JP2016091167A - Device setting system, electronic device, and device setting program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device setting system configured to control information to be synchronized, by user or role of the user.SOLUTION: A device setting system includes: a master electronic device which is a source of synchronizing items, and a slave electronic device which is a destination of synchronizing the items. The master electronic device includes: a storage section storing an access right table in which access rights to each of the items are defined by role of users; an authentication section which gives an access right to a log-in user, on the basis of the access right table; a synchronization management section which presents an item with an access right to the user, as an item allowed to change the contents of settings; and a first synchronization section which transmits a request to the slave electronic device to synchronize the contents of the changes between the master electronic device and the slave electronic device, including the contents of the changes, when the contents of settings presented by the user is changed. Each of the slave electronic devices includes a second synchronization section for setting the contents of settings included in the request received from the master electronic device, to the slave electronic device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a device setting system, an electronic device, and a device setting program for synchronizing information between a master and a slave.

  In the case where a plurality of electronic devices are installed in an office or the like, in order to improve the convenience of an administrator or a user, information held between the electronic devices has been synchronized.

  For example, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the first printer installed on the network is the master printer. When the printer installed in the second and subsequent units is installed, it searches for the master printer, and when it finds the master printer, it becomes a slave printer itself, and obtains the settings common to the printers on the network from the master printer and sets them. .

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, a plurality of image forming apparatuses on the network are in a master / slave relationship. An image forming apparatus that wants to synchronize data held by itself with other image forming apparatuses acquires the master status, and then transmits data to the image forming apparatus in the slave status to synchronize the data.

  In the technique of Patent Document 3, a plurality of office devices installed on the network are grouped, and the same group ID (user setting information identifier) is held in the same group. When data synchronization is performed, if the group IDs are the same, synchronization is performed, and data synchronization is possible only within the group.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-161441 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1005-19982 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1006-1513

  When the techniques disclosed in the above three patent documents are used, the setting information held by the electronic device can be synchronized and shared between the electronic devices installed on the network.

  However, which information to synchronize among the information set in the electronic device by the user differs depending on the user, but the above technology can only synchronize the information set in the electronic device uniformly. In addition, the information to be synchronized for each user could not be controlled.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a device setting system, an electronic device, and a device setting program capable of controlling information to be synchronized for each user or each user role.

  In order to achieve the above object, a device setting system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a master electronic device that is a synchronization source of one or more items, and one or more slave electronic devices that are synchronization destinations of the one or more items. The master electronic device includes a storage unit that stores an access right table that defines an access right for each of the one or more items for each user role, and the access to the user logged into the master electronic device. An authentication processing unit that grants an access right to an item that is permitted to access among the one or more items, and an item to which the user who has logged in can change a setting content based on the right table When the content of the item presented to the user and the synchronization management unit presented to the user is changed, A first synchronization processing unit including a request for synchronizing the change contents between the master electronic device and the one or more slave electronic devices to the one or more slave electronic devices. Each of the slave electronic devices includes a second synchronization processing unit that, when receiving the request from the master electronic device, sets the change content included in the request in the slave electronic device. Therefore, it is possible to control information to be synchronized for each user role.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the device setting system according to an aspect of the present invention, whether the storage unit of the master electronic device synchronizes each of the one or more items for each of one or more users having the same role. Further storing a synchronization setting table that determines whether the first synchronization processing unit is to be synchronized among the one or more items whose contents have been changed based on the synchronization setting table. The request may be sent to the one or more slave electronic devices.

