JP2011130326A - Information processing apparatus, method for controlling information processing apparatus, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To alleviate the complicatedness of content creation by performing processing related with the nondisplay of a tool bar not at a Web server side but at a Web browser side concerning content for which it is necessary to inhibit a screen transition with a button displayed in a tool bar display region. <P>SOLUTION: A Web browser determines whether or not the IP address of a Web server which has acquired content matches address information set as a tool bar nondisplay address in advance. When they match, only the contents of the content are displayed at an operation display part. When they do not match, the contents of the content and a tool bar display region are displayed at the operation display part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that acquires screen information from an external device and displays the screen information on a display unit.

  In an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) equipped with a Web browser, a file described in a structured language such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is acquired as content from a Web server connected via a network and displayed. It is known to display a screen on the part. Furthermore, the Web browser can not only acquire and display the content from the Web server, but also notify the Web server of an instruction and cause the Web application on the Web server to execute a process according to the instruction.

  Further, in recent years, an embedded Web browser is also installed in an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) equipped with a scanner and a printer. As a result, the content of the Web server can be displayed on the operation unit of the MFP, and a part (or all) of the scan process or the print process can be executed by the Web server. Patent Document 1 discloses an MFP equipped with an embedded Web browser. According to Patent Document 1, the Web server provides operation screen contents for the user to use each function of the MFP. A user who operates the MFP performs an operation on the MFP via an operation screen displayed by the Web browser. This operation is notified to the Web server by the Web browser. Upon receiving this notification, the Web server executes each function for the MFP according to the content of the operation performed by the user.

  By the way, the screen that is normally displayed by the Web browser includes a content display area that displays a screen based on content acquired from the Web server, and a toolbar display area that displays a screen for performing a screen transition operation called a toolbar. There is. The content display area can display items such as buttons and forms generated by the Web application of the Web server, and a predetermined instruction can be given to the Web server by performing an operation according to the item. On the other hand, in the toolbar display area, buttons such as “return” and “forward” provided by the web browser itself are displayed without being based on the content acquired from the web server. The Web browser can display an operation screen that was displayed before (in the past) the currently displayed operation screen, for example, by pressing a “return” button.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 discloses a technique for hiding a toolbar display area in accordance with an instruction from a Web server. According to Patent Document 2, an instruction to hide the toolbar display area is included in the content acquired from the Web server, and the Web browser that has acquired the content hides the toolbar display area in accordance with the instruction. Can do.

JP 2006-127503 A JP 2008-186065 A

  Consider a state in which a screen transition from an operation screen displayed on the basis of content A acquired from a Web server to an operation screen displayed on the basis of content B is performed in a system such as Patent Document 1. In this case, if the “Back” button is operated to allow screen transition from the operation screen of the content B to the operation screen of the content A, there is a possibility that a screen transition unexpected for the Web application may occur. To give a specific example, when the MFP in Patent Document 1 executes copying, content A is a copy start screen for starting execution of copying, and content B is a copy execution screen indicating that copying is being executed. Suppose there is. The user presses a start button that instructs execution of the copy start screen displayed in the content display area. The Web browser notifies the Web application on the Web server that the start button has been pressed. The Web application starts processing for executing copying in response to this notification. Thereafter, the web server transmits a copy execution screen to the MFP in accordance with the start of copying.

  If the “Return” button displayed in the toolbar display area is pressed while this copy execution screen is displayed, the MFP side does not execute copy processing on the Web server side. The copy start screen will be displayed. That is, inconsistency occurs between the screen displayed on the MFP side and the process executed on the Web server side. That is, an operation screen that is not assumed by the Web application is displayed on the MFP side. As a result, the start button may be pressed again via the displayed start screen, and a copy start instruction may be issued multiple times, and a series of operations from the start of copy to completion may not be performed normally. is there.

  According to Patent Document 2, the toolbar display area can be hidden in accordance with an instruction from the Web server, but the Web server needs to create an instruction to hide the toolbar display area. There is a problem that the mechanism of the Web server becomes complicated. Further, if the control for hiding the toolbar display area of the Web browser is permitted from the Web server side, the mechanism may be known by protocol analysis or the like.

