JP2004312755A - Scanner control apparatus, scanner control system, and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scanner control system capable of using a scanner connected to a network from an application similarly to a locally connected scanner. <P>SOLUTION: A driver 10 of a client 1 is provided with: a transmitting part 15 capable of packetizing and launching an operating command for operating a scanner 2 via a network 2; and a receiving part 16 capable of extracting a response command from packet data. A management device 30, to which the scanner 2 is connected, is provided with: a receiving function 52 capable of extracting the operating command from the packet data and providing it to the scanner 2; and a transmitting function 53 capable of packetizing a response command from the scanner and transmitting it to the client 1. Thus, the operating command of the driver 10 is supplied via the network, the response command from the scanner 2 can be returned to the driver 10 via the network, and the scanner on the network can be operated by the operating command and the response command. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology related to a scanner supporting a network, and more particularly to a technology using a locally connected scanner via a network.

FIG. 18 shows an outline in which a scanner 2 is attached to a client 1 such as a personal computer (personal computer). The scanner 2 is connected to the client 1 via a serial interface such as a SCSI interface 3 or a parallel interface such as a Centronics interface, and a driver 4 for controlling the scanner 2 is installed in the client 1.
Then, when an application 6 operating on the OS 5 and capable of processing image data attempts to input image data using the scanner 2, the driver 4 is called. The scanner 4 is set using the driver 4, and image data is acquired from the scanner 2 and stored in a recording medium such as the hard disk 7 as an image data file in a data format that can be processed by the application 6.

  As a driver 4 for controlling the scanner 2, a TWAIN driver developed for providing a common interface or protocol for controlling peripheral devices for image input such as a scanner to the application software 6 is often used. I have. The TWAIN driver 4 includes an application corresponding unit 11 that provides a common API to the application 6, an operation unit 12 that generates a scanner-specific or scanner-maker-specific operation command that can operate the scanner 2 based on the API, and a scanner 2 And an image data acquisition unit 13 for converting the image data acquired from the image data into an appropriate file format and storing the converted image data in a recording medium such as the hard disk 7. The operation unit 12 further sets detailed scanner conditions when the TWAIN driver 4 is called, displays a dialog box for directly controlling the scanner 2, generates an operation command, and generates the operation command. It has a function to control.

  In recent years, the capabilities of clients have been improved, and opportunities for processing image data have increased, and jobs requiring scanners, especially color scanners, have increased. High-performance scanners, such as high-resolution color scanners, are being reduced in cost but are still expensive, and require installation space. Further, in consideration of the frequency of use of the scanner, connecting a color scanner to each client is often excessive. Therefore, in an office where a plurality of clients are installed, a scanner is often installed for each of a plurality of clients, and in particular, when a color scanner is introduced, a limited number of color scanners are installed for a plurality of clients. Installation will be considered.

  When the client is connected to a computer network such as Ethernet (hereinafter referred to as a network), the scanner performs a process of capturing image data with a locally connected client, and then sends the image data to its own client via the network. With this operation, the scanner can be shared. However, for a locally connected scanner, installing a TWAIN driver allows the scanner to be controlled from within the application without having to exit from the application. When using a scanner, it is very troublesome if the image data cannot be obtained unless the user operates another client to import the image data. On the other hand, connecting a color scanner locally to each client is inefficient in terms of cost, space, operation frequency, and the like.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to enable a scanner connected to a network to be operated and controlled in the same manner as a locally connected scanner. It is another object of the present invention to provide a control system, a control device, and a control method for sharing a scanner via a network. It is another object of the present invention to provide a control system, a control device, and a control method capable of reliably using a data input function via a network. Another object of the present invention is to provide a control device and a control method capable of suppressing an increase in network load such as an increase in traffic when controlling a scanner having many setting conditions via a network.

  For this reason, in the present invention, in order to enable control of the scanner via the network, a scanner controller corresponding to the network is provided on the client side and the scanner side, and the scanner control unit on the client side operates the operation generated by the operation unit. The command is sent out via the network, the sent response command is extracted and supplied to the operation unit, while the scanner control unit on the scanner side extracts the supplied operation command and supplies it to the scanner body. A system capable of sending a response command via a network is provided.

  That is, the scanner control system according to the present invention comprises a first scanner control device (a scanner control device on the scanner side) having a scanner interface capable of exchanging data with a scanner body capable of scanning a document and acquiring image data. A scanner control system including a first scanner control device and a second scanner control device (client-side scanner control device) capable of transmitting and receiving data via a computer network. The scanner control device generates an operation command for the scanner body, analyzes an response command returned in response to the operation command, operates the scanner body, and an image data acquisition unit that can acquire image data, An operation command is transmitted to the first scanner control device via the computer network, and the first A network corresponding unit capable of extracting a response command or image data from data received from the canner control device, wherein the first scanner control device has a network interface capable of transmitting and receiving data via a computer network; An operation command is extracted from the data received from the second scanner control device, supplied to the scanner main body, a response command obtained from the scanner main body is transmitted to the second scanner control device, and further obtained by the scanner main body. A control unit capable of transmitting image data via a computer network.

  Also, according to the present invention, a first scanner control device capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from a scanner body capable of acquiring image data by scanning an original can transmit and receive data via a computer network. The scanner control method for controlling the scanner body by transmitting an operation command for the scanner body from the second scanner control device is characterized by, for example, including the following steps.

1. An operation command generation step of generating the operation command in the second scanner control device.
2. An operation command transmission step of transmitting an operation command to the first scanner control device via a computer network.
3. An operation command supply step of extracting an operation command from data transmitted from the second scanner control device and supplying the operation command to the scanner main body.
4. A response command transmitting step of transmitting a response command obtained from the scanner main body to the second scanner control device.
5. A response command supply step of extracting a response command from the data returned from the first scanner control device.
6. A response command analysis step of analyzing the response command and grasping the operation status of the scanner body.

  In the scanner control device, the scanner control system, the control method, and the recording medium according to the present invention, the transmission and reception of the command and the transmission and reception of image data can be performed, for example, by packetizing data.

  In the scanner control system or control method according to the present invention, an operation command is transmitted from the second scanner control device to the scanner main body via the network, and a response command from the scanner main body is received via the network for extraction and analysis. ing. For this reason, the operation unit can perform processing using an operation command and a response command as in the conventional TWAIN driver. Therefore, it is possible to provide an application with the same interface as that obtained by locally connecting the scanner.

  For this reason, by installing the network-compatible scanner control device of the present invention, for example, a network-compatible TWAIN driver, if the application is a TWAIN-compatible application, the scanner is connected via the network in the same manner as when the scanner is locally connected. To operate and use the scanner. For this reason, the user can operate the scanner on the network from the application running on the client.

