JP2014128009A - Image processing system and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent lowering of convenience due to the fact that when a new user service is added, it is added to a customized screen in the same way as conventional, in an image processing system where each user has a customized screen.SOLUTION: An image processing system includes screen customization means 203 for customizing the screen of each user, new user service addition means 202 for adding a new user service to the image processing system, and necessity of addition selection means 201 for selecting necessity of addition of a new user service thus added to the customized screen of a new user service thus added.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing system and an image processing method capable of selecting whether or not to add to a user customization screen for a new user service addition.

A technique for displaying a customized screen corresponding to a user when the user's login is confirmed is already known. A technique for determining whether to provide a user service to a user based on user identification information input from the user is already known.
However, in these conventional techniques, when a new application is installed, the user service is uniformly displayed on the screen of an authorized authenticated user.

  However, in a system having a screen customized for each user, it is not uniquely determined whether or not a newly added user service is required for each user. Therefore, for a user who does not need the user service, there is a problem that when the newly added user service is uniformly displayed on the user's screen, the convenience of the user-customized screen is lowered.

  Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-258893) discloses, for the purpose of displaying a customization screen for each user, authentication based on user information as to whether or not the login user is a use-permitted user who is permitted to use the image processing apparatus. An image processing apparatus that displays a customization screen corresponding to a login user on a display unit when the login user is authenticated as a use-permitted user is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-229986) discloses a user identification registered in a database for the purpose of preventing all users from using all functions such as a printer, a copy, a scanner, and a facsimile without limitation. An image forming apparatus that determines whether to provide a user service to a user based on the information and user identification information input from the user is disclosed.

  These prior arts are similar to the present invention in that the user's customized screen is provided for each user, and the authority to use the user service is determined, and the service is provided only to the authorized user. ing. However, in these conventional techniques, when a new application is installed, the user service is uniformly added to the screen of the authorized user, and thus the conventional problem cannot be solved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system having a screen customized for each user when a new user service is added. This is to prevent a decrease in convenience due to the uniform addition to the customization screen as in the past.

  The present invention relates to screen customization means for customizing a screen for each user, new user service addition means for adding a new user service to the image processing system, and necessity of adding the added new user service to the customization screen. And an additional necessity selection means for selecting the image processing system.

  In the image processing system having a screen customized for each user, when a new user service is added, the user can select whether or not to add the user service. It is possible to prevent a decrease in convenience due to the uniform addition to the customization screen.

1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a multifunction peripheral (MFP) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an MFP main body and an operation unit. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of new user service addition by the new user service addition means at the time of new user service addition. The status for each user in step S103 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is summarized in a table. The results of the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 are summarized in a table for each user. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence by the new user service addition means at the time of user login at the time of new user service addition. It is the table | surface which put together the result of the process shown to the flowchart of FIG. 6 for every user. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a new user service addition determination process.

Next, an image processing apparatus as an image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present invention has the following features in operation when adding a user service.
In short, when a new user service is added, it is a feature that a user having service use authority is allowed to select whether or not to add a user service to the user customization screen.
The features of the present invention described above will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a so-called multi-function peripheral (hereinafter referred to as MFP) 1 as an embodiment of an image processing system.
The MFP 1 according to the present embodiment includes an MPF main body 10 that provides functions and an operation unit 20 that displays a UI (user interface). The MPF main body 10 is provided with an OS (Operating System) layer 16, a service layer 14 that manages device control of devices such as reading and printing, and an application layer 12 that provides functions such as a copy function and a scan function. It has been.

The operation unit 20 provides a UI function for operating the functions of the MFP main body 10. The MFP main body 10 and the operation unit 20 are connected by a dedicated control line and a power line 35 so that command communication can be performed from the operation unit 20 to use the functions of the MFP main body 10.
The operation unit 20 is also provided separately in an OS layer 26, a service layer 24 that manages device control (or management) such as a UI display panel, and an application layer 22 that provides a copy function and a UI function.
Further, power to the operation unit 20 is supplied from the MFP main body 10 and can operate independently of power control of the MFP main body 10.

