JP2009087210A - Data output system and data output program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data output system for allowing data accumulated in a data management server to be outputted with simple operation on a peripheral device without a user being conscious about the presence of a plurality of equipment. <P>SOLUTION: When data which one desires to output are selected from a display/input means of a peripheral device, a service is requested of a data management server by a server control means which the peripheral device has. The data management server receiving the service request generates output data by operation of the server control means. The peripheral device receives the generated output data and the data output system performs the output processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a data output system and a data output program for outputting data stored in a data management server via a communication network network with a peripheral device, and more particularly to a data output system and a data output program using a distributed object technology.

  In recent years, with the enlargement and complexity of various systems, system construction using distributed object technology has been actively performed. A typical example of a system to which the distributed object technology is applied is output processing of a server and peripheral devices, for example, processing of outputting document data stored in the server by a printing apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral.

  In general, printing of such a document requires access to document data, an application for executing document loading and processing, OS graphical software, information such as a device driver, and software. For example, when printing a desired document on the go, first obtain and install a printer driver, listen to the printer's IP address, start an application that executes the document, and then print Work was necessary.

  On the other hand, as a distributed peripheral device control system, a distributed peripheral device system that uses a printer according to the situation without a user having to set a client or a server for the peripheral device (printer) has been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

That is, according to this prior art, for example, a device driver suitable for a given printer is automatically identified and loaded, and the output from the server's printing system is transmitted to the printer via the mobile device. Use the above software application to process the document to be printed, further process the output from the application to generate printer-specific data, and automatically configure the server printing system using the device driver obtained above A distributed peripheral device system that controls these processes from mobile devices has been proposed.
JP 2004-326776 (Description of claim 1, description of pages 14 and 15)

  However, in the above prior art, for example, an information device such as a PDA needs to transmit / receive data to / from both the server and the printer, and there is a disadvantage that it is a detour in view of processing efficiency. .

  That is, if data such as the document can be output without being conscious of the existence of a plurality of devices, the processing efficiency is further improved and the operation is user-friendly.

  In addition, although the said prior art provides the system specialized in the printer as a peripheral device, the said problem is not limited to a printer, If it outputs data, it is a television receiver. Video such as stereo, images, audio output devices, and other home appliances can be targeted.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention can improve processing efficiency when requesting output of predetermined data, and allows a user to perform simple operations without being aware of the presence of a plurality of devices. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data output system and a data output program to which a distributed object technology capable of outputting data is applied.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a data output system is a data output system including a data management server and a peripheral device that outputs data stored in the data management server via a communication network. The data management server includes reception information control means for receiving a data list request from the peripheral device, and data list generation means for generating a data list in accordance with the received data list request. A display / input unit for displaying the data list as a user interface and selecting desired data from the data list; and a service request unit for requesting the data management server to output the selected data. And based on this output service request Server control means for controlling the data management server, and the server control means stores the peripheral device driver in advance when the data management server accepts the output service request by the acceptance information control means. Means for reading a driver corresponding to the peripheral device that has made the output service request, starting an application for executing the selected data, and outputting output data from the read driver and the started application. The peripheral device has output processing means for receiving the output data via the communication network and executing output processing of the output data.

  According to this configuration, when a desired data output request process is performed on the peripheral device, the data management server can be controlled from the peripheral device side. Specifically, if data to be output is specified from the peripheral device, the driver corresponding to the peripheral device can be automatically switched. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is possible to output desired data only by an operation on the peripheral device, and an operation on the data management server is not required.

  The communication network is an Internet network, each data of the data management server is associated with a URL, and the output service request only needs to specify the selected data by the URL.

  Further, when the communication network is an Internet network, it may be routed through an IP-VPN network in order to securely connect the data management server and peripheral devices.

  The peripheral device classifies the data list according to a predetermined data attribute, displays the display data list generating means for displaying on the peripheral device, and causes the generated data list to be displayed by the display / input means. Display / input control means for passing the selected data to the output service request means may be provided.

  In this way, for example, first, the category of data to be selected (for example, a document created by a user, public data distribution such as news and product information, product ordering, etc.) is selected and desired in that category. It is also possible to specify the data to be performed.

  When the data stored in the data management server is associated with the ID of the user who requests output, and the ID of the user set in advance is input by the display / input means, the data management server displays the data list A data list corresponding to the user ID may be generated by the generation unit, and the peripheral device may generate a display data list based on the data list.

  In this way, the display data list can be made unique for each user who uses the system.

