JP2017060089A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inhibit a state where a processing region of a storage part is unnecessarily used from occurring.SOLUTION: A storage part of an image processor includes: a module storage area for storing a plurality of software modules for achieving a plurality of functions in a compressed state; an information storage area for storing permission information for specifying functions permitted for each user; and a processing area to be used for execution processing of a function. A control part of the image processor executes: information acquisition processing for acquiring user information; function specification processing for specifying a permission function about a user specified by the user information; development processing for reading a software module corresponding to the specified permission function from the module storage area, and making the software module a non-compression state to store the software module in the processing area; and function execution processing for using the software module stored in the processing area to execute the permission function in accordance with acquisition of an instruction for selecting the permission function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an image processing apparatus.

  An image processing apparatus that includes a plurality of hardware units including an image forming unit and an image reading unit and that can execute a plurality of functions including an image forming function and an image reading function by operating the plurality of hardware units is known. . Such an image processing apparatus includes a storage unit including a storage area for storing a plurality of software modules for realizing a plurality of functions in a compressed state, and a processing area used for execution processing of the plurality of functions. In general, a plurality of software modules stored in the storage area are read from the storage area when the image processing apparatus is activated, converted into an uncompressed state, and stored in the processing area. When executing the function, an uncompressed software module stored in the processing area is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Special table 2012-529681 gazette

  In the above prior art, all software modules stored in the storage area are uniformly uncompressed and stored in the processing area regardless of whether they are used, so the processing area is unnecessarily used. A state that has occurred can occur. For example, when permission / non-permission is set for each of a plurality of functions for each user, a software module for realizing a function that is not permitted by the user is also uncompressed in the conventional technology. Is stored in the processing area, and the processing area is used unnecessarily. If the processing area is used unnecessarily, the free capacity of the processing area may be reduced, which may hinder the execution of the function.

  In this specification, the technique which can solve the subject mentioned above is disclosed.

  The technology disclosed in the present specification can be realized as, for example, the following forms.

  An image processing apparatus disclosed in this specification includes a plurality of hardware including an image forming unit and an image reading unit, and a plurality of functions including an image forming function and an image reading function by operating the plurality of hardware. A module storage area for storing a plurality of software modules in a compressed state, a permission information for identifying a permitted function permitted for each user, and a software module corresponding to each function among the plurality of functions An information storage area for storing information; a storage area including a processing area used for execution processing of the plurality of functions; an interface section; and a control section. The control section includes the interface section. Information acquisition processing for acquiring user information for specifying the user via the user information, and the user specified by the acquired user information with reference to the permission information. The function identifying process for identifying the permitted function for the user and the software module corresponding to the identified permitted function are read out from the module storage area to be in an uncompressed state. In response to acquiring an expansion process stored in the processing area and an instruction to select one of the permitted functions via the interface unit, using the software module stored in the processing area, And a function execution process for executing the selected permission function. According to this image processing apparatus, among the plurality of software modules stored in the module storage area, the software module for realizing the function permitted by the user is selectively uncompressed and stored in the processing area. Therefore, the software module corresponding to the function that is unlikely to be executed is prevented from being stored in the processing area, and the situation where the processing area is used unnecessarily can be avoided.

  The technology disclosed in the present specification can be realized in various forms. For example, an image processing apparatus, an image processing system including the image processing apparatus and another apparatus, and the apparatus and the system The present invention can be realized in the form of a control method, a computer program for realizing the control method, a non-temporary recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, and the like.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the image processing system 10 in this embodiment. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a multifunction machine 200. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of permission information PI and function specific information FI. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the correspondence information CI. It is a flowchart which shows a software module control process. It is a flowchart which shows a software module control process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a software module control process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of a software module control process.

A. Embodiment:
A-1. Configuration of the image processing system 10:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an image processing system 10 in the present embodiment. The image processing system 10 includes a multifunction device 200 and external terminals 110, 120, and 130. The multi-function device 200 can communicate with the external terminal 110 via, for example, a wired LAN. The multifunction device 200 can communicate with the external terminals 120 and 130 via, for example, a wireless LAN using a wireless LAN access point 140 (hereinafter referred to as “WLAN”).