  In order to achieve the above object, an electronic device according to an aspect of the present invention accesses each of the one or more items to be synchronized with one or more slave electronic devices that are synchronization destinations of one or more items for each user role. A storage unit that stores an access right table that defines a right, and an authentication that grants an access right to an item that is permitted to access among the one or more items, based on the access right table, for the user who has logged into the device The processing unit, the item to which the access right is granted, the synchronization management unit that presents the logged-in user as an item whose setting content can be changed, and the content of the item presented to the user is changed When the change is made, it is necessary to synchronize the change contents between the device including the change contents and the one or more slave electronic devices. The and a first synchronization unit to send to the one or more slave electronic device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a device setting program according to an aspect of the present invention provides for each of the one or more items to be synchronized with one or more slave electronic devices that are synchronization destinations of one or more items for each user role. An access right table that defines an access right is stored, and an access right is granted to the user who has logged in to the device, based on the access right table, for an item that is permitted to be accessed among the one or more items. When the logged-in user presents the item as an item whose setting content can be changed to the user, and the content of the item presented to the user is changed, the changed content is included. Requesting the change to be synchronized between the device and the one or more slave electronic devices. To execute the instructions sent to the vessel on the computer.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to control information to be synchronized for each user or for each user role.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the access right table 19a. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the synchronous setting table 19b. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing performed in a master MFP when performing synchronization processing. 10 is a flowchart for explaining processing performed in a slave MFP when performing synchronization processing. 10 is a flowchart for explaining processing when setting values for items whose contents can be changed in a slave MFP.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an image forming apparatus (MFP, Multifunction Peripheral) will be described as an example of an electronic device that performs synchronization processing as a master that is a synchronization source and a slave that is a synchronization destination.

[Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus]
First, the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a dedicated hardware circuit, and the like, and controls overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The control unit 11 is connected to a document reading unit 12, an image processing unit 13, an image memory 14, an image forming unit 15, an operation unit 16, a facsimile communication unit 17, a network interface unit 18, a storage unit 19, and the like. The control unit 11 performs operation control of each of the above connected units and transmission / reception of signals or data to / from each unit.

  The control unit 11 performs various functions such as a scanner function, a printing function, a copy function, and a facsimile transmission / reception function according to a job execution instruction input from the user through the operation unit 16 or a networked PC (Personal Computer). It controls the drive and processing of the mechanism necessary to execute the operation control.

  The control unit 11 includes an authentication / authorization processing unit 11a, a synchronization management unit 11b, and a synchronization processing unit (master side: first synchronization processing unit, slave side: second synchronization processing unit) 11c. . The authentication / authorization processing unit 11a, the synchronization management unit 11b, and the synchronization processing unit 11c are functional blocks that are realized by the CPU loading a program loaded into the RAM from the ROM, the storage unit 19, or the like.

  The authentication / authorization processing unit 11a operates the operation unit 16 to authenticate a user (operator) who uses the image forming apparatus 10, or authenticates a user who requests job execution via the network. The user via the network is not limited to the operator, and may be another device on the network.

  The authentication / authorization processing unit 11a gives an access right to the authenticated user according to a predetermined access level. The access right referred to here is, for example, an authority capable of setting whether or not to synchronize each item to be synchronized.

  The synchronization management unit 11b stores information between the image forming apparatuses 10 serving as a master and a slave based on an access right table 19a, a synchronization setting table 19b, and a synchronization target device table 19c, which will be described later, stored in the storage unit 19. Manage synchronization.

  For example, the synchronization management unit 11b monitors changes in contents of items that are synchronization targets in the image forming apparatus 10 that is a master, and if there is a change, notifies the image forming apparatuses 10 that are synchronization targets of the changes. To do.

  The synchronization processing unit 11c executes actual information synchronization processing on the contents of the items that are determined to be synchronized by the synchronization management unit 11b.

  The document reading unit 12 reads an image from a document.

  The image processing unit 13 performs image processing on the image data of the image read by the document reading unit 12 as necessary. For example, the image processing unit 13 performs image processing such as shading correction in order to improve the quality after the image read by the document reading unit 12 is formed.

  The image memory 14 is an area for temporarily storing document image data obtained by reading by the document reading unit 12 and temporarily storing data to be printed by the image forming unit 15.

  The image forming unit 15 forms an image such as image data read by the document reading unit 12.

  The operation unit 16 includes a touch panel unit and operation key units that receive instructions from the user regarding various operations and processes that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 10. The touch panel unit includes a display unit 16a such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) provided with a touch panel.

  The facsimile communication unit 17 includes an encoding / decoding unit, a modulation / demodulation unit, and an NCU (Network Control Unit) (not shown), and performs facsimile transmission using a public telephone line network.

  The network interface unit 18 includes a communication module such as a LAN board, and other image forming apparatuses 10 and other electronic devices (such as a PC) in the local area via a LAN or the like connected to the network interface unit 18. Send and receive various data.