A means for providing a browsing application for a mobile communication terminal capable of browsing the display data list and a data list transferred from the data management server, generating the display data list based on the data list, and provided by the browsing application A display server that displays the display data list on the mobile communication terminal when a request for browsing the display data list is received from the mobile communication terminal, the peripheral device includes a display control unit configured to display the display data list on the mobile communication terminal. There may be provided reading means for reading desired data selected from the displayed display data list from the portable communication terminal, and the service requesting means may request an output service for the read data.

  According to this configuration, desired output data can be obtained, viewed, and the like only by specifying output data by a mobile communication terminal (for example, a mobile phone) and reading the specified data into a peripheral device.

The browsing application for the mobile communication terminal is viewer software capable of browsing data created by XML or the like, for example, and is provided by downloading from the web server with the mobile communication terminal.

  If the web server has data update means for automatically uploading update information of data stored in the data management server in real time by FTP or the like, it is possible to always provide the latest data. Become.

  The mobile communication terminal includes recording means for recording the desired data to be selected, and transmission means for transmitting the recorded data to the peripheral device by short-range wireless communication. What is necessary is just to have a reading means for reading data transmitted by wireless communication.

  For example, the portable communication terminal incorporates a recording medium such as an IC chip, records the data on the recording medium, and transmits the data by short-range wireless communication via a USB device (such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or IrDA). do it. In this case, the peripheral device only needs to include a reader for these transmission means.

A communication terminal that obtains a URL specifying the data to be selected from a web server and generates a two-dimensional code, and the portable communication terminal takes in the two-dimensional code from the communication terminal and reads the peripheral device May read the captured two-dimensional code from the portable communication terminal. The two-dimensional code is, for example, a QR code. If the QR code is used, the output data information can be concealed on the communication network, which is preferable in terms of security.

  When there are a plurality of the data management servers, data specifying the data management server may be added to the data to be selected.

  In this way, it is possible to access a plurality of data management servers and acquire output data from a single peripheral device.

  You may make it provide as a computer program which implement | achieves one of the said functions with respect to the peripheral device provided with the data management server and the user interface which can display the said data list.

  If it can be provided in the form of a computer program, the data output system can be constructed using existing peripheral devices.

  As is clear from the above description, the data output system and data output program according to the present invention can select desired output data on the peripheral device that executes the output process, thereby simplifying the data output operation. As a result, the processing efficiency is improved and the user can easily operate without being aware of the presence of a plurality of devices. In addition, if there is a peripheral device corresponding to this system, there is an effect that desired data can be easily output at any place without performing complicated settings.

  Furthermore, since output data can also be selected with a mobile communication terminal, the operation of acquiring output data can be simplified.

  FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an output data system according to the present invention.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a multifunction peripheral, which can display data and the like as a user interface on a screen or the like (not shown). In the present embodiment, the multifunction device 1 is shown. However, any peripheral device that outputs data is not limited to the multifunction device. For example, the multifunction device 1 is a home appliance such as a television receiver or an audio set. Also good.

The multi-function device 1 is connected to the data management server 2 via the LAN communication network L or the IP-VPN network V. The data management server 2 accumulates data output from the multifunction device 1 and is installed with an application for executing the data and a driver corresponding to the multifunction device 1. When the MFP 1 and the data management server 2 are connected on the Internet, an ordinary Internet network may be used, but the IP-VPN network V is preferable for security. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connection is made with the IP-VPN network V.

  On the IP-VPN network V, a web server 3 is interposed between the multifunction device 1 and the data management server 2. The web server 3 serves as a proxy server as will be described later.

  The list of data stored in the data management server 2 can be viewed on the mobile phone 4 via the web server 3. That is, the mobile phone 4 downloads the mobile phone browsing application from the web server 3, and the list of the data management server 2 (in this embodiment, the data management server 2 is single, but there are a plurality of them. If a data list browsing request is made, the web server 3 responds to the browsing request using CGI and a servlet.

  Further, the mobile phone 4 can transfer the selected data from the browsed data list to the multi function device 1. As the transfer means, for example, a dedicated reader is provided for the data (including data of the selected server when there are a plurality of data management servers 2) selected in the mobile phone 4 equipped with FeliCa (registered trademark) or the like. What is necessary is just to make it read by the multi-function device 1. As another transfer method, a short distance wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or IrDA may be used. Furthermore, a URL for specifying the selected data is acquired from the web server 3 and a two-dimensional code such as a QR code is generated by a stand-alone terminal, which is captured by a camera mounted on the mobile phone 4 and combined. It may be transferred to the machine 1. In particular, a transfer method using this two-dimensional code is preferable in terms of security because data information can be concealed.