  The Web browser provided in the PC can also be controlled so that the toolbar display area is not displayed in accordance with a user instruction. However, this control only allows the user to selectively display or hide the toolbar when the user feels that the display of the toolbar display area is unnecessary, and is assumed for the Web application. This is not a control for not displaying the operation screen. This is because if the user wants to display the toolbar display area, the toolbar display area can be easily displayed. In this case, a screen transition that is not assumed for the Web application is performed regardless of whether the user is intentional or not.

  As described above, the screen transition based on the operation of the screen provided by the external device is the screen transition assumed for the external device. However, when the screen transition not based on the screen information acquired from the external device is permitted, it is assumed for the external device. There is a possibility of causing the user to perform screen transitions that are not performed.

  In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that enables settings for prohibiting screen transitions that are not based on screen information acquired from an external device.

  An information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an external device connected via a network, an acquisition unit that acquires screen information from the external device, and a screen information acquired by the acquisition unit. Display means for displaying an operation screen, an operation means for accepting an instruction for screen transition from the operation screen displayed on the display means to another operation screen, and a display on the display means according to the instruction accepted by the operation means A display control means for making a screen transition from the operated operation screen to another operation screen, an authentication means for authenticating the user, and a setting for prohibiting the screen transition not based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition means according to the user's instruction If the setting means to perform and the user authenticated by the authentication means is a specific user, the setting by the setting means is permitted. A setting control unit that does not permit setting by the setting unit when the user authenticated by the authentication unit is not the specific user, and when the setting by the setting unit is performed, a screen by the display control unit A screen transition that is a transition and is not based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition unit is prohibited.

  According to the present invention, screen transition to an operation screen that is not based on screen information acquired from an external device can be prohibited.

It is a figure which shows the structure of an information processing system. 2 is a block diagram illustrating hardware configurations of an MFP 101 and a Web server 102. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing software configurations of an MFP 101 and a Web server 102. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the MFP. 6 is a login screen displayed on the operation display unit 211 by the user identification module 310. FIG. 4 is a copy operation screen displayed on the operation display unit 211 by the Web browser 300. 6 is a flowchart illustrating setting processing executed by the MFP. 6 is a setting dialog displayed on the operation display unit 211 by the Web browser 300. 4 is a copy operation screen displayed on the operation display unit 211 by the Web browser 300.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a system configuration including an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this system, an MFP 101 and a Web server 102 are connected to be communicable with each other via a LAN (Local Area Network) 104. A Web server 103 is connected to the LAN 104 via the Internet 105.

  The MFP 101 is an apparatus having a plurality of functions such as a scan function, a print function, a copy function, and a transmission function. Further, the MFP 101 has a Web browser function, can acquire an HTML file stored in the Web server 102 or the Web server 103, interpret the acquired HTML file, and display a Web page. The MFP 101 is an example of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  The web server 102 and the web server 103 are computer devices having a web server function. Web server 102 and Web server 103 store an HTML file for displaying a Web page by a Web browser provided in MFP 101. Also, various processes based on instructions from the Web browser are executed. The Web server 102 or the Web server 103 is an example of an external device according to the present invention.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the hardware configuration of the MFP 101 and the Web server 102 will be described. The description of the Web server 103 is the same as the hardware configuration of the Web server 102, and will not be repeated.

  FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the MFP 101. The MFP 101 includes a control unit 200, an operation display unit 211, an operation input unit 212, a scanner 213, and a printer 214.

  The control unit 200 is connected to the operation display unit 211, the operation input unit 212, the scanner 213, and the printer 214, and controls them. The control unit 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 202, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 203, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204, an operation unit output I / F 205, a network I / F 207, a scanner. An I / F 208 and a printer I / F 209 are provided. The devices 201 to 209 are connected to each other via a bus 210. The control unit 200 realizes functions and operations as a Web browser 300 described later.

  The CPU 201 activates the MFP 101 based on the boot program stored in the ROM 203. Further, the CPU 201 reads a control program stored in the HDD 204 and executes predetermined processing using the RAM 202 as a work area.

  The HDD 204 stores various control programs including the functions of the Web browser 300. Further, the HDD 204 stores scan data read from the scanner 213 and HTML files and image data acquired from the Web servers 102 and 103 outside the MFP 101 via the network I / F 207.