  The storage unit 19 stores a document image read by the document reading unit 12, and stores an access right table 19a, a synchronization setting table 19b, a synchronization target device table 19c, device setting information 19d, and user information 19e. To do. The storage unit 19 is a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. Details of the access right table 19a and the synchronization setting table 19b will be described later.

  In the synchronization target device table 19c, in the case of the image forming apparatus 10 serving as a master, a list of network addresses and the like of the image forming apparatus 10 serving as a slave to which information is synchronized is stored. In the case of the image forming apparatus 10 serving as a slave, the network address of the image forming apparatus 10 serving as the master that is the synchronization source is stored.

  The device setting information 19d is information set for each image forming apparatus 10, and is information that can be shared among a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10 by synchronization. A specific example of the device setting information 19d will be given when the access right table 19a is described. The distinction as to whether a specific image forming apparatus 10 is a master or a slave is not synchronized information, but is stored as a part of the device setting information 19d.

  The user information 19e is information related to the user of the image forming apparatus 10, and includes information common to users and information specific to each user. As for the user information 19e, a specific example will be given when explaining the access right table 19a. Note that the account name and password used for authentication processing when each user logs in to use the image forming apparatus 10 is also stored as user information 19e.

  The configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 has been described above.

[About Access Rights Table]
Next, details of the access right table 19a will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of the access right table 19a.

  The access right table 19a is defined, for example, as a matrix of setting items SI that can be set whether to synchronize and access levels AL that are determined for each user role. This indicates whether or not it is possible to set whether or not synchronization is possible.

  The setting item SI is roughly divided into device setting information 19d and user information 19e.

  The device setting information 19d includes, for example, a default discharge destination tray position (default discharge destination), a default paper source tray position (default paper source), Setting for energy saving (energy saving setting), time zone (time zone) of the area where the image forming apparatus 10 is used, date and time (date / time) set in the image forming apparatus 10, and contact information (service) at the time of failure Contact), settings related to log acquisition and storage (log function setting), destination of the image forming apparatus 10 (destination), setting of a trial period and the number of trials when a user tries a function provided as an option ( Optional function trial setting).

  The user information 19e includes an item for setting whether to synchronize with all users registered in the specific image forming apparatus 10 and an item for setting whether to synchronize for each user. is there.

  Items that are set to determine whether or not to synchronize in common with all users include, for example, an account name (user account information) and a password (authentication / authorization information) used when a user logs in to the image forming apparatus 10, and a department This includes information (department management information) regarding the number of processed sheets for each processing, address information (user common address book) commonly used by all users, and the like.

  Items for which whether to synchronize for each user include, for example, an area for storing information read by the user into the image forming apparatus 10 (user box), an address book unique to each user (address for each user) Book) and customization information (my panel) regarding the language and icons displayed on the operation unit 16 for each user.

  As the access level, for example, the level of the designer of the image forming apparatus 10, the level of the staff working on the production line, the level of the staff providing the service, and the level of the manager who manages the image forming apparatus 10 in the user company And the level of general users who use the image forming apparatus 10.

  As a way of viewing the access right table 19a, for example, the designer is in a position to design the image forming apparatus 10, and therefore it is possible to set whether to synchronize all items.

  Further, in the production line, for example, all the device setting information 19d can be copied from one image forming device 10 serving as a master to another image forming device 10 serving as a slave. You can set whether to synchronize items.

  For example, for a user BOX that is likely to store a large amount of data, the administrator can set not to synchronize all user BOXes in order to reduce the possibility of consuming a large amount of network resources during synchronization. . In addition, the administrator can set the address book that the user has individually not to synchronize from the viewpoint of security.

  In the case of a general user, it is possible to set whether to synchronize only items for which whether to synchronize each user is set.

  The details of the access right table 19a have been described above.

[About synchronization setting table]
The access right table 19a described above defines items that can be synchronized for each user role. On the other hand, here, the synchronization setting table 19b in which whether or not the synchronization processing is actually performed is set for each item that can be synchronized will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the synchronization setting table 19b.

  In this example, for each of the general users A, B, and C, whether to synchronize is set for “My Panel”, “User Address Book”, and “User BOX”.