  Furthermore, since operation commands and response commands transmitted / received to / from a locally connected scanner are transmitted and received via the network as they are, the overhead involved in data conversion during transmission / reception can be reduced, and the processing speed can be reduced. Can be improved.

  On the side of the first scanner control device, the operation command extracted from the received data is supplied to the scanner main body, and the response command supplied from the scanner main body can be sent out to the network. For this reason, the scanner main body can receive the operation command and return the response command in the same manner as in the related art, and can correspond to the network by using the local connection specification. The first scanner controller may be provided as an independent controller, and a conventional scanner may be connected to the first scanner controller via an interface such as SCSI. It is also possible to provide a scanner compatible with a network by integrating the scanner controller and the scanner body.

  The second scanner control device can also be provided as software dedicated to scanner operation on the client, and, like the TWAIN driver, an application corresponding unit for exchanging data between the operation unit and the image data acquisition unit and the application. To make it available to applications.

  The scanner connected to the network is a peripheral device shared by a plurality of clients. However, unlike an output type peripheral device such as a printer, a shared service for simultaneously outputting image data to a plurality of users cannot be provided, and while a connection is established with a client of a certain user and scanner parameters are set, Alternatively, while image data is being read, it is not possible to change the parameter settings to accommodate other users, or to read other users' originals.

  Therefore, in the scanner control system of the present invention, the control unit of the first scanner control device is accessed from another second scanner control device while being connected to one second scanner control device via a computer network. In this case, a lock function for returning lock information indicating that use is impossible to another second scanner control device is provided so that a connection with another second scanner control device, that is, another client is not established. ing. The scanner is connected not only to the client but also to a printer on a network or a locally connected printer, and can be used for copy processing of outputting image data read by the scanner to the printer. The scanner cannot be used via the network during the copying process. Therefore, it is desirable that the lock mechanism returns the lock information even during the copy process so that the connection is not established.

  On the other hand, in the second scanner control device, when the network corresponding unit receives the lock information, the connection can be confirmed by outputting at least a part of the lock information. Further, if the lock information contains information on the client in use, for example, a domain name or an IP address, displaying the information makes it possible to identify the user in use, which is convenient.

  When the control unit of the first scanner control device is in use via the computer network, a lock display indicating that the first scanner control device is in use via the network is displayed on the local operation panel of the first scanner control device. It is desirable. When setting an original on the scanner, it is clear whether or not the original is in use.Therefore, it is possible to remove the original for which image data is being acquired or to start a local or network copy. Can be prevented.

  Further, a stop button is provided on the local operation panel on the first scanner control device side, and even if the stop button is operated via the computer network, the connection is released when the stop button is operated. It is desirable to keep it. If the scanner is erroneously left connected, the scanner can be opened to other users by pressing the stop button. Further, when an erroneous document is set on the document table or the document feeder, the job can be canceled on the scanner side.

  Further, a start button is provided on the local operation panel on the first scanner control device side, and when the start button is operated during connection with the second scanner control device via the computer network, the start button is addressed to the second scanner control device. It is desirable to be able to transmit trigger information for starting image data capture processing. Further, it is preferable that the network corresponding unit of the second scanner control device has a trigger function that, upon receiving the trigger information, activates the image data acquisition unit or starts a series of processes leading to the activation. With this start function, when a document is set on the scanner main body, the scanner can start processing to capture image data without returning to the client.

  The operation command or response command transmitted and received between the first and second scanner control devices can be packetized and transmitted for each operation command or each response command, but is set like a scanner. In a peripheral device having a large number of parameters, transmission / reception of a command may increase traffic on a network. For this reason, the network corresponding unit of the second scanner control device has a buffering function of buffering and transmitting a plurality of operation commands supplied from the operation unit, and the control unit of the first scanner control device has a buffering function. It is desirable to provide a decoding function for decoding a plurality of buffered operation commands and supplying each operation command to the scanner body. The same applies to the response command. That is, traffic can be reduced by accumulating (buffering) operation commands or response commands and transmitting and receiving a plurality of commands in a common (eg, one) packet, thereby reducing the load on the network. be able to.

  However, when all operation commands or response commands are buffered and transmitted / received, an operation command having an urgency, or an operation command for performing the next operation after waiting for a response command, for example, an operation command for requesting a status is buffered. If this happens, the control of the scanner will not proceed smoothly, and the processing speed will decrease. For this reason, in the buffering function, the operation command or the response command designated as buffering is buffered and transmitted, and the through command, that is, the operation command designated to be transmitted and received independently without buffering, is specified. Alternatively, by transmitting the response command without buffering, the network load can be reduced, and the operation of the scanner can be smoothly and rapidly performed.

  Further, when the operation command or the response command designated as the through is supplied, the buffered operation command or the response command is transmitted, and thereafter, the operation command or the response command designated as the through is transmitted, whereby the buffered data is transmitted. It is possible to operate the scanner without breaking the context of the command specified as a through command with respect to the specified command. Therefore, in response to an operation command requesting a status designated as a through-state, it is possible to return the state of the scanner in which parameters and the like designated before that are already set.

  When buffering an operation command or the like, the operation command or the response command is buffered at a predetermined position in the packet data for each operation command or the response command, thereby compressing the operation command or the response command. It can be transmitted and received in the state where it is done. Therefore, since the data amount can be reduced, the load on the network can be further reduced. In the case where the same parameter is changed in the middle of setting, the parameter is replaced before the command being buffered is transmitted, so that useless response with the scanner can be avoided.

  The scanner control system according to the present invention can be realized as a control program having an instruction capable of executing the above-described processing, and a control program that functions as a first scanner control device is connected to a terminal to which a scanner is locally connected. Alternatively, it can be realized by installing a control program that functions as a second scanner control device by installing it in a scanner as a driver on a client, and connecting these terminals or scanners over a network. These control programs can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a CD-ROM or a ROM, and can be provided or used. Further, the control program may be provided via a network. In this case, a carrier wave in which the control program is materialized as a physical signal is used. As the carrier, for example, a packet is used.

  As described above, the scanner can be shared via the computer network by using the scanner control device, the scanner control system, and the control method of the present invention. In particular, by realizing the second scanner control device as a network-compatible TWAIN driver, it becomes possible to use a scanner on a network with the same operational feeling as using a locally connected scanner. In addition, if the application is a TWAIN-compatible application, the same operation can be performed with a locally connected scanner or a scanner on a network, and the desired image data can be easily transmitted from the scanner to its own terminal by a simple operation. It can be captured and processed by applications.

  In the scanner control device, control system and control method described above, various inventions relating to protection or data exchange for sharing a scanner, which is one of the data input devices, with a plurality of users using a network are described. The disclosed scanner control apparatus, system, and control method according to the present invention enable a scanner to be actually connected to a network and shared by a plurality of users. Therefore, the scanner can be used by a plurality of users, and resources such as a multi-color or high-resolution compatible high-performance scanner can be effectively used.

