JP2007272460A - Network system and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems in conventional BOX function of insufficient security and low reliability, for example, in storage of an important file in a storage on a printer. <P>SOLUTION: A user-exclusive BOX in a host C is set within a storage device of a printer C by registering first attribute information for the printer C to the host C and registering first attribute information for the host C to the printer. A shortcut to be linked with a file stored in a storage device of the host C is formed and stored in a BOX area of the printer C while adding the first attribute information and second attribute information for the shortcut. The file stored in the storage device of the host C can be accessed based on the first and second attribute information by selecting the shortcut stored in the BOX area of the printer C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a network system and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a network system configured by a plurality of electronic devices equipped with a storage device and a control method thereof.

  In recent years, adverse effects such as data distribution, duplication, and waste of storage resources are becoming prominent due to the spread of storage devices represented by hard disks with large capacities and low prices, and improvements in network technology. Therefore, TCO (total system installation and maintenance cost) reduction by optimizing storage management and efficient use of resources, data safety management (confidentiality and guaranteeing safety against destruction of storage devices, etc.) There is a great social need for.

For example, a network printing system is known that implements a BOX function for mounting a hard disk device to a printer connected to a network, creating a folder for each user in the hard disk device, and storing and managing files. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP-A-11-112754

  However, in the conventional network printing system having a printer having the BOX function, there are many users who feel resistance from the viewpoint of data safety management in storing important files in the hard disk device on the printer. . Therefore, the BOX function in the conventional printing system is not sufficient in terms of security, and the usage frequency and reliability of the user are low.

  In addition, important confidential files may be redundantly stored in a plurality of BOXes set on the network, which is also vulnerable from the viewpoint of security management. Even if the printer in which the confidential file is stored has enhanced security, the confidential file is stored in a plurality of printers, so that confidential information is leaked or stolen (for example, the hard disk device is stolen) Etc.) etc. becomes high. On the other hand, providing a plurality of security-enhanced printers that can store a confidential file will deteriorate the cost performance of the system.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a network system and a control method thereof that improve security while efficiently using storage resources in a plurality of devices constituting a network. Objective.

  As a technique for achieving the above object, the printing system control method of the present invention comprises the following steps.

  That is, a control method for a network system in which a plurality of electronic devices including first and second electronic devices each having a storage device are connected, the method relating to the second electronic device being connected to the first electronic device A device registration step for registering first attribute information, and a storage of the second electronic device by registering the first attribute information regarding the first electronic device in the registered second electronic device. A BOX registration step for setting a user-specific BOX area in the first electronic device in the device; a shortcut creation step for creating a shortcut linked to a file in the storage device of the first electronic device; and the creation The added shortcut is added with the first attribute information and the second attribute information related to the shortcut to add the first attribute information. A shortcut storing step of storing in a BOX area in the electronic device of the second electronic device, based on the first and second attribute information when a shortcut stored in the BOX region of the second electronic device is selected. And accessing a file in the storage device of the first electronic device.

  A method for controlling a network system in which a plurality of electronic devices including first and second electronic devices each having a storage device are connected, the method relating to the second electronic device being connected to the first electronic device A device registration step for registering first attribute information, and a storage of the second electronic device by registering the first attribute information regarding the first electronic device in the registered second electronic device. A BOX registration step for setting a user-specific BOX area in the first electronic device in the apparatus; a shortcut creation step for creating a shortcut linked to a file in the BOX area of the second electronic device; A file storing step of storing the file in the BOX area of the second electronic device in the storage device of the first electronic device A shortcut storage step of deleting the file in the BOX area of the second electronic device, and storing the shortcut by adding the first attribute information and the second attribute information related to the shortcut; And when the shortcut is selected in the second electronic device, a file in the BOX area of the first electronic device is accessed based on the first and second attribute information. To do.

  According to the present invention having the above configuration, a user-dedicated BOX is created on the second electronic device from the first electronic device via the network, and a shortcut for the file in the first electronic device is stored in the BOX. Can be stored.

  Further, a file in a BOX in the second electronic device can be stored in the first electronic device, and its shortcut can be stored instead.