  For example, the general user A can set whether to synchronize only his own “My Panel”, “User Address Book”, and “User BOX”. Here, information on “My Panel” Only the setting is synchronized with the image forming apparatus 10 serving as a slave.

  The synchronization setting table 19b has been described above.

[Process flow]
Next, the flow of processing in the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. In the description, when performing the synchronization processing, the processing in the image forming apparatus 10 serving as the master, the processing in the image forming apparatus 10 serving as the slave, and the contents of the setting items in the image forming apparatus 10 serving as the slave are changed. The process will be described separately.

  In the following description, the master image forming apparatus 10 is called a master MFP, and the slave image forming apparatus 10 is called a slave MFP.

(Synchronous processing on the master side)
First, processing performed by the master MFP when performing synchronization processing will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing performed in the master MFP when performing synchronization processing.

  First, a user who is an operator attempts to log in to the master MFP (step S1).

  Next, the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a determines whether the login attempted in the previous step is an appropriate login or an unauthorized login (step S2).

  If the login is an unauthorized login (No in step S2), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a ends the synchronization process without permitting the login.

  If the login is an appropriate login (Yes in step S2), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a gives an appropriate access right to the logged-in user based on the access right table 19a (step S3).

  Next, the synchronization management unit 11b presents to the user via the display unit 16a or the network interface unit 18 items that can be set as to whether or not to synchronize within the range of access rights granted to the logged-in user. (Step S4).

  Next, the synchronization management unit 11b accepts a setting change related to the content of the item presented via the operation unit 16 or the network interface unit 18 (step S5).

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c determines whether or not a setting change has been made regarding an item to be synchronized (step S6).

  When setting change is not performed regarding the item to synchronize (No of step S6), the synchronous process part 11c complete | finishes a synchronous process.

  When a setting change has been made regarding an item to be synchronized (Yes in step S6), the synchronization processing unit 11c attempts to log in to the slave MFP based on the synchronization target device table 19c (step S7). When logging in at step S7, login may be attempted using a dedicated account for performing synchronization processing.

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c determines whether or not the login is successful (step S8).

  If the login fails (No in step S8), the synchronization processing unit 11c notifies the user as a result of the synchronization processing (step S12).

  If the login is successful (Yes in step S8), the synchronization processing unit 11c transmits a setting request to the synchronization destination slave MFP (step S9).

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c receives the setting result from the slave MFP that has transmitted the setting request (step S10).

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c logs out from the slave MFP (step S11).

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c notifies the user of the result of the synchronization process (step S12).

  The above is the process performed by the master MFP when performing the synchronization process. Note that the processes performed on the slave MFPs from step S7 to step S11 are repeated for the number of slave MFPs registered in the synchronization target device table 19c.

(Synchronous processing on the slave side)
Next, processing performed by the slave MFP when performing the synchronization processing will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining processing performed in the slave MFP when performing synchronization processing.

  First, the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a determines whether an authentication request has been received from the master MFP (step S20).

  If no authentication request has been received from the master MFP (No in step S20), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a ends the synchronization process.

  If an authentication request is received from the master MFP (Yes in step S20), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a accepts a login attempt from the master MFP (step S21).

  Next, the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a determines whether or not the login attempt in the previous step is successful (step S22).

  If login fails (No in step S22), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a notifies the master MFP of an error (step S27).

  If the login is successful (Yes in step S22), the synchronization processing unit 11c receives a setting change request from the master MFP via the network interface unit 18 (step S23).

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c changes the content of the item to be set based on the received setting request (step S24).

  Next, the synchronization processing unit 11c transmits the setting result to the master MFP via the network interface unit 18 (step S25).

  Next, the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a performs logout processing (step S26).

  The above is the process performed by the slave MFP when performing the synchronization process.

(Setting process on the slave side)
Next, processing for setting values for items whose contents can be changed in the slave MFP will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing when setting values for items whose contents can be changed in the slave MFP.

  In the present embodiment, for the sake of brevity, it is assumed that the setting change is permitted only on the master MFP side for items that can be synchronized between the master MFP and the slave MFP, and the master MFP has a master It is assumed that only items that are not synchronized with the MFP can be changed.