  Here, in order to maintain the independence of the functions of the MFP body 10 and the operation unit 20, the MFP body 10 and the operation unit 20 operate with different operating systems as shown in the figure. Further, a system in which an application of the operation unit 20 is connected to the MFP main body 10 via the control line 35 to transmit operation data of the application, and the operation unit 20 can operate using functions of the MFP main body 10. It has become. Note that the MFP main body 10 and the operation unit 20 may be electrically connected. For example, the MFP main body 10 and the operation unit 20 may be wirelessly connected. As illustrated, the operation unit 20 may be connected to the MFP main body 10 via a wireless LAN AP (access point) 32 by using a wireless LAN 30 provided in the operation unit 20. .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the MFP main body 10 and the operation unit 20.
As shown in the figure, the operation unit 20 is provided with a selection unit 201 for selecting whether to add a new user service to a user customization screen, a new user service addition unit 202, and a screen customization unit 203.
Here, whether or not the selection unit 201 for adding a new user service to the user customization screen is to add a new service to the customization screen for each user when adding a new user service from a server (not shown), for example. A means for selecting is provided.

  The new user service adding unit 202 is a unit for adding a new user service. For example, when it is detected that a new user service has been added from a server (not shown), a unit for selecting whether to add the new user service to the user customization screen is selected. 201 is notified.

  The screen customizing unit 203 is a unit for customizing the screen to change the screen according to the user's preference, and performs processing such as adding an application icon (application icon) of a new user service to the user's home screen.

The MFP main body 10 includes a user authentication unit 101 and a usage restriction unit 102.
Here, the user authentication unit 101 authenticates the user with, for example, a user name and a password, and performs login, logout processing, and the like.
The use restriction unit 102 obtains the user ID from the physical authentication ID by combining the user ID on the system identified by the user name and password and the physical authentication ID such as a magnetic card, for example. Check if there is. Alternatively, usage authority information indicating available user services is registered for each user in the user database, and it is determined based on the usage authority information whether the login user has usage authority for the service. .
Each means of the operation unit 20 and each means of the MFP main body 10 are configured as function realizing means realized by causing each computer to read a program.

Next, a control procedure when a new user service of the MFP 1 according to the present embodiment is added will be described with reference to the drawings. There are two patterns for starting this control procedure: “new user service addition” is the starting point and “user login” is the starting point.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when a new user service is added by the new user service adding means 202 when a new user service is added.

  In FIG. 3, first, when a new user service is added to the MFP 1 (S101), it is next determined whether or not the user is logged in (S102). If the user is currently logged in (S102, YES), it is determined whether the user has authority to use the new user service (S104). If there is a use authority (S104, YES), the process proceeds to a new user service addition determination process shown in FIG. 8 to be described later (S105), and the user's new user service addition determination waiting state is “determined”. Based on the authority, it is determined that it can be added (determined) (S106), and this process is terminated.

If the user does not have the authority to use the new user service in step S104 (S104, NO), nothing is done as it is, and the user's new user service addition determination waiting state is set to “determined” (S106). Since the user has no authority to use the service, it is determined that the service cannot be added and the process is terminated.
In step S102, if the user is not logged in (S102, NO), the waiting state for determining whether to add a new user service for the user is set to “waiting for determination” (S103), and this process is terminated.

FIG. 4 summarizes the status for each user in step S103 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 in a table. It is indicated that all of the users 01 to 03 are waiting for the addition determination for the new service (1).
FIG. 5 summarizes the results of the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 in a table for each user. Here, for the new service (1), the user 02 has already been determined from waiting for the addition determination, and the other users 01 and 03 are waiting for the addition determination.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure by the new user service adding means 202 at the time of user login when adding a new user service.
That is, when the user first logs in (S201), it is next determined whether the logged-in user is in the “waiting for determination” waiting state for determining whether to add a new user service (S202). Here, if the user is waiting for determination (S202, YES), it is determined whether the user has usage authority (S203). Here, if there is a use authority (S203, YES), the process proceeds to a new user service addition determination process shown in FIG. 8 (S205) to be described later (S205), and the user's new user service addition determination waiting state is set to “determined” (S204). ), This process is terminated.

