JP2017123610A - Image formation device, image formation system, image formation method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image formation device capable of synchronizing an application activated on the operation unit side, with an application activated on the body side, when multiple processes registered in a work flow are executed in order, and to provide an image formation system, image formation method, and program.SOLUTION: An image formation device includes an operation unit receiving an operation, and a body unit operating in accordance with the operation received by the operation unit, where the operation unit has a first OS, and the body unit has a second OS. The operation unit includes an application cooperation part for executing the processing by activating the applications in order, based on the workflow, a synchronization processing part performing the processing for synchronizing a first application and a second application operating in the body unit, upon receiving an application activation request for requesting activation of the first application operating in the operation unit from the application cooperation part, and an application activation control unit for activating the first application, after the synchronization processing is performed in synchronization processing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming method, and a program.

  In an OS (Operating System) used for a smartphone or the like, a mechanism for realizing a workflow in which a plurality of applications are linked by an application calling another application is known. In addition, there is a type in which an OS (for example, Android OS) is installed in an operation unit included in the image forming apparatus, so that the function can be easily expanded as compared with a conventional operation unit. Hereinafter, the application is also referred to as “application”.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing apparatus that can improve the flexibility of a service provided via a network. The information processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 determines an order in which a plurality of processes are executed, and causes a processing apparatus associated with each process to execute processes according to the determined order.

  In the operation unit of the image forming apparatus equipped with the OS, it is considered to realize a workflow in which a plurality of applications are linked in the same manner as a smartphone or the like. In order to execute a plurality of processes registered in the workflow in order, when starting an application on the operation unit side, start an application to be started on the main body (controller) side corresponding to the application on the operation unit side. It is necessary to synchronize the application activated on the side and the application activated on the main body side. Hereinafter, the main body is also referred to as a “controller”.

  In other words, synchronization refers to the process of starting the controller-side application with the function used on the controller side corresponding to the operation-side application when the operation-side application uses the controller-side application function. Show. Further, when the application on the operation unit side does not use the function of the application on the controller side, the controller side indicates processing for starting the home application. The operation unit side application indicates an application that is operating on the operation unit and displayed on the operation panel, and the controller side application indicates an application that is operating on the main unit.

  As a reason for synchronizing the operation unit side application with the controller side application, for example, when displaying the controller side screen on the operation unit side, the controller side corresponding to the operation unit side application and the operation unit side application This is because if the application is not synchronized, a different screen will be displayed. Examples of displaying the controller-side screen on the operation unit include a screen for notifying a user when an error occurs, and a screen for stopping a job when a stop key is pressed.

  In addition, when realizing a workflow that links multiple applications, when an app that executes workflow processing calls an app that is activated directly on the operation unit, an application that is activated on the operation unit side and an application that is activated on the controller side There is a problem that it becomes impossible to synchronize.

  However, in the information processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when a plurality of processes registered in the workflow are executed in order, when the application on the operation unit side is activated, the main body unit (controller) corresponding to the application on the operation unit side However, it is not possible to solve the problem of synchronizing an application activated on the operation unit side and an application activated on the main body side by starting an application activated on the side.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and in the case of sequentially executing a plurality of processes registered in a workflow, an application to be activated on the operation unit side, and a main body unit side corresponding to the application on the operation unit side An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming method, and a program that can synchronize with an application that is activated in the above.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an operation unit that receives an operation, and a main body unit that operates according to the operation received by the operation unit. Is an image forming apparatus having a first operating system, and the main body unit has a second operating system, and the operation unit sequentially operates based on a workflow indicating an execution order of applications registered in advance. When receiving an application activation request for starting the application and executing the process, and an application activation request for requesting activation of the first application operating on the first operating system from the application collaboration unit, A first application and a second application running on the second operating system; A synchronization processing unit for performing processing to synchronize, after the process of synchronizing with the synchronization processing unit is performed, and a application activation control unit activating the first application, and wherein the.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that an application activated on the operation unit side and an application activated on the main body side corresponding to the operation unit side application can be synchronized.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the MFP according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the MFP according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the MFP according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the application correspondence information. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the use of a workflow in which applications are linked. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the use of a workflow that links applications. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the workflow creation screen display. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of metadata of each function. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an initial screen (home screen) for calling an operation reception screen (UI screen) for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation reception screen (UI screen) for using the application cooperation function. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a workflow creation screen (UI screen). FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of workflow data. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions that are combined when creating a workflow. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions that cannot be combined when creating a workflow. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a combination of functions (applications) registered in a workflow. FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram of workflow registration. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a workflow registered on the home screen. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the execution of workflow processing. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application cooperation operation reception screen. FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram of application activation on the controller side. FIG. 21 is a sequence diagram of home application activation on the controller side. FIG. 22 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing in a case where application activation on the controller side fails. FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram of data transfer processing between functions to be executed (applications).

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by the following embodiment. Moreover, each embodiment can be combined suitably as long as the content is not contradicted.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, when the application activation request of the application is received in the order registered in the workflow indicating the execution order of the application, the application of the operation unit requested to activate the function (for example, copy, In the case of an application that uses a scanner, a fax machine, a printer function, etc.), the application of the main unit corresponding to the application of the operation unit is activated, and the application activated by the operation unit is associated with the application activated by the main unit. Process to synchronize. In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the synchronization processing unit performs processing for synchronizing the operation unit application and the main unit application corresponding to the operation unit application, thereby starting the operation unit and the main unit. You can synchronize (align) the apps inside. Further, in the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, after the execution of the processing of the requested application is completed, control for starting the home application on the main body is performed. By starting the home application on the main unit, there is no problem that the application that is activated next on the operation unit and the application that is activated on the main unit cannot be synchronized. That is, even when a plurality of apps are executed in the order of the workflow, it is possible to synchronize the switching of the application to be activated by the operation unit and the switching to the application to be activated by the main body corresponding to the application of the operation unit to be switched. According to the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, even when a plurality of processes registered in the workflow are executed in order, the application to be activated on the operation unit side and the main body unit corresponding to the application on the operation unit side are activated. You can synchronize with the app. The synchronization between the application on the operation unit side and the application on the main unit (controller) side needs to be completed before the application on the operation unit side starts using the function (application) on the controller side.

  In the following, a case where the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied to a multifunction peripheral (MFP) will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Note that a multifunction peripheral is a device having at least two functions among a copy function, a scanner function, a fax (FAX) function, and a printer function.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the MFP 1 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the MFP 1 includes a main body unit 10 capable of realizing various functions such as a copy function, a scanner function, a fax function, and a printer function, and an operation unit 20 that receives an input corresponding to a user operation. Prepare. The operation unit 20 includes a display unit that displays a screen and accepts user operations. The main body 10 operates according to the operation received by the operation unit 20. Note that accepting a user operation is a concept including accepting information (including a signal indicating a coordinate value of a screen) input according to the user operation. The main unit 10 and the operation unit 20 are connected to each other via a dedicated communication path 300 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The communication path 300 may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, but may be of any standard regardless of whether it is wired or wireless.

  The main body 10 can perform an operation according to the operation received by the operation unit 20. The main unit 10 can also communicate with an external device such as a client PC (Personal Computer), and can also perform an operation according to an instruction received from the external device.

  First, the hardware configuration of the main body unit 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, an HDD (hard disk drive) 14, a communication I / F (interface) 15, a connection I / F 16, and a print engine 17. These are connected to each other via a system bus 18.