  In any case, the second electronic device can read the file entity from the shortcut, and can efficiently manage the storage device that stores the file entity. In addition, by making it possible to store shortcuts in a distributed manner, file security is improved and the reliability of the BOX function can be improved.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configurations.

<First Embodiment>
System Overview FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer that realizes a network printing system (hereinafter, system) according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the system according to the present embodiment is constructed by connecting a printer 100 to a host computer 104 (hereinafter referred to as a host 104) or another printer 105 via a network 103. A plurality of other devices can be connected to the system.

  In the printer 100, the CPU 101 controls the entire printer 100 by performing various arithmetic processes such as execution of a control program. The network IF unit 102 serves as an interface with the external network 103 and generally corresponds to the TCP / IP protocol. The ROM 106 is a non-volatile memory and stores non-changeable data such as various programs and fonts. A RAM 107 is a volatile memory represented by a DRAM, and is used as a rewritable work area such as a program work area and a drawing data storage area. Reference numeral 108 denotes a hard disk device as a storage device, which stores various data such as fixed format data for overlay printing. For example, the BOX function is realized by storing image data input from the network 103 or the scanner device 117 in a folder for each user.

  The panel IF unit 109 controls the LCD display device 116 and control buttons on a panel (not shown) to display various settings of the printer 100 and a BOX (folder) inside the hard disk device 108. The scanner IF unit 110 performs communication control with the scanner device 117. By connecting the scanner device 117 to the printer 100 via the scanner IF unit 110, a copy function is realized. The image processing unit 111 performs drawing processing such as dither processing and edge processing, and compression / decompression processing on image data captured via the network 103 and the scanner device 117, and finally draws data to be printed. Is generated on the RAM 107. The memory control unit 112 controls access to each memory in the ROM 106 and RAM 107. That is, it has a memory access by the CPU 101, a DMA control for directly accessing the memory without going through the CPU 107, and a bus arbitration function when the CPU 101 or other functional blocks simultaneously access the memory. The video control unit 113 exchanges commands / status with the printing unit 114 having a printer engine and transfers drawing data generated on the memory.

  In the printer 100, the controller unit is constituted by the above-described units, and the printing unit 114 constitutes an engine unit. The printing unit 114 prints drawing data on a print sheet and outputs it mainly in accordance with commands from the video control unit 113. In addition, the controller side is notified of a state change of the printing unit 114 (printer engine unit) via the video control unit 113. The bus 115 collectively represents a control bus and a data bus, a local bus between arbitrary blocks, a signal line, and the like.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the network printing system in the present embodiment and a simple operation example thereof. In the figure, an example is shown in which three host computers A to C and three printers B to D are connected via a network A, and a printer A at another office is connected via a network B. Of course, the number of devices constituting the system of the present invention is not limited. Note that the host in the present embodiment is realized by, for example, a general personal computer, and is authorized for use by main users. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, user A can use only host C, and cannot use other hosts.

  In the following description, a function for creating an individual dedicated folder as a BOX for each user or group in the hard disk device of the printer and storing and managing data in the BOX is referred to as a BOX function. Furthermore, a function for accessing a BOX in each device via a network is referred to as a remote BOX. In the example of FIG. 2, it is assumed that the printer A 203 and the printer C 202 are printers that support the remote BOX function, and that both printers can be accessed from the host C 201.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which a user A prints a desired file from a BOX in a printer C202 connected to the same network A in the company using the remote BOX function in the host C201. Similarly, the user A prints a desired file from a BOX in the printer A 203 connected to the network B of another office. Reference numeral 204 denotes a monitor screen in the host C201, and 205 and 206 denote display screens on the panels in the printer C202 and the printer A203, respectively.

  Hereinafter, processing when the user A uses the BOX of the printer A 203 and the printer C 202 as the remote BOX function in this system will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing BOX creation processing in the present embodiment. First, in step S501, the user A installs a printer driver corresponding to the remote BOX function in the host C201 in order to use the BOX functions of the printer A203 and the printer C202.