(Overview of the system)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a scanner control system according to the present invention. The scanner control system 20 of the present embodiment is connected to a network-compatible TWAIN driver (functioning as a second scan control device) 10 installed in a user's personal computer (personal computer) 1 and to the personal computer 1 via a network 22. It is configured in combination with the peripheral device management device 30 that has been set. The TWAIN driver 10 can be installed by a CD-ROM via a CD-ROM reader 200 described later, for example. Of course, it may be preinstalled. Also, for example, it can be downloaded from a server via the Internet and installed. At this time, the program constituting the TWAIN driver 10 can be provided in a form embodied in the form of a physical signal on a carrier wave such as a packet.

  The personal computer 1 has substantially the same configuration as that described with reference to FIG. 18, and a TWAIN-compliant application 6 can operate on an OS (operating system) 5. Further, the personal computer 1 of this example has a hardware interface function such as a LAN card and a software interface function supporting an appropriate network protocol such as TCP / IP in order to exchange data via the network 22. A network interface (network module) 19 is provided, so that the installed network-compatible TWAIN driver 10 can exchange data via a network. The personal computer 1 also includes a hard disk 7 that can store image data obtained by the TWAIN driver 10, a display 8 that can output an appropriate display from an application or the TWAIN driver 10 via the OS 5, and an input device 9 such as a keyboard. Have. Also, a CD-ROM reader 200 for installing programs and the like is connected.

  The TWAIN driver 10 according to the present embodiment includes an application corresponding unit 11 that provides a common API for providing an application 6 with an interface similar to that of a conventional TWAIN driver, and a scanner for operating the scanner 2 based on the API. An operation unit 12 for generating operation commands unique to the scanner or a scanner manufacturer, and an image data acquisition unit 13 for converting image data acquired from the scanner 2 into an appropriate file format and storing the converted data in a recording medium such as the hard disk 7. ing. The operation unit 12 further sets detailed scanner conditions when the TWAIN driver is called, displays a dialog box for directly controlling the scanner 2, generates an operation command, and controls the scanner 2. It also has a function to do.

  In addition to the above, the TWIN driver 10 of the present example is provided with a network corresponding unit 14 for controlling a scanner on a network, and is supplied from the operation unit 12 by a transmission unit 15 of the network corresponding unit 14. The operation command is packetized and transmitted to the scanner via the network 22, and the reception command can be extracted (decoded) from the packet received from the scanner by the reception unit 16 and supplied to the operation unit 12. Further, when receiving the packetized image data, the receiving unit 16 supplies the image data to the image data obtaining unit 13. Further, as will be described in detail later, the driver 10 has a connection confirmation function 17 for displaying lock information provided from the scanner when the scanner on the network is already in use, and a driver transmitted from the scanner via the network. A trigger function 18 for starting a process of acquiring image data based on trigger information is provided.

  The scanner control device on the side of the scanner 2 constituting the scanner control system 20 of the present embodiment is realized as a stand-alone peripheral device management device 30. Of course, other forms such as a network scanner integrated with the scanner 2 are also possible. As shown in FIG. 1, the peripheral device management device 30 of this example supports a network interface 31 for connecting to the network 22 to enable data transmission and reception, and basic functions. An operating system (OS) 32 and a control unit 50 operating on the OS 32 are provided. Further, there are provided interfaces for peripheral devices such as a SCSI interface 33 and a Centronics interface 34, to which the scanner 2 and the printer 35 are connected.

  Software for implementing the control unit 50 can be installed in the hard disk 7 of the peripheral device management device 30 in advance. Of course, all or part of the software can be stored in the ROM. In addition, although not shown, installation can be performed using a CD-ROM reader or the like. It is also possible to install via the network 22 or the Internet.

  Further, the peripheral device management device 30 of the present example is connected to a display such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) and a local operation panel 36 having the functions of an operation panel, and can be controlled by the control unit 50. The peripheral device management device 30 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an interface controller, and a bus for connecting these components, and further includes an information processing device such as a personal computer (personal computer) to which the hard disk 7 and the like are connected. Can be built on base. Of course, some or all of them may be realized by hardware logic.

The network interface 31 of the peripheral device management device 30 has a hardware and software support function for exchanging data via the network 22 similarly to the network interface of the personal computer 1. To exchange data with the personal computer 1 and the like.
The control unit 50 includes a response unit 51 for transmitting and receiving a command via a network. The reception function 52 of the response unit 51 extracts an operation command from packet data received from the personal computer 1 and transmits the operation command to the SCSI interface 33. The data can be supplied to the scanner 2 via the scanner. The transmission function 53 of the response unit 51 can packetize the response command supplied from the scanner 2 and transmit it to the personal computer 1 via the network.

  Further, the control unit 50 provides a lock function to a user who accesses via the network while the scanner 2 is in use, or displays a lock information on the local operation panel 36. A start function 55 for transmitting trigger data via the network when the start button is pressed, and a release function 56 for forcibly releasing the connection when the stop button on the local operation panel 36 is pressed.

  Further, the control unit 50 of the present example has an image data output function 57 for packetizing image data received from the scanner 2 via the SCSI interface 33 and transmitting the packetized data to the personal computer 1 via the network. The image data output function 57 further provides, by operating the operation panel 36, image data obtained by the scanner 2 to the printer 35 locally connected via the Centronics interface 34 to perform a local copy. Further, it also supports a function of providing image data to a network printer (not shown) connected to the network 22 via the network interface 31 to perform network copy.

(Overview of processing)
The outline of the processing of the scanner control system according to the present embodiment including the network-compatible TWAIN driver 10 and the peripheral device management device 30 will be described based on the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

  First, when the network-compatible TWAIN driver (hereinafter referred to as “driver”) 10 is called from the application 6 of the personal computer 1, the driver 10 is started in step 101. When the driver 10 is started, in step 102, an operating environment check such as an OS type and a network environment, for example, a version check of a network module is performed. Then, in step 103, a connection request is sent to the peripheral device management device (hereinafter, management device) 30 via the network 22.

  In the scanner control system of this example, TCP / IP is adopted as a network protocol, and a specific number, for example, 1865, is assigned as a port number for data transmission / reception to the scanner control system. Therefore, the management device 30 waits for a connection request to be sent to the port number in step 301, and returns a response message to the connection request in the processing of step 302 and thereafter when there is a connection request.