  The CPU 11 comprehensively controls the operation of the main body unit 10. The CPU 11 controls the overall operation of the main unit 10 by executing a program stored in the ROM 12 or the HDD 14 using the RAM 13 as a work area (work area), and the above-described copy function, scanner function, fax function, and printer function. Various functions such as are realized.

  The communication I / F 15 is an interface for connecting to the network 30. The communication I / F 15 is connected to the network 30 so as to receive printer data from an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer).

  The connection I / F 16 is an interface for communicating with the operation unit 20 via the communication path 300.

  The print engine 17 is a unit that executes a printing process, and includes, for example, a monochrome plotter, a 1-drum color plotter, a 4-drum color plotter, and the like, and may further include a scanner unit, a fax unit, and the like. The print engine 17 includes an image processing part such as error diffusion and gamma conversion in addition to a so-called engine part such as a plotter.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the operation unit 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 20 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a flash memory 24, a communication I / F 25, a connection I / F 26, an operation panel 27, an external connection I / F 28, These are connected to each other via a system bus 29.

  The CPU 21 comprehensively controls the operation of the operation unit 20. The CPU 21 uses the RAM 23 as a work area (work area) and executes a program stored in the ROM 22 or the flash memory 24 to control the operation of the entire operation unit 20 and information (image) according to the input received from the user. Various functions described later such as display of) are realized.

  The communication I / F 25 is an interface for connecting to the network 30. The connection I / F 26 is an interface for communicating with the main body 10 via the communication path 300.

  Operation panel 27 accepts various inputs in accordance with user operations, and displays various types of information (for example, information in accordance with accepted inputs, information indicating the operation status of MFP 1, information indicating a setting state, and the like). . In this example, the operation panel 27 is configured by a liquid crystal display device (LCD) having a touch panel function, but is not limited thereto. For example, an organic EL display device equipped with a touch panel function may be used. Further, in addition to or instead of this, an operation unit such as a hardware key and a display unit such as a lamp may be provided. The operation panel 27 is not limited to this configuration, and may be any device that displays an image and receives an operation corresponding to the image.

  The external connection I / F 28 is an interface for connecting to a peripheral device such as an IC card reader.

  Next, the software configuration of the MFP 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the MFP. As shown in FIG. 2, the main body unit 10 includes an application layer 101, a service layer 102, and an OS layer 103. The entities of the application layer 101, the service layer 102, and the OS layer 103 are various types of software stored in the ROM 12, the HDD 14, and the like. Various functions are provided by the CPU 11 executing these software.

  The software of the application layer 101 is software for operating a hardware resource to provide a predetermined function, and is referred to as application software (sometimes simply referred to as “application” in the following description). Examples of the application include a copy application for providing a copy function, a scanner application for providing a scanner function, a fax application for providing a fax function, and a printer application for providing a printer function.

  The software of the service layer 102 is software that is interposed between the application layer 101 and the OS layer 103 and provides an interface for using hardware resources included in the main body unit 10 for the application. More specifically, it is software for providing a function of accepting an operation request for a hardware resource and arbitrating the operation request. The operation request received by the service layer 102 may be a request such as reading by a scanner or printing by a printer.

  The interface function by the service layer 102 is provided not only to the application layer 101 of the main body unit 10 but also to the application layer 201 of the operation unit 20. That is, the application layer 201 (application) of the operation unit 20 can also realize a function using hardware resources (for example, the print engine 17) of the main body unit 10 through the interface function of the service layer 102.

  The software of the OS layer 103 is basic software (operating system) for providing a basic function for controlling hardware resources included in the main body unit 10. The software of the service layer 102 converts a hardware resource use request from various applications into a command interpretable by the OS layer 103 and passes the command to the OS layer 103. Then, when the command is executed by the software of the OS layer 103, the hardware resource performs an operation according to the request of the application.

  Similarly, the operation unit 20 includes an application layer 201, a service layer 202, and an OS layer 203. The application layer 201, the service layer 202, and the OS layer 203 included in the operation unit 20 are the same as the main body unit 10 in terms of the hierarchical structure. However, the functions provided by the applications in the application layer 201 and the types of operation requests that can be accepted by the service layer 202 are different from those on the main body 10 side. The application of the application layer 201 may be software for operating a hardware resource included in the operation unit 20 to provide a predetermined function, but mainly includes functions (copy function, scanner function, fax) included in the main body unit 10. This is software for providing a UI (user interface) function for performing operations and display related to functions and printer functions.

  As an application of the application layer 201 on the operation unit 20 side, a printer application for providing a UI function for performing an operation and display relating to a printer function, and a UI function for performing an operation and display relating to a copy function are provided. For example, a copy application for the user, a fax application for providing a UI function for performing an operation and display related to the fax function, and the like, but is not limited thereto.

  In this embodiment, in order to maintain the independence of functions, the software of the OS layer 103 on the main body 10 side and the software of the OS layer 203 on the operation unit 20 are separate and independent software. That is, the main body unit 10 and the operation unit 20 operate independently of each other with different operating systems. For example, Linux (registered trademark) is used as software (second operating system) for the OS layer 103 on the main body 10 side, and Android (registered trademark) is used as software (first operating system) on the OS layer 203 on the operation unit 20 side. ) Can also be used. It is also possible to use the same type of OS such as Android for both the main body unit 10 and the operation unit 20. That is, the first operating system and the second operating system may use different OSs or the same OS.

  As described above, in MFP 1 according to the present embodiment, main unit 10 and operation unit 20 operate on different operating systems, and therefore communication between main unit 10 and operation unit 20 is performed between processes in a common apparatus. This is not communication but communication between different devices. The operation (command communication) for transmitting information (instruction content from the user) received by the operation unit 20 to the main body unit 10, the operation for the main body unit 10 notifying the operation unit 20 of an event, and the like correspond to this. Here, the function of the main body 10 can be used when the operation unit 20 performs command communication to the main body 10. The event notified from the main unit 10 to the operation unit 20 includes the execution status of the operation in the main unit 10 and the contents set on the main unit 10 side.

  In the present embodiment, since power is supplied to the operation unit 20 from the main unit 10 via the communication path 300, power control of the operation unit 20 is performed separately from power control of the main unit 10 ( Can be done independently).

  In this example, the main body unit 10 and the operation unit 20 are electrically and physically connected via the communication path 300, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the operation unit 20 is detached from the main body unit 10. It may be provided as possible. In this case, the main body unit 10 and the operation unit 20 are provided with short-range wireless communication units such as an infrared communication unit, an RF (Radio Frequency) communication unit, and a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit. Alternatively, the main body unit 10 and the operation unit 20 are provided with a wireless LAN communication function such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and are mutually connected via a wireless LAN access point (wireless LANAP) 31 and a network 30 as shown in FIG. Communication may be possible. LAN is an abbreviation for “Local Area Network”. When the operation unit 20 can be detached from the main body unit 10, the operation unit 20 stores the electric power supplied from the main body unit 10 via the communication path 300 in the secondary battery and is removed from the main body unit 10. At this time, the power stored in the secondary battery is used to communicate with the main body 10.

  Next, the functional configuration of the MFP 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the MFP.