  The operation unit output I / F 205 performs data output communication control to the operation display unit 211. An operation display unit 211 connected to the operation unit output I / F 205 is a display interface to the user. The operation display unit 211 includes a display device such as an LCD (Liaud Crystal Display) or an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

  The operation unit input I / F 206 performs data communication control from the operation input unit 212. An operation input unit 212 connected to the operation unit input I / F 206 is an instruction input interface from a user including input devices such as a touch panel and hard keys.

  A network I / F 207 is connected to the LAN 104 and performs input / output control of information via the Internet 105 and the LAN 104.

  A scanner I / F 208 inputs scan data from the scanner 213 and performs input / output for scanner control. The scanner 213 includes an optical reading device such as a CCD (Charged Coupled Device), and has a function of scanning a paper medium and reading it as electronic image data.

  The printer I / F 209 outputs image data to the printer 214 and inputs / outputs printer control data. The printer 214 has a function of forming electronic image data as an image on a recording medium such as paper.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the Web server 102. The web server 102 includes a control unit 220.

  The control unit further includes a CPU 221, a RAM 222, a ROM 223, an HDD 224, and a network I / F 227. These units are connected to each other via a bus 228.

  The CPU 221 controls the overall operation of the Web server 102. The CPU 221 reads out a program stored in the ROM 223 or the HDD 224 to the RAM 202 and executes various control processes by executing the read program. A RAM 222 is a memory that provides a work area for the CPU 221. The ROM 223 stores a system boot program. The HDD 224 stores system software, image data, and the like. The network I / F 227 is an interface that connects the control unit 200 and the LAN 104. A network I / F 207 inputs and outputs various information to and from the MFP 101 via the LAN 104.

Next, a software configuration of the information processing system shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The MFP 101 includes a web browser 300, a user identification module 310, an address management module 320, an execution reception module 330, a scan execution module 340, and a print execution module 350. Reference numerals 300 to 350 denote modules that are executed by the CPU 201 of the MFP 101 and are stored in the HDD 204.

  The Web browser 300 further includes a content acquisition module 301, a content analysis module 302, a screen display module 303, a user identification module 310, and an address management module 320.

  The content acquisition module 301 has a function of communicating with the content providing module 361 of the Web application 360 according to HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) using the network I / F 207. More specifically, the content acquisition module 301 transmits an HTTP request for a GET method or a POST method to a resource of the Web application 360 specified by a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier). Then, an HTML file or image data is acquired as content from the Web application 360 using the URI included in the HTTP request as an access destination. The content in the present embodiment is screen information such as an HTML file or image data acquired from a Web server, for example. The web browser 300 displays an operation screen on the operation display unit 211 based on the acquired screen information. The operation screen in this embodiment is a screen displayed on the operation display unit 211 by the screen display module 303. The content acquisition module 301 can also notify the Web application 360 of the user's instruction input via the operation screen as an HTTP request.

  The content analysis module 302 analyzes the HTML file acquired by the content acquisition module 301 and generates an operation screen for display on the operation display unit 211.

  The screen display module 303 instructs the operation output unit I / F 205 to display, for example, an operation screen as illustrated in FIG. 6 on the operation display unit 211 based on the analysis result by the content analysis module 302. The screen display module 303 can display buttons for accepting various operations in an area called a toolbar display area as indicated by reference numeral 603 in FIG. In the toolbar display area, a return button (a button for displaying a screen displayed in the past from the currently displayed operation screen) and the like are displayed. The buttons displayed in the toolbar display area are displayed by the screen display module 303 without being based on the HTML file acquired from the Web server. When the return button is pressed, the screen display module 303 displays an operation screen with reference to the history managed in the RAM 202 or the HDD 204.

  Furthermore, the screen display module 303 can display setting buttons for performing various settings in the toolbar display area. When this setting button is pressed, it is possible to hide the toolbar display area.

  The user identification module 310 accepts a login request from the user to the MFP 101 via the operation input unit 212. The user identification module 310 authenticates the user by determining whether the user ID and password match the list of users registered in the MFP 204 in advance in the MFP 101. If the user authentication is successful, the user identification module permits the user to log in to the MFP 101. When login is permitted, the user ID of the logged-in user is set as the logged-in user, and the logged-in user data is written in the RAM 202 or HDD 204. The authenticated login user is a user who has administrator authority for the MFP 101 (hereinafter referred to as an administrator) or a user who does not have administrator authority (hereinafter referred to as a general user). Judgment is also made. The address management module 320 sets an IP address (or URL) that prohibits screen transition based on a button displayed in a toolbar display area described later. Note that the user identification module 310 may be executed by a module included in the web browser 300.

