JP2018050145A - Information processing system and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing system that can store scan data in an arbitrary folder set by a user.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a function selection part that selects a function to be presented to a user; a storage folder selection part that selects a folder for the user to store scan data; a password receiving part that receives a password for the folder from the user; a scan control part that controls a document reading part to scan a document and create scan data; and a data transmission part that transmits, to a management server, the password acquired from the password receiving part and the scan data acquired from the scan control part. The management server includes: a storage part that stores path information for accessing the folder; a data receiving part that receives the scan data and the password from the image forming apparatus; a user authentication part that performs user authentication for accessing the folder by using the password; and a data storage part that stores the scan data in the folder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method for storing scanned data of a document in a specified folder.

  Conventionally, scan data obtained by scanning a document using a scan function of an image forming apparatus (MFP, Multifunction Peripheral) is stored in a specific folder of a server (see Patent Document 1). .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-32425

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, in order to move scan data to a specific folder of a user's PC (Personal Computer) that actually uses the scanned data, the user accesses the server and downloads the data that the user wants to download. And you had to move the data explicitly.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system and an information processing method capable of storing scan data in an arbitrary folder set by a user.

  In order to achieve the above object, an information processing system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a network-connected image forming apparatus and a management server, and the image forming apparatus includes a first communication unit capable of network communication. A document reading unit that scans a document and generates scan data, a login reception unit that receives a login by a user, and a function provided to the user among the functions of the user apparatus based on the user's instruction A function selection unit; a storage folder selection unit that selects a folder in which the user stores the scan data based on an instruction of the user; a password reception unit that receives a password of the folder from the user; and the document reading unit. Scan control to scan the document and generate the scan data And the data acquired from the password acceptance unit and a data transmission unit that transmits the scan data acquired from the scan control unit to the management server, wherein the management server is a second communication capable of network communication. A storage unit that stores path information for accessing the folder, a data receiving unit that receives the scan data and the password from the image forming apparatus, and the pass using the received password. A user authentication unit that performs user authentication for accessing the folder specified by the information; and a data storage unit that stores the received scan data in the folder specified by the path information. Therefore, the scan data can be saved in an arbitrary folder set by the user.

  In order to achieve the above object, an information processing method according to an aspect of the present invention is an information processing method in an information processing system including a network-connected image forming apparatus and a management server, wherein the image forming apparatus logs in A reception unit receives login by a user, and a function selection unit of the image forming apparatus selects a function to be provided to the user from among functions of the apparatus based on an instruction from the user. A storage folder selection unit selects a folder in which the user stores scan data based on an instruction from the user, a password receiving unit of the image forming apparatus receives a password of the folder from the user, and the image forming apparatus Scan control unit controls the document reading unit to scan the document, and The data transmission unit of the image forming apparatus transmits the password acquired from the password reception unit and the scan data acquired from the scan control unit to the management server, and the data reception unit of the management server The scan data and the password are received from the image forming apparatus, and the user authentication unit of the management server uses the received password to access the folder specified by the path information for accessing the folder. User authentication for access is performed, and the data storage unit of the management server stores the received scan data in the folder specified by the path information.

  As described above, according to the present invention, scan data can be stored in an arbitrary folder set by the user.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the whole flow roughly. It is a block diagram in case the management server 10 is comprised by a general computer. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 20. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the part regarding a prior setting among the flow of processing in the information processing system. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the part which scans a document and stores it in a folder as scan data among the flow of processing in the information processing system.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Overall configuration and overall flow]
First, the overall configuration and overall flow of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The information processing system 1 includes a management server 10 and an image forming apparatus 20 that are connected to a network.

  In the management server 10, a folder on the PC 30 designated by the user in advance is registered as a path, and when the scanned data is received from the image forming apparatus 20, the received data is stored according to the designated path.

  The image forming apparatus 20 is provided with a scan function, and sends data of a document scanned by the user to the management server 10.

  The PC 30 is set with a folder that can be accessed via a network by performing user authentication with a password. In the following description, it is assumed that the user wants to save scanned data in this folder.

Next, the overall flow will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the overall flow.
(1) First, the administrator or the user sets the path (for example, // MyPC / Shared) in the management server 10 in advance so that a specific folder on the PC 30 can be designated as a scan data storage location.