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of packet data 60 transmitted and received between the driver 10 and the management device 30 via the network 22 in a subsequent process, such as a response message. The packet data 60 includes 12-byte header data 61 and actual data 62 following the header data (header information) 61. The entire data length is set to a length according to the standard of the network 22 such as Ethernet. The header data 61 includes identification data 63 indicating packet data of the scanner control system, a packet type 64 indicating a type of packetized information, and a data type indicating a compression state of data stored in actual data. 65 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the packet type includes a packet including an operation command in a transparent mode (through), a packet including an operation command in a buffer mode, and a response message to a connection request. A packet, a packet including a response command, a packet for transferring image data, and a packet including trigger information can be distinguished. Therefore, the control unit 50 of the management device or the network corresponding unit 14 of the driver 10 receiving these packets extracts the data from the packets based on the header data 61 and decodes the buffered data as necessary. And the like.

  The packet of the response message to be returned to the client 1, which is generated in step 302, is a packet in which the packet type 64 of the header data 61 is a connection response, and the version data of the driver corresponding to the management device 30 is included as the actual data 62. Data. At this stage, no response message is transmitted. Further, it is determined whether the scanner 2 connected to the management device 30 is being used by another user (step 303). If not used, the response message is transmitted (step 304a). Then, the fact that the scanner 2 is usable is displayed on the local operation panel 36. On the other hand, when the scanner 2 is used by the user, the scanner 2 is locked, and the lock function 54 of the control unit 30 sends the job type and the information of the user in use (lock information). Is added to the connection response (response message) packet, and the response message is transmitted (step 304c). When the connection is not available, the connection with the accessed client 1 is disconnected by the lock function 54 (step 304e), and the state returns to the connection waiting state.

  The driver 10 waits for a response message to be transmitted in step 104, and checks in step 105 whether a connection has been established. If the connection is rejected, in step 106, the connection confirmation function 17 of the network corresponding unit 14 of the driver 10 displays the related information included in the response message on the display 8 of the personal computer 1.

  FIG. 6 shows display contents displayed when the driver 10 is started for the first time or when the selection (address) of the scanner to be used is changed. When the driver 10 is activated, a dialog including a network scanner designation input 67a is displayed as the initial setting dialog 67, and a desired scanner can be designated by an IP address. The driver 10 sends a connection request to the management device 30 at the specified address, checks whether the management device 30 exists at the corresponding IP address, and displays the result. At this time, if the scanner 2 connected to the management device 30 is in use, the job type and information of the user in use are displayed.

  In FIG. 6, it is displayed that the corresponding management device exists on the network, but the scanner is exclusively used by another user (indicated by an IP address) using a TWAIN driver corresponding to the network. I have. Therefore, a connection with the management device 30 to which the desired scanner 2 is connected is not established, and the scanner cannot be used immediately.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, if the version of the driver 10 installed in the personal computer 1 does not match the management apparatus 30, data transmission and reception via the network may be hindered. Therefore, the connection confirmation function 17 of the driver 10 further confirms the version information included in the response message, and if the version does not correspond to the version of the driver 10, displays a comment 68 recommending that the version be upgraded. And terminate the process.

  Further, when the address of the network scanner to be accessed using the driver 10 has already been set, a connection request is sent to the management device 30 of the scanner. When the connection is not established, the information included in the response message is displayed as a message as shown in FIGS. The message 69 shown in FIG. 8A indicates that the scanner 2 of the management apparatus 30 is being used by another client 1 indicated by the IP address (reference numeral 69a) via the network.

  When a data server that manages an IP address and user data (for example, a user name) is connected to the network 22, the personal computer 1 uses an inquiry function of the OS 5 to display, for example, as shown in FIG. Such a data server is inquired about the user name corresponding to the IP address, and the result is received. For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, a display such as "TAROU1" can be performed.

  On the other hand, the message 70a shown in FIG. 9A indicates that the scanner 2 is used to send image data to a network printer connected to the network 22 to perform a network copy, and The printer is indicated by the IP address. In this case, when the OS 32 has a function of making an inquiry, the user name can be acquired and displayed by inquiring of the data server as in the case described above. The message 70b shown in FIG. 9B indicates that the scanner 2 is used to send image data to the printer 35 locally connected to the management device 30 and perform local copying. No user information is displayed in the case.

  When the scanner 2 is being used by another user, as shown in FIG. 2, in step 304e, the lock mechanism 54 of the control unit 50 of the management device 30 displays on the local operation panel 36 in FIG. Such lock information is displayed locally. In this example, information indicating that the lock is being performed and the user in use is displayed by the IP address (reference numeral 36c). For this reason, a user who intends to use the scanner 2 connected to the management device 30 for the purpose of local copy or network copy can grasp at a glance that the scanner 2 is used via the network. Therefore, the original on the platen may be accidentally removed during scanning, causing a problem in taking in data, or performing unnecessary work such as setting the original even though the scanner is locked and cannot be used. Can be prevented.

  Also in this case, by inquiring the data server using the IP address, the user name can be acquired and displayed. FIG. 10B is an example (reference numeral 36d).

  In the driver 10, when the connection is established, a dialog for performing detailed setting and control of the scanner is displayed on the display 8 by the operation unit 12 in step 107. FIG. 11 shows an example of the dialog. Through this dialog 71, it is possible to input many setting information such as image processing such as halftone processing performed by the scanner 2, correction processing such as density correction, setting of data form such as resolution, and reading mode. The operation unit 12 of the driver 10 can generate operation commands in order based on the setting of this dialog and operate the scanner.

  When a series of parameters for acquiring image data from the scanner via the dialog 71 is completed in step 108, scanning of the original by the scanner 2 is started in step 109. The start of scanning in step 109 can be instructed by clicking the capture button 71a displayed in the dialog 71 on the personal computer 1 side. The scanning can also be started by operating the start button 36a of the operation panel 36 of the management device 30.

  In general, the distance between the scanner 2 connected to the network 22 via the management device 30 and the client 1 is often large. Therefore, an environment in which a client is operated while setting an original on the scanner, such as when the scanner is locally connected to the client, cannot be expected. When the scanner 2 connected to the network is used, after setting a document on the platen or the document feeder of the scanner 2, the client 1 sets scanner parameters and starts reading, and a pattern for starting reading. After the scanner parameters are set in step (2), a pattern in which a document is set on the scanner 2 and reading is started is mainly considered. In the case of the former pattern, reading can be easily started by operating the dialog 71 displayed on the display 8. On the other hand, in the latter pattern, if scanning can be started only in the dialog 71, it is necessary to set the document on the scanner 2 and then return to the personal computer 1 to perform the operation again, resulting in unnecessary movement.

  Therefore, in the scanner control system of this example, when the start button 36a is operated in step 305 in the control unit 50 of the management apparatus 30, in step 308, the trigger information is packetized and transmitted to the personal computer 1 to be connected. A function 55 is provided. If the start button has not been pressed, it is determined whether or not data has been received from the network (step 306). On the other hand, if it has not been received, it is checked whether the stop button has been pressed (step 307). If not, the process returns to step 305. If the button is pressed, the driver 10 obtains image data by transmitting / receiving a command by the operation unit 12 and the image acquisition unit 13 based on the transmitted trigger information in addition to the operation of the capture button of the dialog 71 in step 109. A trigger function 18 for automatically starting the processing to be performed is provided in the network corresponding unit 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a type indicating trigger data is prepared as a packet type, and the trigger function 18 can determine the packet type and proceed with the processing of the driver 10.