In the present embodiment, the description has been made using the mobile phone 4. However, the mobile communication terminal is not limited to the mobile phone 4. For example, a PDA (Personal
Digital Assistants).

  In the present embodiment, the data is selected via the mobile phone 4. However, the data is directly selected from the multi function device 1 without using the mobile phone 4, and the IP-VPN network V or the LAN communication network is selected. The output data may be requested from the data management server 2 via L.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the multifunction device 1. Note that FIG. 2 omits illustration of general functions of the multifunction machine 1 and shows only functions directly related to the implementation of the present invention.

The multifunction device 1 has a screen display input unit 11 as a user interface, and the user can select data desired to be output from the screen display input unit 11. The data selected by the screen display input unit 11 requests the data management server 2 to generate output data from the cooperation processing unit 12 with the data management server 2 via the transmission / reception unit 13. The output data generated by the data management server 2 is transmitted again to the cooperation processing unit 12 via the transmission / reception unit 13 and output (printed in the present embodiment) by the output unit 14.

  The cooperation processing unit 12 includes a display data list generation unit 121, and generates an image of the screen of the screen display input unit 11 by, for example, XML. The display data list generation unit 121 generates a display data list based on the data list transmitted from the data management server 2 except for the initial screen. The display data list generating unit 121 generates, for example, the data list as a list classified according to data attributes, and first displays the classification. When the user selects a predetermined classification, specific data belonging to the classification is displayed. A list may be displayed. In other words, the classification according to the data attribute indicates the category of data to be output, such as “business-created document”, “distributed news”, “photo on-demand print”, and when this classification is selected, A display data list belonging to this classification is displayed.

  When the data selected by the user is input by the screen display input unit 11, the display input control unit 122a of the output information processing unit 122 receives the data input (event), analyzes the input content, and based on the analyzed data. The service request unit 122b generates service request data (in this embodiment, print request data).

  The service data response processing unit 123 bridges between the service request data requested from the service request unit 122b and the server control unit 124 that controls the data management server 2 that performs the service request.

The server control unit 124 makes a service request to the data management server 2 in order to execute cooperation processing with the data management server 2. For example, the multi-function device 1 uses an API (Application for communicating with the data management server 2).
Program Interface), and call it to provide. As a technical specification of the cooperation processing, a known Jini may be used.

  When the output data is generated by the data management server 2, it is received again via the transmission / reception unit 13, passes through the server control unit 124 and the service data response processing unit 123, and is output by the output processing unit 122 c of the cooperation processing unit 122. Execute the process to output from. The output processing unit 122c serves as an interface with a specific API related to output (printing or the like) of the multifunction device 1.

  When the multifunction device 1 and the data management server 2 are connected on the IP-VPN network V, as will be described later, the data stored in the data management server 2 is associated with a URL, and The data selected from the display data list may be specified by this URL.

  Further, when a plurality of data management servers 2 are connected to the multifunction device 1, the data to be selected may include data (URL) for specifying the data management server 2.

In the present embodiment, the selection of data desired to be output is directly selected by the screen display input unit 11 of the multi-function device 1. However, as described with reference to FIG. is there. In this case, the multifunction device 1 only needs to include a reader (not shown) that reads the data selected by the mobile phone 4 in place of the screen display input unit 11.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the data management server 2. In FIG. 3, as in FIG. 2, the general functions of the data management server 2 are omitted, and only the functions directly related to the implementation of the present invention are shown.

  The output data processing unit 22 of the data management server 2 receives information transmitted from the multifunction device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21, passes the information to each service, and returns the result from each service to the multifunction device 1. An information control unit 221 is included.

  When there is a data list request from the multifunction device 1, the selection list generation unit 224 reads the data from the document database 222 in which the document data is stored, generates a data list, and the generated data list is the reception information control unit 221. To the multi-function device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21.

  When data is selected by the multifunction device 1 and a service request is made to the data management server 2 via the transmission / reception unit 21, the multifunction device 1 that has made a service request by the authentication processing unit 223 via the reception information control unit 221. Authenticates whether the user is authorized to receive services. This authentication process may use the OS security mechanism installed in the data management server 2.

  When the service request is authenticated by the authentication processing unit 223, output data, that is, print data is generated by the output data generation unit 225, and is transmitted from the reception information control unit 221 to the MFP 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21. Is done.

