JP2006229712A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of determining an operation function by a combination of an inputting method and outputting methods for document information not by an application function, and managing operating state based on that content. <P>SOLUTION: This apparatus is provided with integrated application software 21 in which at least two functions among application functions comprising a copying application function, a facsimile application function, and a scanner application function are integrated; and an application management means 22 for managing a state of the integrated software 21 representing its own property and transitions of the state. The management means 22 has an operation restriction management portion 23 for managing at least an operable range of an application. The operation restriction management portion is composed of an operation function decision portion 31 for representing an operation function by combining one input method and a plurality of output methods, and an operation restriction determination portion 32 for determining whether or not a requested operation can be carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus (multi-function peripheral) equipped with a plurality of application functions, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus capable of supporting integrated application software that integrates a plurality of application functions into one.

Multifunction machines equipped with a plurality of application functions such as a copy application function, a fax application function, and a scanner application function are widely used. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for power saving control of each unit of an apparatus according to an application function selected as follows in a multi-function machine equipped with a plurality of application functions.
That is, for example, during the reception operation in the fax application, power is saved by turning off the fixing unit and the paper feed system. For example, during the printing operation in the printer application, the operation panel and the image scanner unit are turned off. Plan for power.
Conventionally, the type of operation function is expressed in the framework of an application, and setting items that affect the operation are provided independently for each application. If an application is editing its own setting items, the operation of the application There was a need to limit. Moreover, since each application was independent, it did not affect each other's operation | movement between different applications.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-201986

However, when these multiple applications are unified, there is no framework for whether it is your own application or other applications, so it is not possible to properly determine the limitations of operating functions with conventional technology. was there.
The present invention is an integrated application software that integrates a plurality of application functions into one by determining an operation function based on a combination of an input method and an output method of document information instead of an application function, and performing operation state management based on the content. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can cope with the above.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that integrated application software that integrates at least two application functions among application functions including a copy application function, a fax application function, and a scanner application function, and The integrated application software includes application management means for managing the state expressing the properties of the integrated application software and the transition of the state, and the application management means has an operation restriction management unit for managing at least the operable range of the application. The operation restriction management unit includes an operation function determination unit that expresses an operation function by combining one document information input method and a plurality of document information output methods, and an operation function expressed by the operation function determination unit. Formation based on an operation restriction determination unit that determines whether a requested operation can be executed based on The most important feature location.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, a combination of the input method and the output method of the document information is arbitrary, and an operation function type of the integrated application software is expressed by the combination. Main features.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a plurality of document information output methods are set simultaneously.