  (2) The user logs in to the image forming apparatus 20.

  (3) The user selects the ScanToFolder function. The ScanToFolder function is a function for sending scanned data to a specific folder and storing it.

  (4) The user selects a folder where scan data is to be saved.

  (5) Enter the password (for example, ABC) of the folder selected by the user.

  (6) The user scans the document using the scan function of the image forming apparatus 20.

  (7) The scan data and password are sent to the management server 10. The scan data may be transmitted by e-mail or the like. The password is preferably transmitted by encrypted communication.

  (8) The management server 10 performs user authentication for accessing the folder in the designated path using the received password.

  (9) The management server 10 stores the scan data in a specific folder according to the specified path. Communication at the time of storing may be performed by SMB (Server Message Block) or FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

  As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a document is scanned, a password for a folder designated by the user as a storage location of scan data is received.

  Therefore, not only the folder that can be accessed with the access authority used by the process of storing the scan data in the management server 10, but also any folder that can be accessed with the user's access authority is specified as the scan data storage destination, and the scan data is stored. I can do it.

  Heretofore, the overall configuration and overall flow of the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention have been described.

[Management Server Configuration]
Next, the configuration of the management server 10 will be described. The management server 10 may be configured by dedicated hardware or software, or may be configured by a general computer. FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram when the management server 10 is configured by a general computer.

  As shown in the figure, the management server 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an operation input unit 14, and a communication unit 15 (second communication unit). ), A display unit 16, and a storage unit 17, and these blocks are connected via a bus 18.

  The ROM 12 stores a plurality of programs and data such as firmware for executing various processes. The RAM 13 is used as a work area for the CPU 11 and temporarily holds an OS (Operating System), various applications being executed, and various data being processed.

  The storage unit 17 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or other nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 17 stores an OS, various applications, various data, and path information 17a.

  The path information 17a is registered in advance with a folder path for storing scan data obtained by scanning a document with the image forming apparatus 20. In the example described above, the path name “// MyPC / Shared” indicating the folder “Shared” accessible via the network of the PC 30 whose host name is “MyPC” is set.

  The communication unit 15 is connected to a network for exchanging information with the image forming apparatus 20 and the PC 30.

  The CPU 11 develops a program corresponding to an instruction given from the operation input unit 14 among the plurality of programs stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 17 in the RAM 13, and the display unit 16 and the storage unit according to the expanded program. 17 is appropriately controlled.

  The operation input unit 14 is, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, and other operation devices.

  The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, a plasma display, or the like.

  Next, functional blocks realized by executing a program in the CPU 11 will be described.

  The functional blocks implemented in the CPU 11 of the management server 10 are a path setting unit 11a, a data receiving unit 11b, a user authentication unit 11c, and a data storage unit 11d.

  The path setting unit 11a accepts an input from the user and stores the path to the folder of the PC 30 for storing the scanned data in the storage unit 17 as path information 17a.

  The data receiving unit 11b receives the scan data and the password of the folder storing the scan data from the image forming apparatus 20, passes the scan data to the data storage unit 11d, and passes the password to the user authentication unit 11c.

  The user authentication unit 11c performs user authentication for accessing the folder specified by the path information 17a using the password passed from the data reception unit 11b.

  The data storage unit 11d stores the scan data passed from the data reception unit 11b in the folder of the PC 30 specified by the path information.

  The configuration of the management server 10 has been described above.

[Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus]
Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 20 will be described. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 20.

  The image forming apparatus 20 includes a control unit 21. The control unit 21 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a dedicated hardware circuit, and the like, and governs overall operation control of the image forming apparatus 20.

  The control unit 21 includes a document reading unit 22, an image processing unit 23, an image memory 24, an image forming unit 25, an operation unit 26, a display unit 26a, a facsimile communication unit 27, a communication unit 28 (first communication unit), and a storage unit. 29 and the like. The control unit 21 performs operation control of each of the above connected units, and transmission / reception of signals or data to / from each unit.