  The address management module 320 stores the IP address set by the user in the RAM 202. Whether or not to prohibit screen transition based on the buttons displayed in the toolbar display area with reference to the IP address set by the address management module 320 when an HTML file or the like is acquired by accessing the Web server Judging. The address management module 320 may be executed by a module included in the web browser 300.

  The execution reception module 330 is a module that, when a scan process (or print process) is requested from the Web server 102, passes an execution parameter used for the process to the scan execution module 340 (or print execution module 350). Specifically, the execution reception module 330 receives a message requesting scanning or printing as a Web service from the logic execution module 362 of the Web server 102. The message to be received is described according to SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol). In the received message, parameters for image processing to be performed at the time of scanning or printing (including scan settings and transmission settings received from the Web browser 300) are specified. The execution receiving module 330 passes the received SOAP message to the scan execution module 340 (or the print execution module 350), and executes the scan process (or print process). In the following description, a message described in accordance with SOAP is called a SOAP message.

  The scan execution module 340 executes scan processing according to the parameters passed from the execution reception module 330. The print execution module 350 executes print processing according to the parameters passed from the execution reception module 330.

  The web application 360 is a module executed by the CPU 221 included in the web server 102 and is stored in the HDD 224.

  The web application 360 includes a content providing module 361 and a logic execution module 362.

  The content providing module 361 communicates with the content acquisition module 301 and provides operation screen content. Further, the content providing module 361 receives an instruction from the user input via the operation screen displayed by the Web browser 300 as an HTTP request from the MFP 101. Then, the content is provided again to the content acquisition module 301 in accordance with the instruction, or the logic execution module 362 is requested to execute various processes.

  In response to a request from the content providing module 361, the logic execution module 362 performs processing for generating a control instruction for causing the printer 214 or the scanner 213 to execute copy processing. Specifically, a SOAP message indicating a processing request that can be processed by the MFP 101 is generated.

  As an example of processing performed by the module illustrated in FIG. 3, a case where the copy function among a plurality of functions of the MFP 101 is executed will be described.

  First, the content providing module 361 provides content (HTML file or image data) to the content acquisition module 301. The content acquisition module 301 acquires content from the content providing module 361 and passes the content to the content analysis module 302. The content analysis module 302 analyzes the content and generates an operation screen. The screen display module 303 displays the operation screen of FIG. 6, for example. Then, for example, when the start button 607 displayed on the operation screen of FIG. 6 is pressed, the content acquisition module 301 notifies the content providing module 361 of a copy execution event. The content providing module 361 passes the notified execution event to the logic execution module 362. The logic execution module 362 receives the execution event passed from the content providing module 361 and generates a control instruction (SOAP message) for causing the MFP 101 to execute copying. Then, the logic execution module 362 transmits the generated control instruction to the execution reception module 330. The execution reception module 330 passes the control instruction received from the execution reception module 330 to the scan execution module 340 or the print execution module 350. The scan execution module 340 causes the scanner 213 to execute scan processing, and the print execution module 350 causes the printer 214 to execute print processing, thereby performing copying in the MFP 101.

  Next, each operation of the MFP 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Each operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is realized by the CPU 201 expanding a module stored in the HDD 204 in the RAM 202 and executing the expanded module.

  The operation of the embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the flowchart of FIG. 4, the boot program stored in the ROM 203 is activated, and the process is started when the user identification module 310 displays a login screen.
In S401 (hereinafter, step notation is omitted), the user identification module 310 determines whether or not there is a login instruction. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the login button 504 has been pressed via the login screen shown in FIG.

  FIG. 5 is an example of a login screen displayed on the operation display unit 211 by the user identification module 310. On the login screen 501, an ID edit box 502, a password edit box 503, a login button 504, and a cancel button 505 are displayed by the user identification module 310. An ID edit box 502 is an area for inputting a user ID for the user to log in to the MFP 101. The password edit box 503 is an area for inputting a password corresponding to the user ID. The user identification module 310 repeats the process of S401 until the login button 504 is pressed by the user. When the login button 504 is pressed by the user, the user identification module 310 proceeds to S402 to perform login processing.