  First, functions on the main body 10 side of the MFP 1 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the main body unit 10 includes a communication unit 111 that is a function (module) realized by the CPU 11 executing a program, an activation control unit 112, and a storage unit 113. Some of the above-described units may be software (programs) that are loaded onto the RAM 13 by the CPU 11 reading and executing software (programs) from the ROM 12 or the HDD 14, and that the units are generated on the RAM 13. . In addition, a part or all of the above units may be replaced with a hardware circuit such as a processor that performs arithmetic processing.

  The communication unit 111 is realized by executing a command read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11. The communication unit 111 is connected to the operation unit 20 via the dedicated communication path 300 and transmits / receives data to / from the operation unit 20. For example, the communication unit 111 receives various operation inputs received by the operation unit 20 and passes them to the corresponding units. The communication unit 111 also transmits data for causing the operation unit 20 to display various types of information (for example, information corresponding to the received input, information indicating the operation status of the MFP 1, information indicating a setting state, and the like).

  The communication unit 111 transmits / receives data to / from an external apparatus (client PC or the like) via the communication I / F 15 via the network 30 and transfers the data to corresponding units. For example, the communication unit 111 receives an instruction or data for realizing a function from an external device and passes it to each corresponding unit.

  The activation control unit 112 is realized by executing a command read from the ROM 12 by the CPU 11. The activation control unit 112 is an operation unit 20 corresponding to an application activation request from the application cooperation unit 217 under the control of an application cooperation unit 217, an application activation control unit 220, and a synchronization processing unit 221 of the operation unit 20 described later. Before starting the first application to be operated, the second application that operates on the second operating system of the main body unit 10 with respect to the first application that operates on the first operating system of the operation unit 20 Control to synchronize. That is, the activation control unit 112 performs processing for activating and synchronizing an application to be activated on the main body unit 10 corresponding to an application to be activated on the operation unit 20. In the present embodiment, the activation control unit 112 performs processing to be synchronized when the application activated by the operation unit 20 is an application that uses the function of the main body unit 10.

  Specifically, the first application that is activated by the operation unit 20 corresponding to the received application activation request uses, for example, the function of the main body unit 10 based on the workflow indicating the execution order of the applications registered in advance. In the case of a “copy” application, the activation control unit 112 first copies from the synchronization processing unit 221 of the application cooperation unit 217 to the copy application (second application) of the main body unit 10 corresponding to the “copy” application of the operation unit 20. In response to the activation request, the main body unit 10 activates the copy application. Then, after starting the copy application, the activation control unit 112 performs control to transmit a copy application activation completion notification, which is a response to the copy application activation request, to the synchronization processing unit 221 of the application cooperation unit 217. That is, the activation control unit 112 activates the copy application (second application) under the control of the synchronization processing unit 221 of the application cooperation unit 217 of the operation unit 20, thereby causing the copy application (first application) of the operation unit 20 to be activated. Control) to synchronize the copy application (second application) of the main unit 10 with the application. Thereby, the process which synchronizes the copy application of the main-body part 10 with the copy application of the operation part 20 is performed.

  In addition, when the first application activated by the operation unit 20 corresponding to the application activation request is, for example, a “mail” application that does not use the function of the main body unit 10, the activation control unit 112 first performs the application cooperation unit 217. In response to the activation request for the home application (second application) of the main body unit 10 corresponding to the “mail” application of the operation unit 20 from the synchronization processing unit 221, the home application is activated on the main body unit 10. Then, after starting the home application, the activation control unit 112 performs control to transmit a home application activation completion notification, which is a response to the activation request for the home application, to the synchronization processing unit 221 of the application cooperation unit 217. That is, the activation control unit 112 activates the home application (second application) under the control of the synchronization processing unit 221 of the application cooperation unit 217 of the operation unit 20, and thereby the home application (first application) of the operation unit 20. Control) to synchronize the home application (second application) of the main unit 10 with the application. Thereby, the process which synchronizes the home application of the main-body part 10 with respect to the home application of the operation part 20 is performed. The home application is an application (home application) of the main body unit 10 corresponding to an application (home application) that activates an initial screen that calls an operation reception screen for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit 20.

  The storage unit 113 corresponds to the ROM 12 or the HDD 14. The storage unit 113 stores various data. The storage unit 113 stores, for example, various applications that are activated in the main body unit 10. For example, applications such as legacy copy, legacy scanner, legacy fax, legacy printer, and home are stored as applications.

  Further, the storage unit 113 stores identification information (model, machine number, ID, etc.) of the MFP 1.

  Next, functions on the operation unit 20 side of the MFP 1 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the operation unit 20 includes a communication unit 211, an input / output unit 212, a display unit 213, and a display control unit 214 that are functions (modules) realized by the CPU 21 executing a program. , An operation receiving unit 215, a notification unit 216, an application cooperation unit 217, and a storage unit 218. The application cooperation unit 217 includes an application activation control unit 220, a synchronization processing unit 221, and an application registration unit 222. Some of the above-described units are software (programs) that are loaded onto the RAM 23 when the CPU 21 reads out and executes software (programs) from the ROM 22 or the flash memory 24, and are generated on the RAM 23. Also good. Further, a part of each of the above parts may be replaced with a hardware circuit such as a processor that performs arithmetic processing.

  The communication unit 211 is realized by executing a command read from the ROM 22 by the CPU 21. The communication unit 211 is connected to the main unit 10 via the dedicated communication path 300 and transmits / receives data to / from the main unit 10. For example, the communication unit 211 transmits a copy application activation request corresponding to the copy application activated by the operation unit 20 to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10. Then, the communication unit 211 receives a copy application activation completion notification, which is a response to the copy application activation request.

  In addition, the communication unit 211 transmits, for example, a home application activation request to be activated by the operation unit 20 to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10. Then, the communication unit 211 receives a home application activation completion notification, which is a response to the home application activation request.

  Further, the communication unit 211 transmits, for example, various inputs received by the operation unit 20 to the main body unit 10. Further, the communication unit 211 receives, for example, data for causing the operation unit 20 to display various types of information (for example, information corresponding to the received input, information indicating the operation status of the MFP 1, information indicating a setting state, etc.). To each corresponding part.

  In addition, the communication unit 211 transmits / receives data to / from an external device (client PC or the like) via the communication I / F 25 via the network 30 and transfers the data to corresponding units. Specifically, the communication unit 211 receives an instruction or data for realizing a function from an external device, and passes it to each corresponding unit.

  The input / output unit 212 inputs and outputs various data. For example, the input / output unit 212 stores data in an external device (storage) connected to the network or reads out data. The input / output unit 212 inputs / outputs data to / from the storage device.

  The display unit 213 corresponds to the display screen of the operation panel 27. The display unit 213 displays display information (screen) for providing information to the user, for example, under the control of the display control unit 214. The display unit 213 displays, for example, a screen for using a specific function that is always displayed.

  Further, the display unit 213 displays, for example, an operation reception screen (UI (User Interface) screen) of an application activated by the application activation control unit 220 described later. Further, for example, the display unit 213 displays a screen for accepting the order of executing the applications. Further, for example, the display unit 213 displays an initial screen (home screen) for calling an operation reception screen for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit 20 (see FIG. 9).

  The display control unit 214 is realized by executing a command read from the ROM 22 by the CPU 21. The display control unit 214 can be realized as a launcher executed by the CPU 21. The Launcher displays a home screen and provides a UI for the user to activate each application of the operation unit. For example, the display control unit 214 performs control to display display information (screen) for providing information to the user on the display unit 213, for example. Also, for example, when the application registration unit 222 receives an application registration under the control of the application cooperation unit 217, the display control unit 214 displays only the applications that can be executed after executing the last received application. Control to display on 213 is performed.