  In step S502, the user A first creates its own dedicated BOX (MyBOX) on the host C201. As described above, in the remote BOX function of the present embodiment, it is possible to have not only a BOX for other devices on the network but also a dedicated BOX on a host available to the user.

  In step S503, if the user A creates a private BOX, that is, a remote BOX in another device on the network, the remote BOX is set in steps S504 and S505.

  That is, in step S504, information on a printer (hereinafter referred to as a registered printer) for registering a remote BOX is set on the printer driver setting screen. The printer information is information such as an IP address, a password, an area allocated to each user in the BOX, and the like. At this time, it is also possible to set information regarding a plurality of printers.

  In step S505, the registered printer is accessed and the setting items related to the BOX to be registered are registered in the registered printer, thereby completing the registration of the remote BOX. The setting items here include, for example, the IP address of the host C201, the password and folder name for user A's dedicated BOX, and the like. At this time, a BOX (folder) is newly created if necessary.

  When the BOX registration to the registered printer is completed by the above processing, the user A can access the remote BOX dedicated to the user A provided in the registered printer from the host C201 via the network A or the network B. That is, the user A can browse a file in a remote BOX in another device on the network or add and save a new file on the host C201.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing file storage processing in the BOX in this embodiment. First, in step S601, the user A creates a file A and a file B on the host C201. Here, it is convenient for the user A to save these created files in the printer C202 and the printer A203 that have many opportunities for their use. However, since the files A and B need to be kept confidential, these file entities should be stored only in the host C201. In this case, the present embodiment is characterized in that a shortcut for the file is held in the remote BOX.

  That is, after creating a file in step S501, it is determined in step S602 whether or not to save the file in MyBOX or a remote BOX. If the file is not saved in any BOX, another process is performed in step S603. Execute. On the other hand, if the file is to be stored in at least one of the BOXes, the process advances to step S604 to determine whether or not to store the shortcut of the file to be stored in the remote BOX. If the shortcut is not stored, the actual data of the file is saved in MyBOX in the host C201 in step S605. On the other hand, if the shortcut is to be stored, the process proceeds to step S606, and first, similarly to step S605, the file entity is stored in the MyBOX in the host C201. Further, a shortcut for the file is created and stored in the remote BOX registered in the printer C202 and the printer A203. This shortcut describes attribute information such as the IP address and path of the host C201 where the entity file is stored, the file size, the file type, the creation date, the owner, and the BOX name to be stored.

  A specific example of storing a shortcut in the remote BOX will be described with reference to FIG. That is, as shown in the monitor screen 204 of the host C201 in FIG. Then, by opening the remote BOX on each printer and dragging the created shortcut into the remote BOX, the shortcut is stored in the remote BOX.

  As shown in FIG. 2 by the above processing, the shortcuts are stored in the printer C202 and the printer A203 while the entities of the file A and the file B are stored only in the host C201. Thereby, for example, the user A can arbitrarily use the shortcut file A and the file B in the BOX dedicated to the user C in the printer C202 in the same office as the host C201 and the printer A203 in another office. . More specifically, for example, when the shortcut file A is selected by the user A in the printer C202 and an instruction for image processing is given, the host as shown in the path a of FIG. 2 based on attribute information attached to the shortcut. Access to C201 is performed. Then, the host C201 reads the shortcut file and provides it to the printer C202 along the same path. Similarly, when a shortcut file is designated from the printer A 203, access to the host C 201 and reading of the actual file are performed following the path b. When user A opens his / her BOX in printer C202 or printer A203, user authentication is basically required. Specifically, when a user-specific BOX icon is selected on the printer panel screen, a password input screen is displayed, and user authentication is performed to check whether or not the user is a legitimate user.

  In the present embodiment, it is also possible to create a folder having a hierarchical structure in the BOX. For example, FIG. 2 shows an example in which the dedicated BOX of user A is registered, but by registering a BOX as a user group, any user in that group can access the group BOX, Can be shared.

  Note that in this embodiment, if the file stored in the remote BOX does not need to consider confidentiality in particular, a file entity may be stored instead of a shortcut. For example, as shown in the panel display screen 205 of the printer C202 in FIG. 2, for example, the file C can be created by the host C201 and stored directly in the remote BOX of the printer C202 without being stored in the host C201. . Such storage of the file entity in the remote BOX is effective, for example, when printing of the file C is executed only by the printer C202.

