturer setting program, when the electric appliances 50a and 50c are electric appliances provided by the same manufacturer (for example, both are manufactured by A company), the plurality of electric appliances 50a and 50c Thus, it is possible to handle the setting values of both the electric appliances 50a and 50c using a common manufacturer setting program. However, when the electrical appliance 50b is manufactured by Company B, which is a manufacturer different from the electrical appliances 50a and 50c, the setting values cannot be viewed or changed by the manufacturer setting program for the electrical appliances 50a and 50c.

  Unlike the manufacturer setting program, the integrated setting program is a program that can acquire setting values of a plurality of activated manufacturer setting programs and change the setting values. Specifically, it is a program that causes the user terminal 10 to execute steps S13 to S15 of the following display processing flow and the change processing flow.

  The integrated setting program and the manufacturer setting program may be downloaded from the server 200 or the gateway 300 that is communicably connected to the user terminal 10. Here, the integrated setting program and the manufacturer setting program may be a plug-in program realized in combination with a program stored in the user terminal 10 in advance.

  Like the user terminal 10, the electrical appliance 50 (50a, 50b,...) Includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like as a control unit. , A wired / wireless communication device, and a storage unit that includes one or both of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive). Furthermore, a display unit such as a liquid crystal monitor for displaying an image may be provided, and an input unit such as a mouse or a touch panel for receiving input from a supporter may be provided.

  In addition to printers, telephones, fax machines, copiers, scanners, MFPs (multifunctional peripheral devices, multifunction printers), digital appliances, electronic products 50, in addition to digital cameras, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, computers (computers), and televisions It may be a home appliance such as a smartphone, a netbook terminal, a slate terminal, an electronic book terminal, a portable music player, an audio component, a content playback / recording player, and a commercial electric appliance. However, the setting value of the electric appliance 50 itself can be changed by the manufacturer setting program executed from the user terminal 10. This manufacturer setting program may be realized by a Web browser.

  The appliance 50 includes at least a setting change unit 51, and these units are realized by the above-described control unit, storage unit, communication unit, display unit, and input unit.

[Flowchart of display processing]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of display processing executed on the user terminal 10. The display process indicates a time series of processes executed on the user terminal 10, and the execution flow of the integrated setting program is the process of steps S13 to S15. The manufacturer setting program and the integrated setting program are stored in advance in the manufacturer setting program / integrated setting program storage unit 17.

  First, it is determined whether or not a start signal for the manufacturer setting program has been received based on a user operation on the user terminal 10 (step S10). When the activation signal is received (step S10: YES), the set value display means 12 displays the set value in the corresponding window by the manufacturer setting program (step S11). When the activation signal is not received (step S10: NO), the process waits for step S10.

  For example, referring to FIG. 6, it is assumed that the manufacturer setting program is a manufacturer A manufacturer setting program. In this case, when the A company manufacturer setting program is started, the A company setting tool window 20 is displayed as the A company setting tool, and each setting value (setting value item) of “A-01 Printer” which is the electrical appliance 50a is displayed. “Administrator name” and setting value “John”) are displayed.

  Next, it is determined whether or not an activation signal for the integrated setting program has been received based on a user operation on the user terminal 10 (step S12). When the activation signal is received (step S10: YES), the user terminal 10 confirms the number and types of the manufacturer setting programs activated (step S13). When the activation signal is not received (step S12: NO), the process waits for step S12.

  The user terminal 10 confirms the number and types of the maker setting programs that are activated, and acquires setting values as data from the activated maker setting programs (step S14). Here, acquiring the set value as data means that the set value displayed in the manufacturer setting program is displayed as text data in ASCII format, for example, as text data in a copy of text. If it is displayed as image data, it is acquired as text data as a result of character recognition of the image.

  Then, the setting value is displayed in the integrated setting tool window 60 of the integrated setting program (step S15). Referring to FIG. 6, when the setting value 70 is displayed in the A company setting tool window 20, the setting value 70 is acquired by copying the text, and the copied setting value 72 is displayed in the integrated setting tool window 60 of the integrated setting program. indicate. As shown in FIG. 6, the display of the setting value 70 does not need to be highlighted.

[Change processing flowchart]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of change processing executed by the user terminal 10. The change process is a process that the integrated setting program causes the user terminal 10 to execute.

  The set value change accepting unit 15 accepts a change of the set value by an input from the user (step S20). For example, in the example of FIG. 7, in the setting value list of the integrated setting tool window 60, the administrator, color / monochrome setting, language, etc. can be changed, and the setting value change window 82 is displayed to accept the change from the user. . When the user changes the set value and presses the change determination button 83, there is a change instruction (step S20: YES), and the process proceeds to step S21. Until the change decision button 83 is pressed, the processing is waited (step S20: NO).