  The display control unit 214 registers an application in the workflow in the execution order in the application registration unit 222 and then calls an initial screen (home screen) for calling an operation reception screen (UI screen) for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit 20. ) Is controlled to arrange an image for calling a workflow (see FIG. 17). In the present embodiment, for example, control is performed to display an icon corresponding to an application installed in the application layer 201 of the operation unit 20 on the home screen.

  In addition, the display control unit 214 performs control for causing the display unit 213 to display an operation reception screen (UI screen) of an application activated by the application activation control unit 220. Specifically, when the application activated by the application activation control unit 220 (to be described later) is an “application cooperation” application, for example, the application activation control unit 220 activates the “application cooperation” application. The display control unit 214 performs control for causing the display unit 213 to display an operation reception screen of an “application cooperation” application as illustrated in FIGS. That is, when the application activation control unit 220 activates the “application cooperation” application on the operation unit 20, the display control unit 214 performs control to display the operation reception screen of the “application cooperation” application on the display unit 213.

  Further, for example, the display control unit 214 performs control to display identification information (QR code (registered trademark)) for accessing data stored in the storage unit 218 on the display unit 213.

  The operation receiving unit 215 is realized by executing a command read from the ROM 22 by the CPU 21. The operation reception unit 215 receives various inputs. For example, the operation reception unit 215 receives an operation input corresponding to the operation reception screen displayed on the display unit 213 of the operation unit 20. Specifically, the operation accepting unit 215 accepts an input by a user's touch operation on the screen of the operation panel 27 equipped with the touch panel function (the surface on which the image of the display unit 213 is displayed). That is, in the state where the operation reception screen of the application of the operation unit 20 is displayed, an operation input of an icon in which a touch operation of any icon is performed is received. Then, the operation reception unit 215 notifies the process corresponding to the received operation via the notification unit 216.

  In addition, when a screen (function key (software key)) for using a specific function constantly displayed on the display unit 213 is pressed, the operation reception unit 215 displays the screen (function key (software key)). The activation of the first application operating on the first operating system for using the associated specific function is accepted. Thereafter, the operation reception unit 215 notifies the application activation control unit 220 of the activation of the received first application via the notification unit 216. Specifically, for example, when the screen of a function key (copy key 231, see FIG. 9) associated with a copy application is pressed, the operation reception unit 215 receives the activation of the copy application. Thereafter, the operation accepting unit 215 notifies the application activation control unit 220 of the copy application activation via the notification unit 216.

  The operation accepting unit 215 accepts the stop of the application when a stop key 236 (see FIG. 9) on a screen (function key) for using a specific function constantly displayed on the display unit 213 is pressed. Thereafter, the operation reception unit 215 notifies the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10 via the notification unit 216 of an application stop notification for temporarily stopping the application job.

  The notification unit 216 is realized by executing a command read from the ROM 22 by the CPU 21. The notification unit 216 notifies processing corresponding to various operations received by the operation reception unit 215 of the operation unit 20.

  For example, the notification unit 216 notifies the application activation control unit 220 of the activation of the first application received by the operation reception unit 215 of the operation unit 20.

  Further, for example, the notification unit 216 notifies the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10 of an application stop notification for temporarily suspending the application job received by the operation reception unit 215 of the operation unit 20.

  The application cooperation unit 217 includes an application activation control unit 220, a synchronization processing unit 221, and an application registration unit 222. The application cooperation unit 217, the application activation control unit 220, the synchronization processing unit 221, and the application registration unit 222 are realized by executing instructions read from the ROM 22 by the CPU 21. In addition, the application cooperation unit 217 can be regarded as a module that mediates application cooperation. The application cooperation unit 217 accepts the order in which applications for application cooperation are executed and creates a workflow. Then, control is performed to execute application processing in the order registered in the workflow. The application cooperation unit 217 controls the switching of the application (active application) displayed on the operation unit 20 and the switching of the active application on the main unit (controller) 10 when executing the application, Synchronization processing with the application of the unit 10 is performed.

  For example, the application cooperation unit 217 performs control to activate applications in order and execute processing based on a workflow indicating the execution order of applications registered in advance. That is, the application cooperation unit 217 transmits an application execution request to be executed by the operation unit 20 to the application activation control unit 220 in the order registered in the workflow.

  In addition, the application cooperation unit 217 performs control to store in the storage unit 218 data processed by the application in the order registered in the workflow.

  In addition, the application cooperation unit 217 assigns and holds identification information to data processed by the application in the order registered in the workflow, and receives the identification information of the data for the next sequential application that is subsequently started. hand over.

  Next, the application activation control unit 220 will be described. When the application activation control unit 220 receives an application activation request that sequentially requests activation of an application that operates on the first operating system based on the workflow indicating the execution order of the applications from the application cooperation unit 217, the application activation control unit 220 activates the application Analyzing whether or not the code-containing application correspondence information is described in the xml code, it is determined whether or not the application activated by the operation unit 20 is an application that uses the function (application) of the main body unit 10. When the application uses the function (application) of the main unit 10 (when the code-containing application correspondence information is described in the xml code of the application), the operation unit 20 starts the synchronization processing unit 221. A process for starting and synchronizing an application to be started on the main body unit 10 corresponding to the application to be requested is requested. That is, when the application to be activated on the main body 10 side corresponding to the application to be activated on the operation unit 20 side is not the “home application”, the application activation control unit 220 performs the operation on the operation unit 20 with respect to the synchronization processing unit 221. A process for starting and synchronizing an application to be started in the main body unit 10 corresponding to the application to be started is requested.

  Next, the application activation control unit 220 performs a process of synchronizing the first application (for example, the scan application) of the operation unit 20 and the second application (for example, the scan application) of the main body unit 10 with the synchronization processing unit 221. After that, control is performed to activate the first application (scan application) that is operated by the operation unit 20 requested to execute the process from the application cooperation unit 217. Then, after the execution of the process of the first application (scan application) requested to execute the process is completed, the application activation control unit 220 sets the home on the main body unit 10 side with respect to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10. Control to request to start the app. By starting the home application on the main body unit 10, if the next application to be started on the operation unit 20 side is an application that does not use the function (application) of the main body unit 10, There will be no inconvenience that the main unit 10 cannot synchronize with the application to be activated.

  In addition, the application activation control unit 220 includes, for each application, a code-containing application correspondence information (an xml code of an application) associated with an application activated by the main body unit 10 included in the first application activated by the operation unit 20. Control for transmitting an application activation request designating an application to be activated in the main body unit 10 corresponding to an application activated in the operation unit 20 to the main body unit 10. Do.