In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, since an input / output method is adopted as a means for determining the operation type of an application, the integrated application software that integrates a plurality of application functions into one, beyond the conventional application function frame. Can respond.
Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, various operation functions can be expressed by arbitrarily combining input / output methods, so that convenience is improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the CPU 1 of the image forming apparatus controls the entire apparatus. Under the control, the ROM 2, the RAM 3, the NV-RAM 4, the panel control unit 5, the operation panel 6, and the engine control unit 7 A scan / print engine 8, a disk driver 9 and a storage device 10, a modem 11, an external I / F 12, and a communication control unit 13 are connected via a data bus 14.
The ROM 2 stores program codes, fonts, and other static data. The RAM 3 is used as a temporary storage location. The NV-RAM 4 stores nonvolatile data. The panel control unit 5 and the operation panel 6 manage an interface with the user.
The engine control unit 7 and the scan / print engine 8 function as image data input / output units for reading a paper document and printing on a transfer sheet. The disk driver 9 and the storage device 10 accumulate a large amount of image data and are used as storage locations for databases.
The communication control unit 13 is connected to a network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) and enables communication with an external device. The modem 11 is connected to a public line and enables communication with an external device. The external I / F 12 enables communication with an external device using an interface such as Centronics or RS-232C. The data bus 14 enables communication between various devices and between the CPU 1 and devices.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.
The integrated application software 21 is composed of several subsystems, one of which is an application management means 22. The application management unit 22 manages the state expressing the properties of the integrated application software 21 itself and the transition of the state. As one of them, the operation restriction management unit 23 for managing the operable range of the application. There is. Here, the state expressing the properties of the integrated application software 21 is specifically the power state of the integrated application software 21 itself (normal state, preheating state, night state, power-off state), or the integrated application software 21 itself. Indicates whether or not the application can be used or whether or not the function of the application is restricted.
The integrated application software 21 is obtained by integrating at least two application functions among application functions including a copy application function, a fax application function, and a scanner application function.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the operation restriction management unit 23 illustrated in FIG.
The operation restriction management unit 23 includes an operation function determination unit 31 that expresses an operation function by combining one input method and a plurality of output methods, and an operation restriction determination unit 32 that determines whether a requested operation can be performed. Is done. Here, the types of operation functions differ depending on the combination of input / output methods.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a document information input method and output method in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
In this example, the input method includes paper, received document, and accumulated document, and the output method includes printing, transmission, and accumulation. For example, when the input method is paper, an operation function when the output method is printing and an operation function when transmission are regarded as separate functions in the integrated application software.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of operation functions that can be expressed by any combination of the input / output methods shown in FIG.
For example, when the input method is paper and the output method is printing, the operation function determination unit 31 expresses an operation function that is regarded as a conventional copy application function. Further, when the input method is paper and the output method is transmission, a fax transmission function, which is one of the operation functions regarded as a conventional fax application function, is expressed.
As described above, the operation function to be realized can be expressed by a combination of the document information input method and the output method. Based on the operation function expressed here, the operation restriction determination unit 32 determines and controls whether the integrated application software can execute the requested operation.
With respect to the contents shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of outputs for a certain input can be designated. For example, when the input method is paper and the output method is a plurality of designations of printing and transmission, the print transmission function performs both the copy application function operation function and the fax transmission function which is one of the fax application function operation functions. .
In this way, it becomes possible to cope with integrated application software that is integrated with a plurality of application functions beyond the conventional application function.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the operation restriction management unit 23 shown in FIG.
First, the integrated application software 21 receives an operation request from the user (S1). When the request is received, it is checked whether or not the image forming apparatus is editing the operation setting item (S2). If the operation setting item is not being edited, the requested operation is executed (S9). If the operation setting item is being edited, first, the input method of the requested operation is extracted (S3).
Thereafter, an output method associated therewith is extracted (S4). If there are a plurality of output methods (Yes in S5), all of them are extracted. After the input / output methods are extracted, the type of operation function requested by the combination is determined (S6). Thereafter, the correlation between the determined motion function and the motion setting item currently being edited is checked (S7). If there is no correlation between the requested action function and the action setting item currently being edited (No in S8), execution of the requested action is permitted (S9), but if there is a correlation (in S8) Y) Judge that the operation should not be performed, and limit the requested operation so that it cannot be performed.

1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of software configuration in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. The figure which shows the structural example of the operation | movement restriction | limiting management part shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a document information input method and output method in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. The figure which shows the specific example of the operation function which can be expressed with the arbitrary combinations with respect to the input / output method shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control operation of an operation restriction management unit in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 CPU, 2 ROM, 3 RAM, 4 RAM, 5 Panel control unit, 6 Operation panel, 7 Engine control unit, 8 Scan / print engine, 9 Disk driver, 10 Storage device, 11 Modem, 13 Communication control unit, 14 Data Bus, 21 Integrated application software, 22 Application management means, 23 Operation restriction management section, 31 Operation function determination section, 32 Operation restriction determination section

Claims (3)

Integrated application software that integrates at least two of the application functions including a copy application function, a fax application function, and a scanner application function, and a state in which the integrated application software expresses its own properties and transition of the state With app management means to manage
The application management means includes an operation restriction management unit for managing at least an operable range of the application, and the operation restriction management unit combines one document information input method and a plurality of document information output methods. An operation function determination unit that expresses an operation function, and an operation restriction determination unit that determines whether or not a requested operation can be executed based on the operation function expressed by the operation function determination unit. Image forming apparatus.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a combination of the document information input method and the output method is arbitrary, and an operation function type of the integrated application software is expressed by the combination. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of document information output methods are set simultaneously.

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