  Next, the automatic setting means 16 refers to the corresponding setting value of the manufacturer setting program for the changed setting value (step S22). For example, it is assumed that “administrator name”, which is a setting value of A-01 Printer, is changed in the integrated setting program. Then, A-01 Printer refers to the fact that it is managed by the A company setting tool, and reads the interface procedure for changing the setting value of the “manager name” of the A company setting tool. Here, the interface procedure is a procedure when the user performs an input operation on the mouse pointer or the input window, that is, when the setting value is changed manually using the company A setting tool.

  Then, the automatic setting means 16 reflects the change of the setting value using the interface of the manufacturer setting program (step S23). That is, the interface changing procedure of the manufacturer setting program is stored in advance for each setting value to be changed, and is read and executed. Thereby, even if there is no manual change by the user, the user terminal 10 changes the set value by executing the read interface procedure. That is, the setting value item of the integrated setting program is associated with the setting value item corresponding to the manufacturer setting program in advance. Then, an interface procedure for changing one set value of the manufacturer setting program (for example, an operation procedure executed through an interface such as pressing an icon button to open a window, inputting a set value, and pressing a complete button) , A procedure in which the terminal performs an interface operation in a pseudo manner without receiving a user input). Thereby, when the setting value of the integrated setting program is changed, the procedure of the interface is read, and the corresponding setting value of the manufacturer setting program is changed accordingly. The setting change means 51 of the electric appliances 50a and 50b that has received the signal for changing the setting value actually changes the setting values of the electric appliances 50a and 50b. As a result, although the user is changing the setting value for the integrated setting program, the setting value is changed using the interface of the manufacturer setting program as a result.

  In the above embodiment, in particular, when a plurality of manufacturer setting programs are activated, it is not necessary to individually change the setting values of each manufacturer setting program by using the integrated setting program. This is useful because it can be changed.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the setting value of “A-01 Printer” set by the company A setting tool and the setting value of “B-01 Printer” set by the company B setting tool in the integrated setting tool window 60 And are displayed. By displaying the displayed interface in a format such as a list of setting values, it is usually easy to compare what is displayed in a different display format for each appliance 50a, b, and display it in an organized manner. Is possible. Further, not only the display but also the setting value can be changed by using a unified interface, and the interface to be changed does not need to be performed for each of the electric appliances 50a and 50b.

  In addition, if the user can customize the interface of these display formats and change formats, it is not necessary to change the interface of all manufacturer setting programs by changing only the display format and change format of the integrated setting program. . In other words, by making the interface that accepts setting changes in the integrated setting tool window 60, which is another display area, an interface that is easy for the user to handle, even if the interface by the manufacturer setting program is difficult to handle, the interface is used by the user as an alternative interface. Easy to use interface.

  The means and functions described above are realized by a computer (including a CPU, an information processing apparatus, and various terminals) reading and executing a predetermined program. The application program is provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD (CD-ROM, etc.), DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, etc.), for example. In this case, the computer reads the application program from the recording medium, transfers it to the internal storage device or the external storage device, stores it, and executes it. The program may be recorded in advance in a storage device (recording medium) such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk, and provided from the storage device to a computer via a communication line.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment mentioned above. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are only the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not.

10 User terminal 50a, b Appliance 200 server

Claims (4)

A program that allows a terminal to change setting values of appliances connected via a network,
Starting a manufacturer setting program for changing a setting value for the appliance;
Displaying the set value of the appliance by activating the manufacturer setting program;
Obtaining the set value from the data displayed by the manufacturer setting program;
Displaying the set value in another display area other than the display area of the manufacturer setting program;
Accepting a change in the set value displayed in the other display area;
Reflecting the setting value accepted by the change in the setting value of the manufacturer setting program;
A program for running   A server that is communicably connected to the terminal and that provides a part or all of the program for changing the setting value according to claim 1. A terminal that changes the settings of appliances connected via a network,
Means for starting a manufacturer setting program for changing a setting value for the electrical appliance;
Means for displaying the set value of the appliance by activating the manufacturer setting program;
Means for obtaining the set value from data displayed by the manufacturer setting program;
Means for displaying the set value in another display area other than the display area of the manufacturer setting program;
Means for accepting a change in the set value displayed in the other display area;
Means for reflecting the setting value accepted for the change in the setting value of the manufacturer setting program;
A terminal equipped with. A method in which a terminal changes the settings of appliances connected via a network,
Starting a manufacturer setting program for changing a setting value for the electrical appliance;
Displaying the setting value of the appliance by activating the manufacturer setting program;
Obtaining the set value from the data displayed by the manufacturer setting program;
Displaying the set value in another display area other than the display area of the manufacturer setting program;
Accepting a change in the set value displayed in the other display area;
Reflecting the setting value accepted for the change in the setting value of the manufacturer setting program;
How to change settings including

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