  Further, the shortcut of the file C whose entity is stored in the remote BOX in the printer C202 can be stored and used in the remote BOX in another printer such as the printer A203. This improves the storage efficiency within each printer.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the file entity is stored in the high security device (host C201), and the shortcut is stored in the remote BOX. As a result, it is possible to avoid the file entity (source) from being distributed / duplicated and to optimize the management of the storage device (particularly the hard disk device) installed in the printer and efficiently use the resources.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. Since the printer constituting the printing system in the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of FIG. 1 shown in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted. In the second embodiment, in addition to the first embodiment described above, the storage location of the confidential file is limited.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a network printing system according to the second embodiment and a simple operation example thereof. The figure shows an example in which hosts 301 and 304 and MFPs 302 and 303 which are multifunction printers are connected via a network C. The host 301 is realized by a personal computer, for example, and is used by the user B. Further, it is assumed that the security of the MFP 303 and the host 304 is particularly strengthened. These devices shown in FIG. 5 all support the remote BOX function.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the user B prints a desired file through the BOX in the MFP 302 connected to the network C by using the remote BOX function in the host 301. Hereinafter, the remote BOX processing of the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B and 7. Reference numeral 306 denotes a monitor screen on the host 301, and reference numeral 305 denotes a display screen on the panel in the MFP 302. Reference numeral 307 denotes a display (monitor) screen of the host 304 or the MFP 303.

  Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the internal confidential document obtained as a paper medium by the user B is read as a PDF file D read by the scanner of the MFP 302 at hand, and the required number of copies of the file D is printed out.

  At this time, since the file D is a confidential document, it should be stored in a higher security device also as a backup. Therefore, in the second embodiment, as shown in the display screen 307, the substance of the file D is stored in the BOX of the high security MFP 303 or the host 304, and the frequently used BOX of the MFP 302 has the file D as shown in the display screen 305. The shortcut is saved. Each BOX in the second embodiment is set by the host 301 by the same procedure as in the first embodiment described above. In addition, regarding the storing of the shortcut in the BOX, the attribute information of the file (in this case, the file D) is described in the shortcut as in the first embodiment described above.

  Here, FIGS. 6A and 6B show examples of a touch panel screen of the MFP 302 during the file saving process. FIG. 6A is an example of a screen for designating the substance of a file created by scanning and the storage location of the shortcut. For example, if the file entity is stored in a BOX in the host 301 that is frequently used by the user B and a shortcut is to be stored in the BOX in the MFP 302, the screen in FIG. Select “BOX IN HOST”. Here, the in-host BOX corresponds to the MyBOX shown in the first embodiment. When the above selection is performed in FIG. 6A, the file entity is transferred to the host 301 through the path c shown in FIG.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 6A, when “Place shortcut here and select other” is selected, a device for saving a file entity is designated in the lower row. Multiple designations can be made for this designation. In the example of FIG. 6A, security-enhanced MFP-A and host-1 are designated. In this case, the MFP-A corresponds to the MFP 303 and the host-1 corresponds to the host 304, and the file entity is stored in two BOXes of the MFP 303 and the host 304 by paths d and e shown in FIG. Hereinafter, a device that stores a file entity in an internal BOX is referred to as an owner.

  When the file entity is stored in two or more owners as shown in the screen of FIG. 6A, “Next” is selected on the screen, and the process proceeds to the next screen shown in FIG. 6B. FIG. 6B is an example of a screen for setting the priority of reading for the owner. That is, in this case, the user B specifies which of the MFP 303 and the host 304 is to be preferentially read. In the example of FIG. 6B, the host 304 as the host-1 is set as the first priority, and the MFP 303 as the MFP-A is set as the second priority. The priority order is not limited to the second order shown in FIG. 6B, but is set according to the number of designated devices.

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, by limiting the devices that can be set as owners, high security can be obtained.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of reading out file entities stored in a plurality of owners as described above in the second embodiment via shortcuts. Here, the case where the user B selects the file D in the BOX of the MFP 302 and performs print processing will be specifically described.