  By providing such a start function and a trigger function, the user sets a document on the scanner 2 and then starts scanning by operating the start button 36a on the machine side of the management apparatus 30, and transfers the image data to the personal computer 1. Transmission becomes possible, and it is not necessary to return to the personal computer 1 each time. Therefore, even when the scanner 2 and the personal computer 1 are far apart, the original can be smoothly read, and the image data can be captured by the personal computer 1.

  When the scanning is started, as shown in FIG. 12, the operation panel 36 of the management device 30 displays that the scanner is reading, and the user who is using the scanner 2 or the user is using the scanner 2 is started. The usage status of the scanner 2 is clearly shown to the other users who have made the scan. Therefore, it is possible to easily confirm that the document is being scanned, and it is possible to prevent a problem such as an erroneous operation of the document.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the operation panel 36 of the management device 30 is provided with a stop button 36b in addition to the start button 36a. When the stop button 36b is operated, the release function 56 of the control unit 50 determines in step 307 that the stop button has been operated, and interrupts the reading process when the scanner is performing the reading process. Then, the operation is terminated in step 316, and the connection with the personal computer 1 is disconnected in step 317. At the same time, a packet indicating that the stop button has been pressed is transmitted to the personal computer 1. Upon receiving the packet indicating that the stop button has been pressed, the driver 10 of the personal computer 1 determines in step 116 that the work has been completed. Then, a message 72 of FIG. 13 indicating that the driver 10 has pressed the stop button to release the connection is displayed on the display 8, and the connection is disconnected in step 117.

  The function of forcibly canceling the connection by the stop button 36b is effective when an incorrect original is set on the scanner 2 or the like, and is also effective when urgent copying is required locally. It is also effective when the scanner 2 is left unused without being disconnected by mistake. Further, the control unit 50 of the management device 30 is provided with a function of spontaneously disconnecting the connection when left unused for a long time (for example, about 15 minutes). When the connection is disconnected by this function, a message 73 as shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the display 8 of the personal computer 1 by the driver 10, and the driver ends the processing.

  Returning to FIG. 2, when the start of scanning is instructed by the dialog 71 or the start button 36 a of the local operation panel 36, a process 110 for transmitting / receiving a command is started in the driver 10, and the command is transmitted to the management device 30 in response thereto. The process 310 for transmitting and receiving is started. In the driver 10, an operation command is generated from the operation unit 12 based on the setting of the dialog 71 in step 111, and the transmission unit 15 packetizes the operation command and transmits it to the management device 30 in step 112.

  On the other hand, in the management device 30, the reception function 52 of the response unit 51 extracts an operation command from the packetized data received from the personal computer (client) 1 in step 311 and sends the operation command to the scanner 2 via the SCSI interface 33. Supply. The response command of the scanner 2 to the operation command follows the reverse route, and is packetized by the transmission function 53 of the response unit 51 in step 312 and transmitted to the client (PC) 1. In step 113, in the client 1, the receiving unit 16 of the network corresponding unit 14 extracts a response command from the packetized data and supplies the response command to the operation unit 12. Then, in step 114, the operation unit 12 analyzes the response command, determines whether or not the setting according to the operation command has been performed by the scanner 2, and proceeds to the next processing.

  As described above, in the scanner control system of the present embodiment, the personal computer 1 and the scanner 2 are connected via the network, but the data handled by the operation unit 12 of the driver 10 connects the scanner to the personal computer locally. These are the operation commands and response commands that are sometimes transmitted and received. Therefore, the main functions of the TWAIN driver 10 can be used as they are, and the same interface as that of the local connection can be provided to the application 6 even when connected to the scanner via the network.

  In addition, since the processing content of the operation unit 12 is almost the same as that when the local connection is made, the work time for networking the driver can be reduced. Furthermore, when commands used in the operation unit 12 and the scanner main unit 2 are converted into network-compatible data, there is no need to convert them into another command system or language, so that data conversion when transmitting and receiving commands is performed. Such overhead can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to provide a scanner control system having a high processing speed and a small load on the personal computer 1 or the management device 30.

  Also in the scanner 2, the operation commands supplied from the management device 30 and the response commands returned to the management device 30 are the same as in the case where the scanner 2 is locally connected. Therefore, a conventional local connection type scanner can be connected to the network 22 via the management device 30, and a plurality of users can share the scanner.

  When the operation command and the response command are transmitted and received in steps 110 and 310 and the setting of the scanner 2 is completed, the image data is transmitted from the management device 30 to the driver 10 of the personal computer in steps 115 and 315. The image data is also packetized with a data length of an appropriate size and sent to the network 22 from the image data output unit 57 of the management device 30 so that the image data can be transmitted via the network 22. The receiving unit 16 of the driver 10 extracts the image data from the received packet and supplies the image data to the image data obtaining unit 13. The image data obtaining unit 13 stores the image data in a recording medium such as the hard disk 7 in a predetermined format.

  When the transmission / reception of the image data is completed, the driver 10 and the management device 30 determine in steps 116 and 316 whether or not the job has been completed. If the job is continued, the driver 10 returns to the condition setting step 108 and is ready to set new parameters in the scanner 2. In addition, the management device 30 also returns to a state where commands can be transmitted and received. On the other hand, if the end button of the dialog 71 is clicked or the stop button 36b of the local operation panel is operated, the connection is disconnected in steps 117 and 317, and the process is terminated.

(About sending and receiving commands)
FIG. 3 shows the process of exchanging operation commands and response commands between the driver 10 and the management device 30 in more detail. Each time an operation command is generated in the operation unit 12 in step 111, the operation command can be packetized and sent to the management device 30. However, since the setting items of the scanner 2 are diverse such as image processing, correction processing, and data forms, the number of operation commands provided to the scanner 2 from the operation unit 12 is large. Further, since a response command is issued from the scanner 2 in response to the operation command, the amount of data transmitted and received via the network 22 is extremely large. Therefore, there is a concern that connecting the scanner 2 to the network 22 will increase the traffic on the network and lower the performance of the network.

  For this reason, in this example, a plurality of operation commands and response commands are buffered and transmitted / received collectively, so that network traffic can be reduced. In addition, since all operation commands and response commands are transmitted and received at once, the function that advances processing after waiting for a response command to the operation command, such as execution-related processing that receives data from the scanner, such as a status request, requires processing. The processing speed is reduced without progressing. For this reason, in the scanner control system according to the present embodiment, the processing is performed separately into a command for buffering the operation command and the response command and a command for not buffering (a transparent command or a through command).