In step S <b> 402, the user identification module 310 acquires the user ID input in the ID edit box 502 and the password input in the password edit box 503. The user ID and password are input by the user.
In step S <b> 403, the user identification module 310 acquires a list of combinations of user IDs and passwords registered in the HDD 204.

  In S404, the user identification module 310 determines whether the combination of the login ID and the login password acquired in S402 matches the list acquired in S403. If they match, the user identification module 310 sets the login ID as the login user in S405. That is, the login user data is stored in the RAM 202. If they do not match, the process returns to S401.

When the user logs in to the MFP 101 in S406, the Web browser 300 starts to start.
In step S407, the content acquisition module 301 of the web browser 300 determines whether there is an instruction to access the web server 102 or 103. When the web browser 300 is activated and there is an instruction to access the web servers 102 and 103, the process proceeds to S408, and the content stored in the HDD 224 of the web server to be accessed is acquired.

In S409, the Web browser 300 determines whether the login user set in S405 is an administrator of the MFP 101 or a general user. The Web browser 300 acquires the login user data set in S405 from the RAM 202 and determines. If it is an administrator, the process proceeds to S410. If it is a general user, the process proceeds to S412.
In S410, Web browser 300 determines whether or not the setting for hiding items such as the “return” button in the toolbar display area is valid. The details of determining whether the setting is valid will be described later. If it is determined that the setting is valid, the process proceeds to S411. If it is determined to be invalid, the process proceeds to S412.

  In S411, address management module 320 determines whether or not the access destination designated in S408 matches a preset address. Details of this determination will be described later. If it is determined that they match, the process proceeds to S415. If it is determined that they do not match, the process proceeds to S412.

  In step S412, the content analysis module 302 analyzes the content acquired in step S408, and generates an operation screen for display on the operation display unit 211.

  In step S <b> 413, the screen display module 303 generates a button for receiving an operation screen transition operation.

  In S414, the screen display module 303 sends the operation screen generated in S412 and S413 to the operation display unit 211 via the operation unit output I / F 205. The sent operation screen is stored in the memory provided in the operation display unit 211, and the contents are continuously displayed on the LCD provided in the operation display unit 211.

  With reference to FIG. 6, an example of the operation screen displayed in S414 is shown. The operation screen of FIG. 6 is an operation screen for executing copying using the scanner 213 and the printer 214 provided in the MFP 101. The screen display module 303 displays the screen generated in S412 in the content display area 602, and displays the screen generated in S413 in the toolbar display area 603.

  The content display area 602 is an area for displaying an operation screen generated by analysis by the content analysis module 302. In this area, a screen generated by the content analysis module 302 based on the HTML file or image data acquired from the Web server 102 is displayed.

  In the content display area 602, a detailed setting button 605, a duplex button 606, and a start button 607 are displayed. A detailed setting button 605 is a button for performing detailed setting of copy magnification, paper size, and number of copies. A double-sided button 606 is a button for setting a printing condition for determining whether or not double-sided copying is performed. The double-sided button 606 is assigned a URL as reference information for transitioning to a screen for setting whether to perform double-sided copying or single-sided copying. When the double-sided button 606 is pressed, an operation screen for setting a printing condition as to whether or not double-sided copying is performed with a URL assigned in advance as an access destination is displayed. That is, the content acquired from the Web server includes reference information that refers to another operation screen, and screen transition based on the reference information is performed. The start button 607 is a button for instructing execution of copying based on the printing conditions set by pressing the detail setting button 605 and the duplex button 606. In response to the start button 607 being pressed, the Web browser 300 transmits the set condition and copy execution instruction (execution event) to the Web server 102.