  First, a user who is an operator attempts to log in to the slave MFP (step S30).

  Next, the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a determines whether the login attempted in the previous step is an appropriate login or an unauthorized login (step S31).

  If the login is an unauthorized login (No in step S31), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a ends the setting process without permitting the login.

  When the login is an appropriate login (Yes in step S31), the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a gives an appropriate access right to the logged-in user based on the access right table 19a (step S32).

  Next, the synchronization management unit 11b acquires the synchronization setting table 19b from the master MFP in order to determine which item is set to be synchronized (step S33). Here, the synchronization setting table 19b is acquired from the master MFP in this step. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the synchronization setting table 19b may be configured to synchronize contents when synchronizing any item. In this case, in this step, the synchronization setting table 19b is acquired not from the master MFP but from the storage unit 19 of the own apparatus.

  Next, the synchronization management unit 11b presents to the user items that are set to be not synchronized in the synchronization setting table 19b among the items for which the logged-in user has access authority (step S34).

  Next, the user selects an item whose setting is to be changed from the presented items, and changes the setting content of the selected item (step S35).

  Next, the user instructs logout, and the authentication / authorization processing unit 11a performs logout processing (step S36).

  The above is the processing for setting values for items whose contents can be changed in the slave MFP.

  The processing flow in the image forming apparatus 10 has been described above.

[Additional notes]
In addition, this invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, Of course, various changes can be added within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming apparatus 11 ... Control part 11a ... Authentication / authorization processing part 11b ... Synchronization management part 11c ... Synchronization processing part 12 ... Document reading part 13 ... Image processing part 14 ... Image memory 15 ... Image forming part 16 ... Operation part 17 ... facsimile communication unit 18 ... network interface unit 19 ... storage unit 19a ... access right table 19b ... synchronization setting table 19c ... synchronization target device table 19d ... device setting information 19e ... user information

Claims (4)

Including a master electronic device that is a synchronization source of one or more items, and one or more slave electronic devices that are synchronization destinations of the one or more items,
The master electronic device is
A storage unit storing an access right table that defines an access right for each of the one or more items for each user role;
An authentication processing unit that grants an access right to an item that is permitted to access among the one or more items based on the access right table for the user who has logged into the master electronic device;
The synchronization management unit that presents the item to which the access right is given to the user as an item in which the logged-in user can change the setting contents;
When the content of the item presented to the user is changed, the one or more requests for synchronizing the changed content between the master electronic device and the one or more slave electronic devices including the changed content A first synchronization processing unit for sending to the slave electronic device,
Each of the slave electronic devices
A device setting system comprising: a second synchronization processing unit configured to set, in the slave electronic device, the change content included in the request when the request is received from the master electronic device. The device setting system according to claim 1,
The storage unit of the master electronic device is
Further storing a synchronization setting table that determines whether to synchronize each of the one or more items for each of one or more users having the same role;
The first synchronization processing unit includes:
A device setting system that sends the request to the one or more slave electronic devices for an item determined to be synchronized among the one or more items whose contents are changed based on the synchronization setting table. For each user role, a storage unit storing an access right table that defines an access right for each of the one or more items to be synchronized with one or more slave electronic devices that are synchronization destinations of the one or more items;
An authentication processing unit that grants an access right to an item that is permitted to access among the one or more items based on the access right table for the user who has logged into the device;
The synchronization management unit that presents the item to which the access right is given to the user as an item in which the logged-in user can change the setting contents;
When the content of the item presented to the user is changed, a request to synchronize the changed content between the device and the one or more slave electronic devices including the changed content is sent to the one or more slaves. An electronic device comprising: a first synchronization processing unit for sending to the electronic device. Storing, for each user role, an access right table that defines an access right for each of the one or more items to be synchronized with one or more slave electronic devices to which one or more items are synchronized;
Based on the access right table, the user who has logged in to the device is granted an access right to an item that allows access among the one or more items.
The item to which the access right is granted is presented to the user as an item in which the logged-in user can change the setting contents,
When the content of the item presented to the user is changed, a request to synchronize the changed content between the device and the one or more slave electronic devices including the changed content is sent to the one or more slaves. Device setting program that causes a computer to execute the procedure to send to an electronic device.

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