  For example, when the first application is a copy application, code-containing application correspondence information (xml code) “Copy” is described in the xml code of the copy application. The application activation control unit 220 analyzes (refers to) the xml code, and if “Copy” is described, the application activation control unit 220 determines that the application “copy” of the main unit 10 is specified, and determines that the application “copy” of the main unit 10 Is transmitted to the main body unit 10. For example, when the first application is a scanner application, code-containing application correspondence information (xml code) “Scan” is described in the xml code of the scanner application. The application activation control unit 220 analyzes (refers to) the xml code and, if “Scan” is described, determines that the application “scanner” of the main unit 10 is designated, and determines that the application “scanner” of the main unit 10 Is transmitted to the main body unit 10. For example, when the first application is a fax application, the code-containing application correspondence information (xml code) “Fax” is described in the xml code of the fax application. The application activation control unit 220 analyzes (refers to) the xml code, and if “Fax” is described, the application activation control unit 220 determines that the application “fax” of the main unit 10 is designated, and determines that the application “fax” of the main unit 10 Is transmitted to the main body unit 10. For example, when the first application is a home application, code-containing application correspondence information (xml code) “Home” is described in the xml code of the home application. The application activation control unit 220 analyzes (refers to) the xml code, and if “Home” is described, the application activation control unit 220 determines that the application “home” of the main unit 10 is specified, and determines that the application “home” of the main unit 10 Is transmitted to the main body unit 10.

  For example, when the first application is a mail application, the function of the main body unit 10 is not used, and therefore the code-containing application correspondence information is not described in the xml code of the mail application. The application activation control unit 220 analyzes (refers to) the inside of the xml code and determines that the “home” of the main body unit 10 is designated when the code-containing application correspondence information is not described. An application activation request designating “Home” is transmitted to the main unit 10. That is, when the code-containing application correspondence information is not described in the xml code of the application, the application activation control unit 220 determines that all of the information specifies the “home” of the main body unit 10, and An application activation request designating “Home” is transmitted to the main unit 10.

  As described above, when the application activation control unit 220 receives an application activation request for activating the first application with the operation unit 20 from the application cooperation unit 217 based on the workflow, the code-containing application correspondence information in the xml code of the application is received. (Xml code) is analyzed (referenced), and an application activation request specifying an application to be activated in the main body 10 is transmitted to the main body 10.

  Further, the application activation control unit 220 refers to application correspondence information in which an application to be activated by the main body unit 10 is associated with each application activated by the operation unit 20 stored in the storage unit 218, and is activated by the operation unit 20. Control for transmitting an application activation request designating an application to be activated in the main body unit 10 corresponding to the application to be performed may be performed. That is, as described above, the application activation control unit 220 analyzes (refers to) the code-containing application correspondence information (code-containing application correspondence information in the xml code of the application) and designates an application to be activated on the main body unit 10. Instead, an application activation request designating an application to be activated in the main body unit 10 by directly referring to the application correspondence information stored in the storage unit 218 in advance can be transmitted.

  Here, the application correspondence information will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the application correspondence information. As shown in FIG. 4, the application correspondence information is information in which an application activated by the main body unit 10 is associated with each application activated by the operation unit 20.

  For example, the application “copy” of the operation unit 20 is associated with the application “copy” of the main body unit 10. For example, the application “scan” of the operation unit 20 is associated with the application “scan” of the main body unit 10. Further, for example, the application “fax” of the operation unit 20 is associated with the application “fax” of the main body unit 10. Further, for example, the application “mail” of the operation unit 20 is associated with the application “home” of the main body unit 10. Further, for example, the application “data input / output” of the operation unit 20 is associated with the application “home” of the main body unit 10. As described above, the application correspondence information is information in which the application of the main body unit 10 is associated with the application of the operation unit 20. Therefore, the application activation control unit 220 directly refers to the application correspondence information as illustrated in FIG. 4 in which the application activated by the main body unit 10 is associated with each application activated by the operation unit 20, and the main body unit 10 An application activation request specifying an application to be activated can be transmitted.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the description will be continued. The synchronization processing unit 221 can be realized as an SDK service or OCS executed by the CPU 21. The SDK (Software Development Kit) service makes a request to make the application on the controller side other than the home, such as copying and scanning. The OCS (Operation Control Service) makes a request to make the startup application on the controller side home.

  The synchronization processing unit 221 receives, from the application activation control unit 220 of the application cooperation unit 217, a request for processing to activate and synchronize an application activated on the main body unit 10 corresponding to an application activated on the operation unit 20, and the operation unit A process of synchronizing the second application operating on the second operating system of the main body unit 10 with the first application operating on the first 20 operating systems is performed. For example, the synchronization processing unit 221 includes a “scan” application (first application) for reading an image on the operation unit 20 and a “scan” application (first application) on the main body unit 10 corresponding to the “scan” application on the operation unit 20. 2 application) is synchronized.

  Further, the synchronization processing unit 221 performs a process of synchronizing the first application (for example, a scan application) of the operation unit 20 and the second application (the scan application) of the main body unit 10 when starting a specific application. . The specific application is an application that uses the function of the main body unit 10. That is, the synchronization processing unit 221 performs the above-described synchronization processing when the application of the operation unit 20 uses the function (application) of the main body unit 10. Examples of the application that uses the function (application) of the main body unit 10 include a copy application, a scanner application, a fax application, and a printer application, but are not limited thereto and are arbitrary. Examples of applications that do not use the function (application) of the main unit 10 include a mail application, a QR code (registered trademark) application, an input / output application (Docs Connect), a browser application, and a gallery application. It is not limited and is optional.

  The application registration unit 222 receives the applications to be operated on the first operating system of the operation unit 20 in the order of execution, and registers the applications received in the execution order in the workflow indicating the execution order of the applications. The application registration unit 222 adds identification information to a workflow in which applications are registered in the execution order, and stores the identification information in a predetermined area of the storage unit 218. The registered workflow may be stored in a database such as an external device connected to the network.

  The storage unit 218 corresponds to the ROM 22 or the flash memory 24. The storage unit 218 stores application correspondence information in which an application to be activated by the main body unit 10 is associated with each application to be activated by the operation unit 20. The application correspondence information is updated when a new application is added to the operation unit 20 or when the correspondence information is changed. The application correspondence information is as described with reference to FIG.

  The storage unit 218 stores various data. The storage unit 218 stores, for example, various applications that are activated by the operation unit 20. As an application, for example, an application such as an easy copy, an easy scanner, an easy fax, a printer, a home, and an application cooperation application is stored.

  Next, an outline of the use of a workflow in which applications are linked will be described. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are diagrams for explaining an outline of the use of a workflow in which applications are linked. As shown in FIG. 5, the user first creates a workflow. The user selects the application cooperation icon 245 (FIG. 9) from the home screen and activates the workflow creation screen (FIG. 10). The application cooperation unit 217 acquires a list of functions provided by each application and presents it to the user. The user combines the presented functions to create and register a workflow.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the user requests execution of the created and registered workflow. The application cooperation unit 217 executes a function provided by each application in the order as registered in the workflow. In other words, the application of the operation unit 20 is activated in the workflow order to execute the process.

  Next, the flow of the workflow creation screen display will be described. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the workflow creation screen display.

  The user selects the application cooperation icon 245 on the home screen that calls the operation reception screen (FIG. 9), and presses the workflow creation icon 251 on the operation reception screen (FIG. 10) of the application cooperation application (step S1). The operation reception unit 215 receives the workflow creation screen display (step S2), and notifies the display control unit 214 of the workflow creation screen display (step S3). The display control unit 214 transmits a workflow creation screen activation request to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S4). The application cooperation unit 217 receives the workflow creation screen activation request (step S5), goes to the storage unit 218 (Android F / W) to obtain a list of functions (applications) that can be incorporated into the workflow (step S6), A list of functions (applications) held by the storage unit 218 is acquired (step S7). The application cooperation unit 217 performs control to activate the workflow creation screen using the function (application) list (step S8). The application cooperation unit 217 instructs the display control unit 214 to display the workflow creation screen (step S9), and the display control unit 214 displays the workflow creation screen (step S10).