  In addition to the content display area 602, the screen display module 303 can display a button or the like for accepting an instruction to make a transition from the operation screen displayed in the content display area 602 to another operation screen in the toolbar display area 603. . In the toolbar display area 603, a return button 608, a forward button 609, a cancel button 610, an update button 611, and a setting button 612 are displayed. The buttons 608 to 612 are independently generated by the screen display module 303 without being based on the HTML file acquired from the Web server. The return button 608 is a button for displaying a screen displayed before (in the past) from the screen displayed in the content display area 602. The Web browser 300 manages contents (HTML file and image data) for displaying a previously displayed screen in the RAM 202 or the HDD 204 as a history. When the user presses a return button 608, the Web browser 300 displays an operation screen with reference to the history managed in the RAM 202 or the HDD 204. The history to be managed may be managed by storing the contents of the operation screen displayed in the past as a cache, or may be a URL indicating the location where the operation screen displayed in the past is stored. It may be stored and managed. The forward button 609 is a button for making a transition from the screen displayed when the return button 608 is pressed to the screen displayed before the return button 608 is pressed. A cancel button 610 is a button for canceling access to the Web server and acquiring content. A setting button 612 is a button for setting to hide a toolbar display area described later.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a process for setting the toolbar display area 603 to be hidden will be described. Each operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 is realized by the CPU 201 expanding a module stored in the HDD 204 in the RAM 202 and executing the expanded module.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 7, the process is started in a state where the operation screen of FIG. 6 is displayed in S <b> 414 of FIG. 4.

  In S701, the Web browser 300 detects whether or not the setting button 612 shown in FIG. 6 has been pressed by the user. The processing of S701 is repeated until the setting button 612 is pressed. If the setting button 612 is pressed, the process proceeds to S702.

  In step S702, the user identification module 310 determines whether the login user set in step S405 is an administrator or a general user. The user identification module 310 acquires and determines the logged-in user information stored in S405. When it is determined that the authenticated login user is an administrator, the setting dialog of FIG. 8 is displayed. When it is determined that the authenticated login user is a general user, the process proceeds to S709. The determination process of S702 is a process for setting control so that only the administrator can perform the processes of S703 to S708.

  FIG. 8 shows a setting dialog displayed by the screen display module 303 when it is determined that the login user authenticated in the determination processing in S702 is an administrator. On the dialog 801, a first setting switch 802 for hiding the toolbar display area, a second setting switch 803a for setting an address for hiding the toolbar display area, and an address setting edit box 803b are provided. Is displayed. The first setting switch 802 is a switch for setting whether or not to display a toolbar display area on the operation screen. The second setting switch 803a is a switch for setting whether or not to specify an IP address when the toolbar display area is hidden. The address setting edit box 803b is an editing area for designating the IP address of the Web server from which the content is acquired. In the address setting edit box 803b, IP addresses of a plurality of Web servers can be set. When a plurality of IP addresses are set, the toolbar display area 603 is hidden when the IP address of the Web server from which the content is acquired matches any of the set IP addresses. An OK button 804 is a button for confirming an item set by the user in the dialog 801. A cancel button 805 is a button for closing the dialog 801 without reflecting the item set by the user in the dialog 801.

  In step S <b> 703, the web browser 300 receives a setting for prohibiting screen transition based on the button displayed in the toolbar display area 603. In short, it is determined whether or not the OK button 804 is pressed according to a user instruction. If the OK button 804 is pressed, the process proceeds to S705. If the cancel button 805 is pressed, the process returns to S701.

  In S705, the Web browser 300 determines whether to enable the setting for hiding the toolbar display area 603 based on the setting received in S703. Specifically, if the first setting switch 802 is checked, the setting for hiding the toolbar display area 603 is validated in S706. When this setting is enabled, the tool bar display area 603 itself is not displayed when displaying the operation screen generated based on the screen information included in the content acquired from the Web server. Thereby, screen transition based on the operation of the button displayed in the toolbar display area 603 is prohibited. Instead of hiding the toolbar display area 603, control may be performed to invalidate the screen so that the screen transition is not performed even when a button pressed in the toolbar display area 603 is received. Further, the buttons displayed in the toolbar display area may be grayed out so that the buttons in the toolbar display area 603 are not accepted in the first place. If it is determined NO in S705, the process of this flowchart is terminated.

  In S707, the Web browser 300 determines whether the second setting switch 803a is checked based on the setting received in S703. When the check is added, in S708, the address management module 320 stores the IP address set on the setting screen of FIG. As a result, the tool bar display area 603 can be controlled to be hidden only when the operation screen generated based on the content acquired from the Web server specified by the set IP address is displayed. For example, display control can be performed such that the toolbar display area 603 is hidden when content is acquired from the Web server 102 but the toolbar display area 603 is displayed when content is acquired from the Web server 103. In this case, the administrator sets the IP address of the Web server 102 via the setting dialog shown in FIG. As a result, display control of the toolbar display area 603 can be performed according to whether or not the Web server is connected via the Internet 105. In addition, when connected to a plurality of Web servers, it is not necessary to perform processing for hiding the toolbar display area 603 in each Web server, and the toolbar display area 603 can be created with a simple mechanism on the Web browser side. Can be hidden. If it is determined NO in S707, the process of this flowchart is terminated.