  First, in step S701, the user B inputs a password in the MFP 302, and when authenticated, opens the MyBOX and selects a shortcut for the file D. The authentication here is the first authentication.

  In step S <b> 702, the MFP 302 reads the attribute information from the shortcut of the selected file D, and tries to access the host 304 designated as the owner 1 with the highest priority.

  In step S703, the access result to the host 304 is determined. If the access fails for some reason, such as the host 304 is not powered on, the process advances to step S704, and further attempts to access the MFP 303 designated as the owner 2 with the second highest priority. If access fails in step S704, error processing is executed in step S705.

  On the other hand, when the access is successful in either step S703 or step S704, the process proceeds to step S706 or step S707, and the accessed device performs second authentication as necessary. Here, the second authentication is user authentication for reading data from the MFP 303 or the host 304. For example, preparation of a decryption key for a password or a public encryption key requested by the device can be considered.

  When the second authentication is performed, the process proceeds to step S706, and the file entity corresponding to the shortcut is read from the MFP 303 or the host 304. At this time, the attribute information of the shortcut and the information of the file entity (creation date, etc.) are compared, and if there is an update, synchronization is established.

  In step S707, desired processing is executed using the file entity acquired in step S706.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the reliability of the remote BOX function can be improved by limiting the remote BOX for storing the file entity to a high security device (MFP 303 or host 304). .

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiment has been described in detail above, the present invention can take an embodiment as a system, apparatus, method, program, storage medium (recording medium), or the like. Specifically, the present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, an imaging device, a web application, etc.), or may be applied to a device composed of a single device. good.

  In the present invention, a software program for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied directly or remotely to a system or apparatus, and the computer of the system or apparatus reads and executes the supplied program code. Is also achieved. The program in this case is a program corresponding to the flowchart shown in the drawing in the embodiment.

  Accordingly, since the functions of the present invention are implemented by computer, the program code installed in the computer also implements the present invention. In other words, the present invention includes a computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.

  In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, it may be in the form of object code, a program executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to the OS, or the like.

  Recording media for supplying the program include the following media. For example, floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD- R).

  As a program supply method, the following method is also possible. That is, the browser of the client computer is connected to a homepage on the Internet, and the computer program itself (or a compressed file including an automatic installation function) of the present invention is downloaded to a recording medium such as a hard disk. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer is also included in the present invention.

  In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to users, and key information for decryption is downloaded from a homepage via the Internet to users who have cleared predetermined conditions. It is also possible to make it. That is, the user can execute the encrypted program by using the key information and install it on the computer.

  Further, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the computer executing the read program. Furthermore, based on the instructions of the program, an OS or the like running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments can also be realized by the processing.

  Further, the program read from the recording medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, and then executed, so that the program of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Function is realized. That is, based on the instructions of the program, the CPU provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit can perform part or all of the actual processing.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer that implements a network printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the network printing system in this embodiment, and its simple operation example. It is a flowchart which shows the BOX creation process in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the file storage process to BOX in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the network printing system in 2nd Embodiment, and its simple operation example. It is an example of a screen which designates the substance of the file created in 2nd Embodiment, and the save destination of a shortcut. It is an example of a screen which sets the priority of reading with respect to multiple owners in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process which reads the file entity in the remote BOX in 2nd Embodiment.

Claims (17)