  The output data generation unit 225 operates in cooperation with the server control unit 124 of the multifunction machine 1 described with reference to FIG. 2 to generate the print data.

  Specifically, the selected data is read from the document database 222, the application 23 that executes this data is started by the application start processing unit 226, and the driver corresponding to the multifunction device 1 is read from the driver database 227. Is done.

  When there are a large number of users who access the multifunction device 1, the document database 222 stores data in association with the IDs of the respective users, and the screen display input unit 11 described in FIG. 2 (the mobile phone described in FIG. 1). When the telephone 4 is used, when the user inputs the ID from the mobile phone 4), the data for the user may be displayed.

  FIG. 4 is a specific output processing flow when a service request is made from the multifunction device 1 to the data management server 2. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS. In the following flowchart, it is assumed that the user has selected data desired to be output (printed) by the screen display input unit 11.

  The content of the service request is analyzed by the display input control unit 122a of the multifunction device 1, and the service request is started by the service request unit 122b (S1).

  First, when the MFP 1 requests an authentication request as to whether or not the MFP 1 is authorized to make a service request, the service data response processing unit 123 connects the request to the API authentication of the server control unit 124. The server control unit 124 makes an API authentication (logon) request together with a communication connection request (S2) (S3).

  In the data management server 2, the connection is established by accepting the connection request (S 4), and at the same time, the reception information control unit 221 accepts the logon for the logon request (S 6), and the authentication processing unit 223. Then, the authentication process is performed (S7), and the authentication result is transmitted from the reception information control unit 221 to the multi-function device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21 (S8).

  The MFP 1 that has received the authentication result proceeds to service request processing if it has been authenticated (S9, S10), and if it has not been authenticated, the connection to the data management server 2 is disconnected (S9). , S28).

  When a specific service request in S10, that is, in this embodiment, a print request is made by the service request unit 122b of the multifunction device 1, the service data response processing unit 123 performs API printing of the server control unit 221. (S11), the server control unit 124 requests the data management server 2 through the transmission / reception unit 13 of the multifunction device 1 (S12).

  This cooperation processing request is received by the reception information control unit 221 via the transmission / reception unit 21 of the data management server 2 (S13), and the authentication processing unit 223 performs authentication processing and authentication determination as to whether the service can be executed. (S14, S15).

  If the authentication process fails, the authentication result is transmitted from the reception information control unit 221 to the multi-function device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21 (S16), and it is determined whether the service request is completed (S23). ). That is, if there is a weighted service request, the processing from S10 is repeated again (S23), and if there is no service request, the service request unit 122b makes a logoff request to the service data response processing unit 123. (S24). The service data response processing unit 123 receives this logoff request, connects to the API disconnection in the server control unit 124, and receives logoff from the server control unit 124 via the transmission / reception unit 13 in the reception information control unit 221 (S25). The logoff is executed (S26), and the connection between the data management server 2 and the multifunction device 1 is disconnected (S27, S28).

  Returning to S15, when the service execution is authenticated, the authentication result is transmitted from the reception information control unit 221 to the multi-function device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21 (S17), and thereafter the same as the processing from S23 to S28. In response to the cooperation processing request from the server control unit 124, the application startup processing unit 226 of the data management server 2 executes the selected data as a process asynchronous with the processing of S17. The selected application is read out from the document database 222, the driver corresponding to the multifunction device 1 is read out from the driver database 227 (not shown), and output data is generated by the output data generation unit 225. (S19).

  The generated output data is transmitted from the reception information control unit 221 to the multi-function device 1 via the transmission / reception unit 21 (S20).

  The output processing unit 122c of the multifunction machine 1 registers output data (S21), and the output unit 14 outputs the desired data, that is, prints (S22).

  FIG. 5 is a specific output processing flow when the mobile phone 4 is used. Hereinafter, as in the case of FIG. 4, the description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  First, the mobile phone 4 downloads in advance a mobile phone browsing application provided from the web server 3 (S100, S101). The web server 3 functions as a proxy server between the mobile phone 4 or the multifunction device 1 and the data management server 2.

In the present embodiment, assuming that there are a plurality of data management servers 2, first, the mobile phone 4 requests the web server 3 to send a server list, and the web server 3 sends the server list ( (S102), the cellular phone 4 receives the server list in a form that can be browsed by the browsing application for cellular phones (S103).

  When the selection request of the data management server 2 is made from the mobile phone 4 (S104), the authentication CGI of the web server 3 is activated (S105), and the authentication process is executed in the data management server 2 by this authentication CGI (S106). .