  S709 is processing when it is determined in S702 that the login user is not an administrator but a general user. In step S709, the screen display module 303 displays a dialog prompting the user to log in again with a user having administrator authority, or displays a dialog displaying an error indicating that setting is not possible.

  Here, based on the content described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the details of the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be described again. The description of S401 to S409 and S412 to S414 is the same as the above description, and will be omitted.

  In S410, the screen display module 303 determines whether or not the setting for hiding the toolbar display area 603 is valid. This determination is made with reference to the information registered in the HDD 204 when set in S706. If it is determined that the setting is valid, the process proceeds to S411.

  In S411, the address management module 320 determines whether or not the IP address of the Web server that is the acquisition source of the acquired content matches the IP address set on the setting screen of FIG. If it is determined that they match, the process proceeds to S415, and if it is determined that they do not match, the process proceeds to S412.

  In S415, the Web browser 300 instructs the content analysis module 302 to generate an operation screen to be displayed in the content display area 602. The content analysis module 302 displays an operation screen based on content such as an HTML file acquired by the content acquisition module 301.

  In S416, the Web browser 300 instructs the screen display module 303 to display an operation screen. The screen display module 303 displays the operation screen generated by the content analysis module 302 on the operation display unit 211 via the operation unit output I / F 205. At this time, the screen display module 303 displays the content display area 602 but does not display the toolbar display area 603.

  The operation screen displayed by the screen display module 303 in S416 will be described with reference to FIG. In the operation screen shown in FIG. 9, the content display area 902 is displayed on the operation display unit 211, but the tool bar display area is not displayed, which is different from the operation screen in FIG. As a result, screen transitions performed by operating the buttons displayed in the content display area are permitted. On the other hand, screen transitions that are not based on content acquired from a Web server (for example, a “return” button displayed in the toolbar display area) are prohibited. Further, by not displaying the toolbar display area, the content display area 902 can be displayed wider than when the toolbar display area is displayed together with the effect that the list of operation screens displayed in the content display area is improved. In addition, the screen can be displayed without causing the user to recognize whether the operation screen displayed on the operation display unit 211 is a screen displayed by a Web browser or a screen displayed by a device other than the Web browser. Can do.

According to the present embodiment, the toolbar display area 603 is not displayed on the operation screen illustrated in FIG. 9, thereby preventing an operation such as a “return” button from being accepted.
Further, according to the present embodiment, the back button 608, the forward button 609, and the like are illustrated as buttons for accepting an operation for making a transition from the displayed operation screen to another operation screen. However, other than the above, a button (so-called favorite button or the like) that receives an instruction for the Web browser to transition to an arbitrary screen may be used.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, even if the setting to hide the toolbar display area 603 has been made, the toolbar display area 603 is displayed if the logged-in user is an administrator ( (See S408). This is because the setting button 612 is displayed in the content display area 602. That is, once the setting to hide the toolbar display area 603 is made, the setting button 612 is not displayed accordingly, and the setting process of FIG. 7 may not be performed. Therefore, when the login user is an administrator, the tool bar display area 603 is displayed in order to display the setting button 612. Further, by displaying the toolbar display area when logging in as an administrator, when an abnormal state occurs in the MFP 101, a “return” button displayed in the toolbar display area on the operation screen displayed in the past is displayed. It is also possible to perform an abnormal state recovery process by making a screen transition using.

  In the present embodiment, display control of the toolbar display area is performed depending on whether or not the user is an administrator, but the user does not necessarily need to be an administrator. A specific user may be used instead of the administrator. If the setting can be made by a setting method other than the setting button displayed in the toolbar display area of the operation screen in FIG. 6, the toolbar display area may be hidden even when the logged-in user is an administrator.