  The substance of the list data of the functions (applications) acquired by the application cooperation unit 217 is described in the metadata of the application actually responsible for the processing of each function (for example, the scan application of the operation unit 20 for scanning). And has the following information: FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of metadata of each function. As shown in FIG. 8, the function metadata is information in which items and values are associated with each other. In the example of FIG. 8, the name is “arbitrary character string”, the input data format is [“none” or “arbitrary character string” or “all” or “arbitrary file format (eg, PFD, PNG)”], The output data format is [“None”, “Any character string”, “All”, or “Any file format (eg PFD, PNG)”], and the function on the controller side is [None ”or“ Copy ” , An application on the controller side such as a scan "].

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an initial screen (home screen) for calling an operation reception screen (UI screen) for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit.

  The example of FIG. 9 is an example of an initial screen (home screen) that calls an operation reception screen (UI screen) for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit 20. The example of FIG. 9 is an example of the home screen, and icons 241 to 247 for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit 20 are displayed in the center portion of the display unit 213. That is, icons 241 to 247 for starting up the copy icon 241, the fax icon 242, the scan icon 243, the printer icon 244, the application cooperation icon 245, the application B icon 246, and the browser icon 247 are displayed. When these icons 241 to 247 are pressed, each application corresponding to the icons 241 to 247 is activated.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the banner area 230 displays a plurality of function keys (software keys) 231 to 238 that are always displayed. In the upper banner area 230, a copy key 231, a fax key 232, a scanner key 233, a printer key 234, and a browser key 235 are arranged. Each function key 231 to 235 is software for directly starting the corresponding application. Key. In the lower banner area 230, a stop key 236 for stopping the displayed application, a home key 237 for displaying the home screen, and a status confirmation key 238 for confirming the status of the MFP 1 are displayed. These are all function keys (software keys).

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation reception screen (UI screen) for using the application cooperation function displayed when the application cooperation icon 245 on the home screen is pressed in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 10, an icon 251 for performing “workflow creation”, an icon 252 for displaying “workflow list”, an icon 253 for “returning” to the previous screen, and the like are displayed on the operation reception screen. ing.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a workflow creation screen (UI screen) displayed when the workflow creation icon 251 is pressed in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the workflow creation screen includes an area 255 for displaying the created workflow, an area 256 for displaying a list of functions that can be added to the workflow, and an area 257 for inputting a registered name. It is displayed. In the present embodiment, the “function” in the function list indicates an “application” that can execute (process) the function.

  In the example of FIG. 11, the created workflow indicates “scan (color)” and “store in storage on the network”, and is executed in order from the top. The function list displayed in the area 256 displays functions (applications) that can be added to the current workflow among the function lists acquired in step S7 in FIG. That is, following “save in storage on the network”, functions (apps) that can be added are displayed (presented). In the example of FIG. 11, following “save in storage on the network”, the list of functions (apps) that can be added indicates a scan application, an input / output application, a mail application, and a copy application.

  In the workflow creation screen shown in FIG. 11, by dragging the function (apple) displayed in the area 256 and dropping it at the position to be added in the area 255, it is possible to add processing to the workflow. When the creation of the workflow is completed, when a registration name is input in the area 257 and the registration button is pressed, the workflow is registered in the storage unit 218 (database) of the application cooperation unit 217.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of workflow data. As shown in FIG. 12, the workflow data is information in which the execution order, the activation information, the name, the input data format, the output data format, and the function on the controller side to be used are associated with each other. That is, it is information in which the execution order, information for starting the function, and the metadata of the function shown in FIG. 8 are associated with each other. As an example of information for activating a function, there is a URI expression of an activation intent for activating another application in the Android OS.

  Functions that can be added to the workflow are determined by the application cooperation unit 217 based on whether or not the output data format and the input data format of the data shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions that are combined when creating a workflow. As shown in FIG. 13, since the output data format of function A is “PNG” and the input data format of function B is “PNG”, the output data format matches the input data format. Therefore, the function B (application) can be registered in the workflow after the function A (application). FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions that cannot be combined when creating a workflow. As shown in FIG. 14, the output data format of function A is “PNG” and the input data format of function B is “PDF”, so the output data format and the input data format do not match. Therefore, function B (application) cannot be registered in the workflow following function A (application). As described above, in the example of FIGS. 13 and 14, when creating a workflow, an example of a function (app) that can be combined with a function (app) that is combined last and a function (app) that cannot be combined. This is an example.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a combination of functions (applications) registered in a workflow. As shown in FIG. 15, the workflow scans an image with the first function (application), and stores the scanned image data in a storage (server device) on the network with the second function (application). . Next, identification information (URI) for accessing the image data stored by the third function (application) is displayed or printed out as a QR code (registered trademark) on the display unit 213. If the third function (application) is replaced with a mail application, the URI of the scanned image data can be transmitted to the user by mail. As described above, the MFP 1 according to the present embodiment can perform flexible processing according to user needs.

  Next, the flow of workflow registration will be described. FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram of workflow registration. First, the application cooperation unit 217 registers the workflow created on the workflow creation screen as described above (step S21) in the storage unit 218 (database) (step S22). The application cooperation unit 217 transmits a registration request for registering an icon for starting the registered workflow on the home screen to the display control unit 214 (step S23). The display control unit 214 arranges the workflow with the registered name and registers it on the home screen (step S24). The display control unit 214 transmits an icon registration completion notification to the application cooperation unit 217 as a response to the registration request (step S25). The application cooperation unit 217 receives the icon registration completion notification and transmits a home screen display request to the display control unit 214 (step S26). The display control unit 214 receives the home screen display request and performs control to display the home screen on the display unit 213 (step S27).

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a workflow registered on the home screen. As shown in FIG. 17, a workflow A (registered name) icon 248 for calling and executing a registered workflow is additionally arranged on the home screen.

  Next, execution of workflow processing will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the execution of workflow processing. First, when the user presses the workflow A icon 248 shown in FIG. 17, an application cooperation operation reception screen (UI screen) shown in FIG. 19 is displayed. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application cooperation operation reception screen. As shown in FIG. 19, on the operation reception screen, a registered name: workflow A, an icon 261 for “execution” of the workflow, an icon 262 for “return” to the previous screen, and the like are displayed. When the execution icon 261 is pressed, the application cooperation unit 217 accepts workflow execution (step S31). Next, the application cooperation unit 217 processes the reading of the workflow A registered in the storage unit 218 (step S32). The data read at this time is correspondence information in which the execution order, the information for starting the function, and the metadata of the function shown in FIG. 8 are associated with each other as shown in FIG. Next, the application cooperation unit 217 reads a function (application) to be executed from the read data (step S33). That is, the function (application) to be executed in order is read from all the data in the workflow execution order.