  When it is authenticated in S106 and a request to browse the data list desired to be output from the mobile phone 4 is made (S107), the output data list CGI is activated in the web server 3 (S108), and the output data list is generated in the data management server 2. And sent to the mobile phone 4 via the web server 3 (S109). The generation of the output data list is as described with reference to FIG.

  This output data list is displayed on the mobile phone 4 by the mobile phone browsing application, and the desired data is selected and, as described with reference to FIG. A service request to the multifunction device 1 is started (S110, S111). If the user performs only this reading operation, the user can automatically print desired data as described below.

  The multi-function device 1 executes authentication and service request processing based on the read data (S112), and through the authentication and service CGI processing of the web server 3 (S113), the data management server 2 performs authentication processing and output data. The generation and transmission processes are executed (S114), and the multi-function device 1 that has received the output data via the web server 3 executes output, that is, printing (S115).

  Note that the specific processing of S112, S114, and S115 is the same processing as in FIG. 4, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  If an existing data management server and a multifunction device having a user interface capable of displaying a data list are provided in the form of a computer program that realizes the functions described in FIGS. 4 and 5, the existing system can be used. Thus, the construction of the data output system according to the present invention can also be realized.

Hardware configuration diagram of output data system according to the present invention Functional block diagram of MFP Functional block diagram of the data management server Output process flow diagram when a service request is sent from the MFP to the data management server Output process flow diagram when using mobile phone 4

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunction machine 2 Data management server 3 Web server 4 Mobile phone 11 Screen display input part 12 Cooperation processing part 22 Output data processing part

Claims (11)

A data output system comprising: a data management server; and a peripheral device that outputs data stored in the data management server via a communication network.
The data management server includes reception information control means for receiving a data list request from the peripheral device, and data list generation means for generating a data list according to the received data list request, wherein the peripheral device has a user interface Display / input means capable of selecting the data desired to be output from the data list, and a service request for requesting the data management server to output the selected data. And server control means for controlling the data management server based on the output service request, and the server control means is configured such that when the data management server accepts the output service request by the acceptance information control means. , A pre-stored peripheral device driver Means for reading a driver corresponding to the peripheral device that has made the output service request, starting an application for executing the selected data, and outputting output data from the read driver and the started application. The peripheral device has output processing means for receiving the output data via the communication network and executing output processing of the output data. Output system.   The communication network is an Internet network, each data of the data management server is associated with a URL, and the output service request specifies the selected data by the URL. Item 4. The data output system according to Item 1.   3. The data output system according to claim 1, wherein the communication network is an IP-VPN network.   The peripheral device classifies the data list according to a predetermined data attribute, displays the display data list generating means for displaying on the peripheral device, and causes the generated data list to be displayed by the display / input means. 4. The data output system according to claim 1, further comprising display / input control means for passing the selected data to the output service request means.   When the data stored in the data management server is associated with the ID of the user who requests output, and the ID of the user set in advance is input by the display / input means, the data management server displays the data list 5. A data list corresponding to a user ID is generated by a generation unit, and the peripheral device generates a display data list based on the data list. The data output system described in 1. A means for providing a browsing application for a mobile communication terminal capable of browsing the display data list and a data list transferred from the data management server, generating the display data list based on the data list, and provided by the browsing application A display server that displays the display data list on the mobile communication terminal when a request for browsing the display data list is received from the mobile communication terminal, the peripheral device includes a display control unit configured to display the display data list on the mobile communication terminal. It has a reading means for reading desired data selected from the displayed display data list from a portable communication terminal, and the service request means makes a request for an output service of the read data. The data output system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   The said web server has a data update means which uploads automatically the update information of the data accumulate | stored in the said data management server in real time, The any one of Claim 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The data output system described.   The mobile communication terminal includes recording means for recording the desired data to be selected, and transmission means for transmitting the recorded data to the peripheral device by short-range wireless communication. The data output system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising reading means for reading data transmitted by wireless communication.   A communication terminal that obtains a URL specifying the data to be selected from a web server and generates a two-dimensional code, and the portable communication terminal takes in the two-dimensional code from the communication terminal and reads the peripheral device 8. The data output system according to claim 1, wherein the fetched two-dimensional code is read from a portable communication terminal.   The data according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, when there are a plurality of the data management servers, data for specifying the data management server is added to the data to be selected. Output system.   The computer program which implement | achieves the function in any one of Claim 1-10 with respect to the peripheral device provided with the data management server and the user interface which can display the said data list.

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