  The control unit 21 performs operation control on each function such as a scanner function, a print function, a copy function, and a facsimile transmission / reception function in accordance with a job execution instruction input from the user through the operation unit 26 or a network-connected PC. Controls the drive and processing of the mechanisms necessary to execute.

  The control unit 21 includes a login reception unit 21a, a function selection unit 21b, a save folder selection unit 21c, a password reception unit 21d, a scan control unit 21e, and a data transmission unit 21f. The login reception unit 21a, function selection unit 21b, storage folder selection unit 21c, password reception unit 21d, scan control unit 21e, and data transmission unit 21f are executed by the CPU executing a program loaded from the ROM or the like to the RAM. It is a functional block that is realized.

  The login receiving unit 21a receives a login to the image forming apparatus 20 by a user and performs a login process.

  The function selection unit 21b selects a function provided to the user from among the functions of the image forming apparatus 20 based on a user instruction.

  The save folder selection unit 21c selects a folder in which the user saves scan data. Note that information regarding a folder as an option may be stored in the image forming apparatus 20 or acquired from the management server 10.

  The password receiving unit 21d receives the password of the folder in which the user saves the scan data from the user.

  The scan control unit 21e controls the document reading unit 22 to scan the document and obtain scan data.

  The data transmission unit 21f sends the password acquired from the password reception unit 21d and the scan data acquired from the scan control unit 21e to the management server 10.

  The document reading unit 22 reads an image from a document.

  The image processing unit 23 performs image processing on the image data of the image read by the document reading unit 22 as necessary. For example, the image processing unit 23 performs image processing such as shading correction in order to improve the quality after the image read by the document reading unit 22 is formed.

  The image memory 24 is an area for temporarily storing data of a document image obtained by reading by the document reading unit 22 and temporarily storing data to be printed by the image forming unit 25.

  The image forming unit 25 forms an image such as the image data read by the document reading unit 22.

  The operation unit 26 includes a touch panel unit and operation key units that receive instructions from the user regarding various operations and processes that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 20. The touch panel unit includes a display unit 26a such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) provided with a touch panel.

  The facsimile communication unit 27 includes an encoding / decoding unit, a modulation / demodulation unit, and an NCU (Network Control Unit) (not shown), and performs facsimile transmission using a public telephone line network.

  The communication unit 28 includes a communication module such as a LAN board, and transmits and receives various data to and from a device (such as a PC) such as the management server 10 via a LAN or the like connected to the communication unit 28.

  The storage unit 29 stores a document image read by the document reading unit 22. The storage unit 29 is a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD.

  The configuration of the image forming apparatus 20 has been described above.

[Processing flow (preliminary settings)]
Next, the part regarding the prior setting in the processing flow in the information processing system 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a portion related to the presetting in the processing flow in the information processing system 1.

  As shown in this figure, the administrator or user of the management server 10 inputs the path of a folder for storing scan data to the path setting unit 11a of the management server 10 in advance.

  The path setting unit 11a stores the input path in the storage unit 17 as path information 17a.

  Heretofore, the part related to the pre-setting in the processing flow in the information processing system 1 has been described.

[Processing flow (scan data storage)]
Next, a part of the processing flow in the information processing system 1 that scans a document and stores it in a folder as scan data will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a portion of the processing flow in the information processing system 1 that scans a document and stores it in a folder as scan data.

  First, the login accepting unit 21a accepts a user login to the image forming apparatus 20 (step S10).

  Next, based on an instruction from the user, the function selecting unit 21b selects the ScanToFolder function (step S11).

  Next, based on an instruction from the user, the save folder selection unit 21c selects a folder as a save destination of the scanned data (step S12).

  Next, the password receiving unit 21d receives the password of the folder selected by the user (step S13).

  Next, the scan control unit 21e scans the document using the document reading unit 22, and generates scan data (step S14).

  Next, the data transmission unit 21f transmits the input password and the generated scan data to the management server 10 (step S15).

  Next, the data receiving unit 11b of the management server 10 receives the password and scan data transmitted from the image forming apparatus 20 (step S16).

  Next, the user authentication unit 11c performs user authentication in the selected folder using the received password (step S17).

  Next, the data storage unit 11d stores the received scan data in the selected folder (step S18).