According to the present embodiment, not only the logged-in user but also all users other than the administrator registered in the user list can be prohibited from changing the screen based on the operation of the button displayed in the toolbar display area. . Accordingly, it is possible to prohibit a general user who is not familiar with the Web application from making a screen transition that is not assumed for the Web application 360 by mistake.
In the present embodiment, the “return” button has been described as an example of a button displayed in the toolbar display area 603. However, the present invention can be provided even when the screen transition based on the operation of the hard key provided in the operation input unit 212 is prohibited, not the screen transition based on the operation of the “return” button. Alternatively, the present invention can also be applied to a case where screen transition is prohibited by an operation equivalent to the operation of the “return” button using an external keyboard or the like.

  According to the present embodiment, the toolbar display area is hidden only when displaying the contents of the Web server whose IP address set by the user matches the IP address of the access destination. That is, the display control of the toolbar display area can be performed based on whether or not the Web server that acquires the content is a specific Web server. As a result, the toolbar display area can be displayed when the Web server acquires content from a reliable server. Alternatively, the toolbar display area can be displayed when acquiring from a Web server that is guaranteed not to cause a problem on the Web application side even if the screen transition based on the button in the toolbar display area is performed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the IP address is set in S411, but it is not always necessary to set using the IP address. The URL, network domain, server name, other device information, etc. are used. It is also possible to set. It is also possible to set an IP address for displaying the toolbar display area instead of setting an IP address for hiding the toolbar display area.

  According to the MFP of the present embodiment, when it is determined in S702 that the authenticated login user is a general user, setting control is performed so as not to set whether or not to display the return button in the toolbar display area. ing. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent a general user from setting the return button in the toolbar display area to be displayed from the ease of use of the toolbar or the intuitive operability of the toolbar.

(Other examples)
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, or the like) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

101 MFP
102 Web server 300 Web browser

Claims (8)

An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an external device connected via a network,
Obtaining means for obtaining screen information from the external device;
Display means for displaying an operation screen based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition means;
Operation means for accepting an instruction for screen transition from the operation screen displayed on the display means to another operation screen;
In accordance with an instruction received by the operation means, a display control means for making a screen transition from the operation screen displayed on the display means to another operation screen;
An authentication means for authenticating the user;
A setting unit for performing setting for prohibiting screen transition not based on the screen information acquired by the acquiring unit according to a user instruction;
If the user authenticated by the authentication means is a specific user, the setting by the setting means is permitted. If the user authenticated by the authentication means is not the specific user, the setting by the setting means is permitted. And setting control means not to
When the setting by the setting means is performed, the information processing apparatus prohibits a screen transition by the display control means, which is not based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition means. Management means for managing a history of operation screens displayed on the display means;
2. The information according to claim 1, wherein the screen transition not based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition unit is a screen transition to another operation screen with reference to a history managed by the management unit. Processing equipment.   3. The information according to claim 1, wherein the control unit permits screen transition based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition unit even when the setting unit performs setting. 4. Processing equipment. The screen information acquired by the acquisition means includes reference information for displaying the other operation screen,
The information processing according to claim 3, wherein the screen transition based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition unit is a screen transition to another operation screen with reference to reference information included in the screen information. apparatus. The display means has a display area for displaying a tool bar for receiving an instruction from the operation means together with an operation screen generated based on the screen information acquired by the acquisition means,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the setting by the setting unit is performed, the control unit does not display the toolbar. Second setting means for setting an address of the external device;
When the external device that is the acquisition source of the screen information acquired by the acquisition unit is an external device specified by the address set by the second setting unit, the control unit is acquired by the acquisition unit. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein screen transition not based on the screen information is prohibited. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus connected via a network,
An acquisition step of acquiring screen information from the external device;
A display step of displaying an operation screen based on the screen information acquired in the acquisition step;
An operation step for accepting an instruction for screen transition from the operation screen displayed in the display step to another operation screen;
In accordance with the instruction received in the operation step, a display control step for screen transition from the operation screen displayed in the display step to another operation screen;
An authentication step for authenticating the user;
A setting step for performing a setting for prohibiting screen transition not based on the screen information acquired in the acquisition step according to a user instruction;
If the user authenticated in the authentication step is a specific user, the setting in the setting step is permitted, and if the user authenticated in the authentication step is not the specific user, the setting in the setting step And a setting control step that does not allow
When the setting is performed in the setting step, the screen transition by the display control step and the screen transition not based on the screen information acquired in the acquisition step is prohibited.   A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 7.

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