  FIG. 15 shows the types of operation commands 81 transmitted and received between the scanner 2 and the operation unit 12 in the scanner control system of the present example, and the modes of the operation commands, and further illustrates a response state to the operation commands. Is shown. When the scanner is in the SCSI connection (local connection) as in the present embodiment, commands are sent one by one. On the other hand, in the case of a network connection, the through commands are sent to the scanner one by one, but the buffering commands are temporarily stored and sent to the scanner as a whole.

  As a system of the operation command 81 for the scanner 2 in the scanner control system of the present embodiment, a system called “ESC / I” expressed by data of one or several characters following “ESC” is adopted. Response commands responding to these operation commands 81 are classified into those that indicate only the result of the Ack or Ack / Nack operation command and those that involve predetermined data. Whether or not the operation command 81 may be buffered is examined for each operation command, and the operation command which is good only when it is confirmed that the setting by the operation command has normally proceeded is buffered. It has become.

  On the other hand, the operation unit 12 analyzes the response command or the data accompanying the response command and displays an error, or displays the result (response command) for the operation command as if the document was ejected. An operation command or the like to which the next process proceeds after waiting is not buffered, but is packetized and transmitted alone (through). The types of buffering and through in the scanner control system of the present embodiment are predetermined. When the operation command 81 is buffered, the response command 82 is also buffered and returned to the personal computer 1.

Returning to FIG. 3, when an operation command is supplied from the operation unit 12 in step 111, the transmission unit 15 of the network corresponding unit 14 determines in step 121 whether the operation command is designated as buffering or through designation. to decide.
At step 122, the operation command specified as the command to be buffered is buffered in a predetermined format.

  FIG. 16 shows the configuration of packet data 90 for buffering operation commands. In the packet data 90, header information 61 in which the packet type is set in the buffering mode command shown in FIG. 5 is provided at the head, followed by a bit at a position corresponding to a valid operation command. An erect command status block 91 is arranged, and further, a command information area 92 in which parameters associated with the operation commands are stored in positions determined for each operation command is arranged.

  Therefore, in step 122, when an operation command to be buffered is supplied, a predetermined bit is set for each operation command in the command status block 91, and the operation command is buffered in the packet data 90. You. When a parameter is attached to the operation command, the contents of the parameter are stored in a predetermined area of the command information area 92. In the command status block 91 and the command information area 92, predetermined bits and areas are reserved for all of the operation commands to be buffered, and several tens of operation commands are set as one packet data 90 via the network 22. Can be sent to the management device 30.

  Response commands returned from the management device 30 to the driver 10 in response to these operation commands are also buffered and transmitted in the same manner as shown in FIG. The packet data 95 for the response command includes, as shown in FIG. 5, the header information 96 in which the packet type indicating the response to the buffering mode command is stored, and a bit at a predetermined position for each response command. A set return command status block 97 is provided. When the response command to the operation command is Ack, no bit is set. When no Ack response is obtained or when an error such as Nack occurs, the return command status block 97 shown in FIG. The corresponding operation command bit of the command status block 91 is set as a response command.

  As described above, by buffering the operation command and the response command, the amount of data transmitted and received via the network 22 for operating the scanner 2 can be significantly reduced, and the network load can be reduced. Can be. By buffering the operation command at a position determined for each command of the packet data 90, even if the same operation command is supplied from the operation unit 12 a plurality of times due to some condition, the operation command is buffered. Only data is overwritten, and the amount of data transmitted and received via the network does not need to be increased.

  Returning to FIG. 3, if the operation command supplied from the operation unit 12 in step 111 is an operation command designated as a through command, the operation command before the through command is supplied is buffered in step 123. The packet data 90 is transmitted to the management device 30.

  When the management device 30 receives the packet data from the driver 10 in step 321, in step 322, the receiving function 52 of the response unit 51 determines whether the operation command packet specified as the through command from the header information of the packet data is Determine whether the packet is buffered. If the packet is a buffered packet, the receiving function 52 decodes the command status block 91 of the packet data 90 and the data of the command information area 92 in step 323, and the ESC / I supplied from the operation unit 12 in a predetermined order. Reproduce the base operation command.

  On the other hand, if no data is received, it is checked whether the start button has been pressed (step 321a). If it is not pressed, the process returns to step 321. If the button has been pressed, trigger information is generated, and the process proceeds to D (step 316) in FIG.

  Since the order in which the buffered operation commands are supplied from the operation unit 12 and the order in which they are supplied to the scanner 2 do not need to match, the order (time information) generated when buffered is deleted. In the receiving function 52 of the management device 30, the operation commands are reproduced in a predetermined order, and the operation commands are supplied to the scanner 2 in step 324. In step 325, when a response command corresponding to the supplied operation command is received from the scanner 2, the transmission function 53 of the response unit 51 of the management device 30 buffers the response command in the packet data 95 in step 326. Steps 324 and 325 are repeated to provide all the operation commands buffered and transmitted with the packet data 90 to the scanner 2. When the response commands are obtained, the response commands are buffered in step 326. Returned to driver 10.

  When the driver 10 receives the buffered response command in step 124, the driver 10 decodes the response command and provides it to the operation unit. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the response command is analyzed to determine whether there is an error. If there is no error, the operation command designated to be through in step 125 is transmitted to the management device 30. When the through command is supplied in this manner, the buffered command is transmitted to the management device 30, and the scanner 2 is set in accordance with the operation command. Therefore, when a through command, which often relates to the setting state of these operation commands, is sent to the scanner 2 via the management device 30, the scanner 2 is set to a desired state, and the processing continues smoothly. can do. As described above, the amount of data flowing on the network can be significantly reduced by buffering operation commands and transmitting them collectively before through commands.

  When a packet of the operation command designated to be through is received by the management apparatus 30, it is determined in step 322 that the command is a through command, and in step 327, the command is extracted and provided to the scanner 2. Then, the response command from the scanner 2 is packetized in step 329 and transmitted to the driver 10. The driver 10 extracts a response command from the transmitted packet and provides the response command to the operation unit 12. The operation unit 12 performs the next processing or the operation command based on the information, for example, the status information, the paper feed or discharge information, and the like. Generate.

  The through-designated command includes an operation command to end the setting of the scanner 2 and to start transmission of image data (image data). Therefore, if it is determined in step 126 that the operation command is an instruction to acquire the image data, the process shifts from the process 110 for setting the scanner 2 by the operation command to the process for acquiring the image data in step 130. When the management device 30 also receives the operation command of the through specification instructing the start of the transmission of the image data, the process shifts from the process 310 for setting the scanner 2 to the process for transmitting the image data in step 330 in step 328.