A control method for a network system in which a plurality of electronic devices including first and second electronic devices each having a storage device are connected,
A device registration step of registering first attribute information related to the second electronic device in the first electronic device;
By registering the first attribute information related to the first electronic device in the registered second electronic device, a user-dedicated user in the first electronic device is registered in the storage device of the second electronic device. A BOX registration step for setting a BOX area;
A shortcut creation step for creating a shortcut linked to a file in the storage device of the first electronic device;
A shortcut storing step of storing the created shortcut in the BOX area of the second electronic device by adding the first attribute information and the second attribute information related to the shortcut;
When a shortcut stored in a BOX area in the second electronic device is selected, a file in the storage device in the first electronic device is accessed based on the first and second attribute information. A network system control method characterized by the above. In the device registration step, a plurality of electronic devices can be registered,
2. The network system control method according to claim 1, wherein in the shortcut storing step, the shortcut can be stored in a BOX area of a plurality of electronic devices.   3. The network system control method according to claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is a host computer, and the second electronic device is a printer. A control method for a network system in which a plurality of electronic devices including first and second electronic devices each having a storage device are connected,
A device registration step of registering first attribute information related to the second electronic device in the first electronic device;
By registering the first attribute information related to the first electronic device in the registered second electronic device, a user-dedicated user in the first electronic device is registered in the storage device of the second electronic device. A BOX registration step for setting a BOX area;
Creating a shortcut for linking to a file in the BOX area of the second electronic device;
A file storing step of storing the file in the BOX area of the second electronic device in a storage device of the first electronic device;
A shortcut storing step of deleting the file in the BOX area of the second electronic device and storing the shortcut by adding the first attribute information and the second attribute information related to the shortcut; And
A network system for accessing a file in a BOX area of the first electronic device based on the first and second attribute information when the shortcut is selected in the second electronic device. Control method. In the device registration step, a plurality of electronic devices can be registered,
5. The network system control method according to claim 4, wherein in the file storing step, the file can be stored in a BOX area of a plurality of electronic devices. When the file is stored in the BOX area of a plurality of electronic devices in the file storing step, the reading order setting step for setting the priority of reading in the plurality of electronic devices;
When a shortcut stored in a BOX area of the second electronic device is selected, a file stored in the BOX area of the plurality of electronic devices is accessed according to the priority. Item 6. A network system control method according to Item 5.   The second attribute information related to the shortcut is updated so as to be synchronized with the file when a file stored in a BOX area of the plurality of electronic devices is accessed. The network system control method described.   8. The network system control method according to claim 4, wherein the second electronic device has higher security than the first electronic device.   9. The network system control method according to claim 8, wherein the first electronic device is a printer.   10. The network system control method according to claim 1, wherein the first attribute information includes at least one of an IP address, a password for a setting target BOX, and the BOX name.   11. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the second attribute information includes at least one of a file name, a file size, a file path, file creation date / time information, and file user information. Control method.   The network system control method according to claim 1, wherein, in the BOX registration step, the BOX area is set for each user.   13. The network system control method according to claim 12, wherein in the BOX registration step, the BOX area is set in a storage device of the first electronic device. A network system in which a plurality of electronic devices including first and second electronic devices each having a storage device are connected,
The first electronic device includes:
Device registration means for registering first attribute information relating to the second electronic device;
By registering the first attribute information related to the first electronic device in the registered second electronic device, a user-dedicated user in the first electronic device is registered in the storage device of the second electronic device. BOX registration means for setting a BOX area;
Shortcut creation means for creating a shortcut linked to a file in the storage device of the first electronic device;
Shortcut storage means for storing the created shortcut in the BOX area of the second electronic device by adding the first attribute information and the second attribute information related to the shortcut;
The second electronic device is
When a shortcut stored in the BOX area is selected, file access means for accessing a file in the storage device in the first electronic device based on the first and second attribute information is provided. A characteristic network system. A network system in which a plurality of electronic devices including first and second electronic devices each having a storage device are connected,
The first electronic device includes:
Device registration means for registering first attribute information related to the second electronic device;
By registering the first attribute information related to the first electronic device in the registered second electronic device, a user-dedicated user in the first electronic device is registered in the storage device of the second electronic device. BOX registration means for setting a BOX area,
The second electronic device is
Shortcut creation means for creating a shortcut to link to a file in the BOX area;
File storage means for storing the file in the BOX area in the storage device of the first electronic device;
In the BOX area, shortcut storage means for deleting the file and storing the shortcut with the addition of the first attribute information and second attribute information related to the shortcut;
File access means for accessing a file in the storage device of the first electronic device based on the first and second attribute information when the shortcut is selected;
A network system comprising:   A program that, when executed on a computer, controls the computer to operate as the first electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.   A recording medium on which the program according to claim 16 is recorded.

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