If there is no use authority in step S203 (S203, NO), the waiting state for determining whether to add a new user service for the user is set to “determined” (S204), and this process is terminated.
In step 202, if the logged-in user is not in the “waiting for determination” waiting state for determining whether to add a new user service (S202, NO), the process ends without doing anything.
FIG. 7 is a table in which the processing results shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 are summarized for each user.
Here, for the new service (1), the user 02 has already been determined from waiting for the addition determination, and the other users 01 and 03 are waiting for the addition determination.

Next, a new user service addition determination process performed by the selection necessity selection unit 201 for the user customization screen (home screen) of the new user service will be described.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the new user service addition determination process.
First, an inquiry is made as to whether or not to add a new user service to the customization screen to a login user who has usage authority, that is, has been determined to have usage authority in step S104 of FIG. 3 or step S203 of FIG. 6 (S301). Here, when “add” is selected by the user (S302, YES), a new user service is added to the screen (S303), and this process ends.
If “add” is not selected by the user in step S302 (S302, NO), this process is terminated without doing anything.

In the above description, the login user is inquired each time whether or not to add a new user service. However, necessity setting means for setting whether or not to add a new user service is provided in the operation unit 20, and for example, “necessary” is set by the addition necessity selection means 201 on the user customization screen of the new user service. May be added at any time. As a result, it is possible to solve the problem that extra processing steps are added each time a new user service is added for a user who does not particularly customize the home screen and wants to use all the added functions.
Moreover, in the above description, selection necessity determination is left to the login user, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the operation unit 20 is provided with a setting prohibition means for prohibiting the setting of the “no” of the necessity selection means 201 for adding to the user customization screen of the new user service, and the system administrator (the authority here is recognized). When a new user service is added, selection of whether or not each user needs to be added may be prohibited. Thereby, since a function can be added unconditionally, when a service required for all users is added, it is possible to solve the problem that a situation that is not added by some users occurs.

  In the above description, the addition of a new user service has been described as being added to the operation unit 20, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be added to the MFP main body 10.

  In the above description, the image processing apparatus has been described as having all the configuration requirements for performing processing related to addition of a new user service. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one or more configuration requirements are provided. It may be executed on another server.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... MFP, 10 ... MFP main body, 12 ... application layer, 14 ... service layer, 16 ... OS layer, 20 ... operation part, 22 ... application layer, 24 ... Service layer, 26 ... OS layer, 30 ... Wireless LAN, 32 ... Wireless LANAP, 101 ... User authentication means, 102 ... Use restriction means, 201 ... User customization of new user service Screen addition necessity selection means 202... New user service addition means 203.

JP 2008-258893 A JP 2003-229986 A

Claims (7)

Screen customization means to customize the screen for each user,
A new user service adding means for adding a new user service to the image processing system;
An image processing system comprising: an addition necessity selection unit that selects whether or not to add the added new user service to the customization screen. The image processing system according to claim 1,
User authentication means for authenticating the user;
Use restriction means for restricting the use of the user service only to authorized users;
An image processing system. In the image processing system according to claim 1 or 2,
An image processing system comprising necessity setting means for setting whether or not the additional necessity selection means is necessary or not. In the image processing system according to claim 3,
An image processing system comprising setting prohibition means for prohibiting the setting of the necessity of the addition necessity selection means. The image processing system according to claim 2,
An operation unit and an image processing apparatus main body that are electrically connected to each other,
The new user service addition means, the addition necessity selection means, and the screen customization means are connected to the operation unit.
The user authentication means and the use restriction means are image processing systems provided in the image processing apparatus main body. An image processing method in an image processing system,
Screen customization process to customize the screen for each user,
A new user service adding step of adding the provided new user service to the image processing system;
And an additional necessity selection step of selecting whether or not to add the added new user service to the customization screen. The image processing method according to claim 6.
A user authentication process for authenticating the user;
A use restriction step of restricting use of the user service only to authorized users.

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