  In the process of transmitting the image data in step 330, the packet data in which the image data continues as the actual data 62, following the header information 61 including the packet type indicating that the packet is the transfer packet of the image data shown in FIG. Is transmitted to the driver 10. The amount of data that can be transmitted in one packet is limited. Therefore, if the image data supplied from the scanner 2 cannot be accommodated in one packet, the image data is decomposed into a plurality of packet data until one cycle of image data is completed in step 331 and sent. In the driver 10, the receiving unit 16 of the network corresponding unit 14 receives image data for each packet in step 130, extracts image data from the packet, and supplies the image data to the image data acquiring unit 13 in step 131. Is repeated until it is determined that the image data has been completed.

  In step 131, if the data is not completed, it is checked whether the stop button has been pressed (step 332). If it is not pressed, the process returns to step 330. On the other hand, if it has been pressed, trigger information is output (step 333).

  The scanner control system described above is a system in which an operation command and a response command used in a conventional TWAIN driver are packetized and a scanner on a network is connected to a client. It can be operated from the application in the same way as a scanner. In addition, since the system of the operation command and the response command is not changed, the overhead required for data conversion when transmitting and receiving via a network can be reduced, and a scanner control system with a high processing speed can be realized. Furthermore, since a network-compatible driver can be provided by effectively utilizing the resources of the conventional TWAIN driver, development time and cost can be reduced. Also, in a scanner connected to a network, the command system for controlling the scanner main body can be the same as a conventional local connection, so that the function as the management device described above can be performed without changing the operating system of the scanner main body. It is possible to connect to a network via a terminal provided with the terminal or by using a network scanner having the function built in.

  Further, in the above-described scanner control system, when a scanner is used by a certain user, the scanner is locked, and the scanner is not released to other users. To ensure reliability. On the other hand, by displaying information of the user in use or transmitting the information via a network, the use state of the scanner can be clearly understood. In addition, a mode for forcibly terminating by a stop button or forcibly terminating by time is provided to improve the operation efficiency of the scanner.

  Furthermore, since many commands are exchanged between the client driver and the scanner, commands are buffered so that when these commands are exchanged as they are via the network, the performance of the network will not be significantly affected. We are going to give and receive. On the other hand, the response command or the accompanying data can be transmitted and received without buffering in the operation command necessary for the process to proceed smoothly, and the scanner control system of this example reduces the network load. It is possible to operate the scanner smoothly and quickly while reducing the amount of light.

  In the above description, a control program installed as a TWAIN driver that can be operated from an application as a second scanner control device on the client side is described as an example. However, other forms such as an application having the above-described functions may be used. It is also possible to realize with. Also, the first scanner control device on the scanner side is described as a stand-alone device called a management device, but it can be realized as a network scanner integrally with the scanner main body, or as a general-purpose network server with other functions. It is also possible to do. Also, ESC / I has been described as an example of a command system, but other command systems may be used. Further, the numerical values and the like shown above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is an example in which a scanner is managed using a general-purpose computer system, for example, a personal computer, instead of the peripheral device management device 30 described above.

  FIG. 19 is a configuration diagram of a hardware system constituting a general computer system used in the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, a computer system 1000 executes a program to realize various functions, a central processing unit (CPU) 1100, a ROM 1200 storing programs and fixed data, a random access memory RAM 1300, Interface 1400. The printer 1, the scanner 2, the display 8, the input device 9, the hard disk 7, and the CD-ROM reader 200 are connected to the interface 1400. The program executed in the present embodiment is provided by a CD-ROM or the Internet, for example, as in the case of the TWAIN drive 10 in the personal computer 1 described above. In the former case, the data is read by the CD-ROM reader 200 and installed on the hard disk 7. Then, at the time of execution, the data is read from the hard disk 7 and expanded in the RAM 1300. In addition, it can be imported from another computer via the network 22.

  FIG. 20 shows various functions realized using the above-described hardware resources. Although the functions shown in FIG. 20 are implemented by different programs, the functions to be performed basically include those equivalent to those of the peripheral device management device 30 shown in FIG. That is, the scanner control general-purpose computer 100 includes an OS 105, an application 106 operating thereon, a control unit 150 for controlling the operation of the scanner, a network interface 119, a centronics interface 134 to which the printer 35 is connected, a scanner 2 is connected as a function to be realized. The OS 105 controls the display 8, the input device 9, the hard disk 7, and the CD-ROM 200 under control, and controls these operations together with a driver that controls each operation.

  The control unit 150 includes a response unit 151 having a reception function 152 and a transmission function 153, a lock function 154, a start function 155, and a man-machine interface 158. Here, except for the man-machine interface 158, other functions, even if there is a difference in the configuration of the program, basically include the contents of the functions to be realized as the peripheral device management device 30 shown in FIG. Is the same as the function that is installed. Therefore, description thereof will not be repeated.

  The man-machine interface 158 displays a screen as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 10, the start button 36a and the stop button 36b are not images but actual push button switches. However, in the present embodiment, the display is performed by an image including the above. The start and the stop are selected by clicking the corresponding portion of the display 8 with the input device 9, for example, the mouse. The man-machine interface 158 receives a click with the mouse and processes it as an operation for the corresponding button.

  In FIG. 20, the same device as the personal computer 1 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the network 22 as a device on the client side. Of course, the same device as the general-purpose computer 10 can be connected, and the TWAIN driver 10 used in the personal computer 1 can be mounted thereon and used as a client.

  Further, the system shown in FIG. 20 has a data server 300 for managing user data. The data server 300 includes a network interface 319, a control unit 310, and an IP address / user name storage unit 320. When there is an inquiry from the client personal computer 1, a registered user name (may be a personal computer name) corresponding to the IP address included in the inquiry is searched, and the result is sent back to the inquiry source in a packet. Thus, the personal computer 1 that has made the inquiry can display the user name on the screen together with the IP address, for example, as shown in FIG. 8B.

  In this embodiment, the use side of the scanner is the same as the above-described embodiment. On the other hand, the scanner control general-purpose computer 100 to which the scanner is connected extracts operation commands from the client via the network 22 and transmits the operation commands to the scanner. Response commands and data from the scanner are controlled by the control unit 150. Send to requester.