  In the foregoing, the part of the processing flow in the information processing system 1 that scans a document and stores it in a folder as scan data has been described.

[Additional notes]
As described above, the information processing system 1 of the present invention includes the image forming apparatus 20 and the management server 10 connected via a network, and the image forming apparatus 20 includes the first communication unit 28 capable of network communication, A document reading unit 22 that scans a document and generates scan data, a login reception unit 21a that receives login by the user, and a function provided to the user among the functions of the apparatus 20 based on the user's instruction. A function selection unit 21b to select; a storage folder selection unit 21c for the user to select a folder for storing the scan data based on an instruction of the user; a password reception unit 21d for receiving a password of the folder from the user; The document reading unit 22 is controlled to scan the document, and the scan is performed. A scan control unit 21e for generating data, the password acquired from the password reception unit 21d, and a data transmission unit 21f for transmitting the scan data acquired from the scan control unit 21e to the management server 10. The management server 10 receives the scan data and the password from the second communication unit 15 capable of network communication, the storage unit 17 in which path information 17a for accessing the folder is stored, and the image forming apparatus 20. A data receiving unit 11b to receive, a user authentication unit 11c for performing user authentication for accessing the folder specified by the path information 17a using the received password, and the received scan data to the pass Store in the folder specified by the information 17a And a chromatography data storage unit 11d.

  Therefore, the scan data can be saved in an arbitrary folder set by the user.

  In addition, this invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, Of course, various changes can be added within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information processing system 10 ... Management server 11 ... CPU
11a ... Path setting unit 11b ... Data receiving unit 11c ... User authentication unit 11d ... Data storage unit 12 ... ROM
13 ... RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 ... Operation input part 15 ... Communication part 16 ... Display part 17 ... Memory | storage part 17a ... Path information 18 ... Bus 20 ... Image forming apparatus 21 ... Control part 21a ... Login reception part 21b ... Function selection part 21c ... Storage folder selection part 21d ... Password accepting unit 21e ... Scan control unit 21f ... Data transmitting unit 22 ... Document reading unit 23 ... Image processing unit 24 ... Image memory 25 ... Image forming unit 26 ... Operation unit 26a ... Display unit 27 ... Facsimile communication unit 28 ... Communication unit 29 ... Memory part

Claims (2)

A network-connected image forming apparatus and a management server;
The image forming apparatus includes:
A first communication unit capable of network communication;
An original reading unit that scans an original and generates scan data;
A login acceptance unit that accepts logins by users;
Based on the user's instructions, a function selection unit that selects a function to be provided to the user from among the functions of the device,
A storage folder selection unit for selecting a folder in which the user stores the scan data based on an instruction of the user;
A password receiving unit for receiving the password of the folder from the user;
A scan control unit that controls the document reading unit to scan the document and generate the scan data;
The password acquired from the password reception unit, and a data transmission unit that transmits the scan data acquired from the scan control unit to the management server,
The management server is
A second communication unit capable of network communication;
A storage unit storing path information for accessing the folder;
A data receiving unit for receiving the scan data and the password from the image forming apparatus;
A user authentication unit that performs user authentication for accessing the folder specified by the path information using the received password;
An information processing system comprising: a data storage unit that stores the received scan data in the folder specified by the path information. An information processing method in an information processing system including an image forming apparatus and a management server connected via a network,
A login reception unit of the image forming apparatus receives a login by a user;
Based on the user's instruction, the function selection unit of the image forming apparatus selects a function to be provided to the user from among the functions of the apparatus,
The storage folder selection unit of the image forming apparatus selects a folder in which the user stores scan data based on an instruction from the user,
A password receiving unit of the image forming apparatus receives the password of the folder from the user;
The scan control unit of the image forming apparatus controls the document reading unit to scan the document, to generate the scan data,
The data transmission unit of the image forming apparatus transmits the password acquired from the password reception unit and the scan data acquired from the scan control unit to the management server,
A data receiving unit of the management server receives the scan data and the password from the image forming apparatus;
The user authentication unit of the management server performs user authentication for accessing the folder specified by the path information for accessing the folder, using the received password,
An information processing method, wherein a data storage unit of the management server stores the received scan data in the folder specified by the path information.

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