  Next, the application cooperation unit 217 determines from the correspondence information illustrated in FIG. 12 whether the function (application) to be executed is “none of the functions (applications on the controller side to be used)” (step S34). That is, with reference to the correspondence information in FIG. 12 read from the workflow, for example, the function on the controller side to be used corresponding to the function (application) in the execution order 1 is confirmed. Then, it is determined whether or not the application uses the function (application) on the main body 10 side (in the example of FIG. 12, the application in the execution order 1 is determined to be an application that uses the scan function on the controller side). When the function item on the controller side to be used is not “none” (step S34: No), that is, when the function (application) on the main body unit 10 side is used, the synchronization processing unit 221 corresponds to the application of the operation unit 20. Processing for starting an application on the controller side (main body unit 10) is performed (step S35). That is, the application activation control unit 220 analyzes the code-containing application correspondence information in the xml code of the application activated by the operation unit 20, acquires information specifying the application of the main body unit 10, and sends the operation unit to the synchronization processing unit 221. A request for processing to activate and synchronize an application to be activated in the main body unit 10 corresponding to the application activated in 20 is performed, and the synchronization processing unit 221 synchronizes the application in the operation unit 20 and the application in the main body unit 10. I do. Then, the process proceeds to step S36.

  When it is “none” (step S34: Yes), that is, when the function (application) on the main body unit 10 side is not used, the application activation control unit 220 operates with the operation unit 20 requested by the application cooperation unit 217. A first application (for example, a scan application) to be activated is started (step S36), and control to execute the process is performed (step S37). Next, the application cooperation unit 217 determines whether or not the controller-side application has been activated (step S38). If activated (step S38: Yes), the application activation control unit 220 transmits a request for processing to activate the home application on the controller side to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10. The activation control unit 112 accepts the activation request for the home application and activates the home application (step S39).

  If not activated (step S38: No), the application cooperation unit 217 determines whether or not the data has a function (application) to be executed next (step S40). When there is a function (application) to be executed next (step S40: Yes), the process proceeds to step S33 and the process is repeated. If there is no function (application) to be executed next (step S40: No), the process ends.

  Next, the process in step S35 will be described. FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram of application activation on the controller side. A negative determination is made in step S34. That is, there is a “function (application) on the controller side to be used” of the function (application) to be executed (step S51).

  The application activation control unit 220 of the application cooperation unit 217 transmits an application activation request on the controller side corresponding to the application of the operation unit 20 to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S52). The synchronization processing unit 221 transmits an application activation request activated on the controller (main body unit 10) side corresponding to the application activated by the operation unit 20 to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10 (step S53). The activation control unit 112 activates the corresponding application based on the application activation request (step S54). When the application is activated, the activation control unit 112 transmits an activation completion notification to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S55). The synchronization processing unit 221 receives the activation completion notification and transmits the activation completion notification to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S56).

  Next, the process in step S39 will be described. FIG. 21 is a sequence diagram of home application activation on the controller side. A positive determination is made in step S38. That is, this is a case where an application on the controller side has been activated (step S61). The application activation control unit 220 of the application cooperation unit 217 transmits a home application activation request on the controller side to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S62). The synchronization processing unit 221 transmits a home application activation request activated by the controller (main body unit 10) to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10 (step S63). The activation control unit 112 activates the corresponding home application based on the home application activation request (step S64). When the home application is activated, the activation control unit 112 transmits an activation completion notification to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S65). The synchronization processing unit 221 receives the activation completion notification and transmits the activation completion notification to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S66).

  As described above, according to the processing flow described with reference to FIGS. 18, 20, and 21 described above, when application activation requests for applications are received from the application cooperation unit 217 in the order registered in the workflow, activation requests are issued. If the application of the operation unit 20 is an application that uses the function (application) of the main unit 10, the synchronization processing unit 221 synchronizes the application of the operation unit 20 with the application of the main unit 10 corresponding to the application of the operation unit 20. By performing the processing to be performed, the application activated by the operation unit 20 and the application activated by the main body unit 10 can be synchronized. That is, in the present embodiment, even when a plurality of apps are executed in the order of the workflow, the switching of the application to be activated by the operation unit is synchronized with the switching to the application to be activated by the main body corresponding to the application of the operation unit to be switched. Can be made.

  Next, the case where the process of starting the corresponding application in step S54 in the sequence diagram for starting the application on the controller side shown in FIG. 20 fails will be described. FIG. 22 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing in a case where application activation on the controller side fails.

  First, there is a case where there is a “function (application) on the controller side to be used” of the function (application) to be executed (step S71). The application activation control unit 220 of the application cooperation unit 217 transmits an application activation request on the controller side corresponding to the application of the operation unit 20 to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S72). The synchronization processing unit 221 transmits an application activation request activated on the controller (main body unit 10) side corresponding to the application activated by the operation unit 20 to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10 (step S73). The activation control unit 112 activates the corresponding application based on the application activation request (step S74). If the activation of the application fails, the activation control unit 112 transmits an activation failure notification to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S75). The synchronization processing unit 221 receives the activation failure notification and transmits the activation failure notification to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S76). The application activation control unit 220 activates an activation request retry timeout timer (step S77). Thereafter, the same processing is repeated until the start completion notification is received or until the timeout timer times out (a predetermined time elapses).

  That is, the application activation control unit 220 of the application cooperation unit 217 transmits an application activation request on the controller side corresponding to the application of the operation unit 20 to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S78). The synchronization processing unit 221 transmits an application activation request activated on the controller (main body unit 10) side corresponding to the application activated by the operation unit 20 to the activation control unit 112 of the main body unit 10 (step S79). The activation control unit 112 activates the corresponding application based on the application activation request (step S80). If the activation of the application fails, the activation control unit 112 transmits an activation failure notification to the synchronization processing unit 221 (step S81). The synchronization processing unit 221 receives the activation failure notification and transmits the activation failure notification to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S82).

  Next, the application cooperation part 217 transmits an error message to the display control part 214, when time-out (step S83) (step S84). The display control unit 214 receives the error message and displays the error message on the display unit 213 (step S85). The user sees the error message and presses the error confirmation button (step S86). The operation accepting unit 215 accepts the error confirmation and transmits an error confirmation notification to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S87). The application cooperation unit 217 receives the error confirmation notification and performs a start request end process (step S88).

  In the sequence diagram for starting the home application on the controller side shown in FIG. 21, even when the process for starting the home application in step S64 fails, the processing sequence for the activation request retry described in FIG. 22 is executed.

  Next, data transfer processing between functions (applications) executed in the execution order registered in the workflow will be described. FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram of data transfer processing between functions to be executed (applications). That is, the application B is started after the application A.

  First, the application A transmits a data storage request including data to the application cooperation unit 217 at an arbitrary timing during execution (step S101). The application cooperation unit 217 assigns an ID (data ID) for identifying the data to the received data and stores it in the storage unit 218 (step S102). The application cooperation unit 217 transmits the data ID to the application A (step S103). At the end of execution, the application A transmits the data ID of data to be transmitted (desired to be transferred) to the next application B to the application cooperation unit 217 (step S104). The application cooperation unit 217 holds the received data ID (step S105).

  Next, the application cooperation unit 217 transmits the data ID received and held from the application A to the application B when the execution of the application B is started (step S106). The application B holds the received data ID (step S107). The application B transmits a data acquisition request to the application cooperation unit 217 using the data ID at an arbitrary timing (step S108). The application cooperation unit 217 transmits data stored in the storage unit 218 associated with the received data ID to the application B (step S109). The app B acquires data (step S110). When the execution of the processing of all functions (applications) registered in the workflow is completed, the application cooperation unit 217 deletes all data held in the storage unit 218 and ends the processing (step S111).

  By using the above processing method, each application can send and receive (transfer) data between functions (applications) in a unified manner, and user data at the time of workflow execution can be deleted. .