  According to this embodiment, by connecting the scanner locally to a general-purpose computer and connecting this computer to a network, it is possible to remotely control the scanner from another computer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a scanner control system according to the present invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of a process in the scanner control system illustrated in FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process of exchanging commands in the scanner control system illustrated in FIG. 1 in further detail. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of packet data exchanged by the scanner control system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a packet type shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for specifying an address of a network scanner. This is an example of a message indicating that the driver version does not correspond. 11 is an example of a message indicating that the network scanner is being used by another user via the network. 6 is an example of a message indicating that the network scanner is being used for a local copy or a network copy by another user. 7 is a display example of an operation panel on the network scanner side, which is an example showing that the scanner is locked. 7 is an example of a dialog displayed on the client for setting scanner conditions. This is an example of displaying on the operation panel of the network scanner that the scanner is reading. This is an example of a message when the stop button is pressed on the network scanner side and the connection is forcibly released. 11 is an example of a message when a connection is forcibly released because the network scanner has not been accessed for a certain period of time. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation command and a response command that are designated as buffering or through. 5 is a configuration example of packet data obtained by buffering an operation command. It is a structural example of the packet data which buffered the response command. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example in which a scanner is locally connected to a client. FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware system configuration of a computer used in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating functions according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

1. PC (client)
2. Scanner 3, 33 SCSI interface 4, TWAIN driver 5, 32 OS
6 TWAIN-compatible application 7 Hard disk 8 Display 9 Input device 10 TWAIN driver for network (second scanner control device)
11, application support unit 12, operation unit 13, image acquisition unit 14, network support unit 15, transmission unit 16, reception unit 17, connection check unit 18, trigger units 19, 31, network Interface 20, scanner control system 22, computer network (network)
30. Peripheral device management device (management device, first scanner control device)
35, printer 36, local operation panel 50, control unit 51, response unit 52, reception function 53, transmission function 54, lock function 55, start function 56, release function 57, image output function

Claims (17)

An operation unit that generates an operation command for a scanner that can scan a document and obtain image data, analyzes a response command returned in response to the command, and operates the scanner,
An image data acquisition unit capable of acquiring image data,
Having a network corresponding unit that transmits an operation command to a scanner via a computer network and that can extract a response command or image data from the received data,
When accessing the scanner via a computer network and receiving lock information indicating that the scanner is occupied by a different job and cannot be used, the network corresponding unit outputs at least a part of the lock information. A scanner control device having a connection confirmation function to perform a connection. A scanner interface capable of exchanging data with a scanner body capable of scanning a document and acquiring image data;
A network interface capable of exchanging data with a client via a computer network;
Having a control unit capable of transmitting image data obtained via the scanner interface to a client via the network interface,
The control unit can extract an operation command from data received from a client via a computer network, supply the operation command to the scanner main body, and transmit a response command supplied from the scanner main body to the client via the computer network. And a lock function for returning lock information indicating that the client is unusable when accessed from another client while connected to the first client via a computer network. Scanner control device. 3. The scanner control device according to claim 2, wherein the lock information includes information on a client in use. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a local operation panel having a function of performing display and operation,
The control unit has a display function of displaying, on the local operation panel, a lock display indicating that the first client is being used via the network while being connected to the first client via the computer network. Scanner controller. 5. The scanner control device according to claim 4, wherein the lock display includes information on a client in use. 5. The copy function according to claim 4, wherein the control unit scans a document to acquire image data based on an operation on the local operation panel, and sends the acquired image data to a printer connected to a local or computer network. Equipped,
The scanner control device according to claim 1, wherein the lock function returns lock information indicating that the copy function cannot be used when accessed by a client via a computer network during use of the copy function. A first scanner control device having a scanner interface capable of exchanging data with a scanner body capable of scanning a document and acquiring image data;
A scanner control system including the first scanner control device and one or more second scanner control devices capable of transmitting and receiving data via a computer network,
The second scanner control device includes:
An operation unit that generates an operation command for the scanner body, analyzes a response command returned in response to the operation command, and can operate the scanner,
An image data acquisition unit capable of acquiring image data,
Transmitting an operation command to the first scanner control device via a computer network, and extracting a response command or image data from data received from the first scanner control device;
When accessing the scanner main body via the computer network with the first scanner control device and receiving lock information indicating that the scanner main body is occupied by a different job and cannot be used, the lock information is A network compatible unit having a connection confirmation function for outputting at least one copy,
The first scanner control device includes:
A network interface capable of exchanging data via a computer network;
Image data obtained via the scanner interface can be transmitted to the second scanner control device via the network interface,
An operation command is extracted from the data received from the second scanner control device and supplied to the scanner main body, and a response command supplied from the scanner main body is transmitted to the second scanner control device via a computer network. Returns a possible response function and lock information indicating that it is unusable when accessed from another second scanner controller while connected to one second scanner controller via a computer network. A scanner control system comprising: a control unit having a lock function. 8. The scanner control system according to claim 7, wherein the lock information includes information on a second scanner control device in use. 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the first scanner control device further includes a local operation panel having a function of performing display and operation,
The control unit has a display function of displaying, on the local operation panel, a lock display indicating that the apparatus is in use via the network while being connected to the second scanner control apparatus via the computer network. And scanner control system. 10. The scanner control system according to claim 9, wherein the lock display includes information on the second scanner control device in use. 10. The control unit of the first scanner control device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit of the first scanner control device scans the document based on an operation on the local operation panel to obtain image data, and connects the obtained image data to a local or computer network. It has a copy function to send to the printer,
The above-mentioned lock function, when accessed from a second scanner control device via a computer network during use of the copy function, returns lock information indicating that the copy function cannot be used. Control system. An operation unit that generates an operation command for a scanner that can scan a document and obtain image data, analyzes a response command returned in response to the operation command, and operates the scanner, and an image that can obtain image data A scanner control method in a scanner control device having a data acquisition unit and a network corresponding unit capable of transmitting an operation command to a scanner via a computer network and extracting a response command or image data from the received data,
When the network corresponding unit receives the lock information indicating that the scanner is occupied by a different job and cannot be used when accessing the scanner via the computer network, at least a part of the lock information is output. A scanner control method. A scanner interface capable of exchanging data with a scanner main body capable of scanning a document and acquiring image data, a network interface capable of exchanging data with a client via a computer network, and a scanner interface capable of exchanging data with the client via the computer interface. A control unit capable of transmitting the obtained image data to the client via the network interface.
The control unit extracts an operation command from data received from a client via a computer network, supplies the operation command to the scanner main body, and transmits a response command supplied from the scanner main body to the client via the computer network. A response step;
And a lock information return step of returning lock information indicating that the client cannot be used when accessed from another client while being connected to the first client via a computer network. 14. The scanner control method according to claim 13, wherein the lock information includes information of a client in use. 14. The local operation panel according to claim 13, wherein the control unit has a lock display indicating that the control unit is in use via the network while being connected to the first client via the computer network. A scanner control method, further comprising a display step of displaying. 16. The scanner control method according to claim 15, wherein the lock display includes information on a client in use. 16. The copying step according to claim 15, wherein the control unit scans a document to acquire image data based on an operation on the local operation panel, and sends the acquired image data to a printer connected to a local or computer network. Further,
A scanner according to claim 1, wherein in the lock information return step, when accessed by a client via a computer network during execution of the copy step, lock information indicating that the lock information cannot be used during execution of the copy step is returned. Control method.

Images