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when application activation requests for applications are received from the application cooperation unit 217 in the order registered in the workflow, the application of the operation unit 20 requested to activate is a function of the main body unit 10. In the case of an application that uses (application), the synchronization processing unit 221 performs processing to synchronize the application of the operation unit 20 and the application of the main body unit 10 corresponding to the application of the operation unit 20, thereby starting the operation unit 20. The advantageous effect that the running application and the running application on the main unit 10 can be synchronized can be achieved.

  Although the embodiments according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

  The software (program) executed by the image forming apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment is a file in an installable format or an executable format, and is a floppy (registered trademark) disk, CD (Compact Disc), CD-R ( Computer-readable recording media such as compact disc-recordable (CD), compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), SD memory card, and universal serial bus memory (USB memory) You may comprise so that it may record and provide.

  Furthermore, the software (program) executed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. . The software (program) executed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  The software (program) executed by the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a module configuration including the above-described functional units. As hardware for realizing this, CPUs (processors) 11 and 21 are the ROM 12. The execution code of the program that realizes each function unit is loaded onto the RAMs 13 and 23 by reading out the software (program) from the program 22 and executing the program, and the function units are generated on the RAMs 13 and 23. ing.

  In the above embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present invention has been described by taking an example in which the image forming apparatus 1 is applied to a multifunction machine having at least two functions among a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. The present invention can be applied to any image forming apparatus such as a printer, a scanner apparatus, and a facsimile apparatus.

  Many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiment within the scope of the present invention. Within the scope of the invention described in the claims, embodiments other than those described as the above-described embodiments can also be used as embodiments of the present invention.

  It is possible to implement the present invention by programming a conventional computer to implement the invention described in this specification by information processing technology related to the computer architecture and arithmetic processing. An engineer with knowledge in the field of software technology can create software for programming a computer to implement the present invention based on the description herein.

  Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or an apparatus configured by connecting conventional circuit modules if it is an engineer who has knowledge in the field of information processing technology. . Each of the functions described in the embodiments can be realized by one or a plurality of processing circuits. Here, the “processing circuit” in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, and hardware such as an ASIC and a circuit module designed to execute each function.

1 MFP (image forming device)
10 Body 11 CPU
12 ROM
13 RAM
14 HDD
15 Communication I / F
16 Connection I / F
17 Print engine (image forming unit)
18 System bus 20 Operation unit 21 CPU
22 ROM
23 RAM
24 Flash memory 25 Communication I / F
26 Connection I / F
27 Operation panel 28 External connection I / F
29 System Bus 30 Network 31 Wireless LANAP
101 application layer 102 service layer 103 OS layer 111 communication unit 112 activation control unit 113 storage unit 201 application layer 202 service layer 203 OS layer 211 communication unit 212 input / output unit 213 display unit 214 display control unit 215 operation reception unit 216 notification unit 217 Application linkage unit 218 Storage unit 220 Application activation control unit 221 Synchronization processing unit 222 Application registration unit 230 Banner area 231 Copy key 232 Fax key 233 Scanner key 234 Printer key 235 Browser key 236 Stop key 237 Home key 238 Status confirmation key 241 Copy icon 242 Fax icon 243 Scan icon 244 Printer icon 245 Application link icon 246 Application B icon 247 Browser icon 248 Workflow A icon 251 Kufuro creation icon 252 workflow list icon 253 Back icon 255,256,257 area 261 execution icon 262 Back icon 300 communication channel

JP 2014-95986 A

Claims (13)

An operation unit that receives an operation; and a main body unit that operates according to an operation received by the operation unit, wherein the operation unit includes a first operating system, and the main body unit includes a second operating system. An image forming apparatus,
The operation unit is
Based on a workflow indicating the execution order of applications registered in advance, an application cooperation unit that performs control to start the applications in order and execute processing;
When an application activation request for requesting activation of a first application that operates on the first operating system is received from the application cooperation unit, the first application that operates on the first operating system and the second operating system A synchronization processing unit that performs processing for synchronizing the two applications;
An application activation control unit that activates the first application after the synchronization processing in the synchronization processing unit is performed;
Comprising
An image forming apparatus. The synchronization processing unit performs a process of synchronizing the first application and the second application when starting a specific application.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The specific application is an application that uses the function of the main body.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2. An application registration unit that accepts applications to be executed on the first operating system in the order of execution, and registers the applications in the workflow in the order of execution;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. A display unit for displaying a screen for receiving an order of executing the applications;
When the application registration unit accepts the application, it further includes a display control unit that displays only executable applications on the display unit after the last received application.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4. The display control unit
In the application registration unit, after registering the applications in the workflow in the execution order, an image for calling the workflow is arranged on an initial screen for calling an operation reception screen for using a plurality of functions of the operation unit.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5. The application cooperation unit
Store the data processed by the application in the order registered in the workflow in the storage unit,
The display control unit
Display identification information for accessing the data stored in the storage unit on the display unit,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5. The synchronization processing unit repeatedly performs the synchronization processing until a predetermined time elapses when the synchronization processing cannot be completed.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The application cooperation unit assigns and holds identification information to data processed by the application in the order registered in the workflow, and delivers the identification information of the data to the next sequential application that is subsequently started ,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The process to synchronize starts an application to be started on the main body corresponding to the application to be started on the operation unit before starting an application to be started on the operation unit, and then starts on the operation unit. Is the process of starting and synchronizing
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. A program executable by a computer that transmits data including workflow information indicating an execution order of applications to the image forming apparatus;
An operation unit that receives an operation; and a main body unit that operates according to an operation received by the operation unit, wherein the operation unit includes a first operating system, and the main body unit includes a second operating system. An image forming system including an image forming apparatus,
Based on the workflow indicating the execution order of the applications included in the received data, an application cooperation unit that performs control to start the applications in order and execute processing;
When an application activation request for requesting activation of a first application that operates on the first operating system is received from the application cooperation unit, the first application that operates on the first operating system and the second operating system A synchronization processing unit that performs processing for synchronizing the two applications;
The image forming apparatus including an operation unit having an application activation control unit that activates the first application after the synchronization process in the synchronization processing unit is performed;
including,
An image forming system. An operation unit that receives an operation; and a main body unit that operates according to an operation received by the operation unit, wherein the operation unit includes a first operating system, and the main body unit includes a second operating system. An image forming method of an image forming apparatus,
Based on a workflow indicating the execution order of applications registered in advance, an application cooperation step for performing control to start the applications in order and execute processing;
When an application activation request for requesting activation of the first application that operates on the first operating system is received from the application cooperation step, the first application that operates on the first operating system and the second operating system. A synchronization processing step for performing processing for synchronizing the two applications;
An application activation control step of activating the first application after the process of synchronizing in the synchronization process step is performed,
An image forming method. An operation unit that receives an operation; and a main body unit that operates according to an operation received by the operation unit, wherein the operation unit includes a first operating system, and the main body unit includes a second operating system. In the image forming device,
Based on a workflow indicating the execution order of applications registered in advance, an application cooperation step for performing control to start the applications in order and execute processing;
When an application activation request for requesting activation of the first application that operates on the first operating system is received from the application cooperation step, the first application that operates on the first operating system and the second operating system. A synchronization processing step for performing processing for synchronizing the two applications;
An application activation control step of activating the first application after the process of synchronizing in the synchronization processing step is performed;
A program for running

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