  The multifunction device 200 is a device having a plurality of functions such as a scan function, a print function, and a copy function, and is an example of an image processing apparatus. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the MFP 200 includes a CPU 220, a storage unit 230, an operation unit 250 including a display unit 240, a communication unit 260, an image forming unit 202, an image reading unit 204, and a FAX transmission / reception unit. 206.

  The image forming unit 202 of the multifunction device 200 is hardware that forms an image on a sheet such as paper by an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, or the like. The image reading unit 204 is hardware that has an image sensor and reads image data to generate image data representing an image of the image data. The FAX transmission / reception unit 206 is hardware that has a modem and performs processing for facsimile transmission / reception. The display unit 240 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various setting screens, operation states of the apparatus, and the like. The operation unit 250 includes, for example, various buttons and switches, and acquires various input instructions by the user. For example, the operation unit 250 acquires a selection instruction for selecting one function from among a plurality of functions provided in the multifunction device 200, or acquires a user ID and password for user login. In the following description, the user ID and password for user login are also referred to as user information. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 250 includes a touch panel provided on the display unit 240. The communication unit 260 is a communication interface for communication with other devices, and includes, for example, a wired LAN interface, a wireless LAN interface, a USB interface, and the like. At least one of the operation unit 250 and the communication unit 260 is an example of an interface unit.

  The storage unit 230 of the multifunction device 200 includes one or more storage devices, and includes a module storage area MA, an information storage area IA, and a processing area PA. The information storage area IA is an area for storing various types of information, and is configured by a ROM, for example. In the information storage area IA, for example, permission information PI, function specifying information FI, and correspondence information CI are stored.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the permission information PI includes, for each user, a plurality of functions (copy function, FAX transmission function, PC print function, PC scan function, external linkage function) included in the MFP 200, This information identifies the functions that are permitted to be used. In FIG. 3A, permitted functions that are permitted to be used are indicated by “◯”, and non-permitted functions that are not permitted to be used are indicated by “X”. For example, the user X is permitted to use the copy function, FAX transmission function, PC print function, and PC scan function, but is not permitted to use the external cooperation function. As shown in FIG. 3B, the function specifying information FI is correspondence information for specifying which of the functions of the multifunction device 200 can be executed according to the instruction source of the execution instruction. is there. In FIG. 3B, executable functions are indicated by “◯”, and functions that cannot be executed are indicated by “x”. As shown in FIG. 3B, everything from the operation unit 250 of the multifunction device 200 or the operation by the external cooperation device 130 functioning as an alternative device of the operation unit 250 as will be described later is all included in the multifunction device 200. It is possible to instruct the execution of these functions. On the other hand, with respect to execution instructions from the external terminals 110 and 120, execution instructions for the print function and scan function can be given, but execution instructions cannot be given for the copy function and FAX transmission function.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the correspondence information CI is information for specifying a software module used for executing a function for each function included in the multifunction device 200. In FIG. 4, software modules used for executing functions are indicated by “◯”, and software modules not used for executing functions are indicated by “x”. For example, for executing the copy function, a copy UI, a copy core, a print service, a scan service, and an external cooperation service are used. The various software modules shown in FIG. 4 are classified into a UI layer, a core layer, and a service layer. The UI layer is a software module for controlling the operation of the operation unit 250 when each function is executed, the core layer is a software module for actually executing each function, and the service layer is each function. Is a software module for controlling hardware such as the image forming unit 202 and the image reading unit 204 for executing the above. The service layer includes so-called drivers. The UI layer is an example of a first type software module.

  A module storage area MA (FIG. 2) of the storage unit 230 is an area for storing various software modules in a compressed state, and is configured by, for example, a ROM. Examples of the software module stored in the module storage area MA include the software module shown in FIG. 4 and the software module required when the MFP 200 is in the standby mode. Examples of software modules required in the standby mode include a software module for displaying a home screen on the display unit 240 and a software module for controlling the operation unit 250 and the FAX transmission / reception unit 206 during FAX reception.

  The processing area PA of the storage unit 230 is an area used as a work area or a temporary data storage area when executing each function provided in the multifunction device 200, and is configured by a RAM, for example. For example, the processing area PA stores an uncompressed software module, image data generated by the image reading unit 204, FAX reception data, and the like.

  The CPU 220 of the MFP 200 reads out various software modules stored in the module storage area MA of the storage unit 230, stores them in the uncompressed state in the processing area PA, and executes the various software modules stored in the processing area PA. Thus, each part of the multifunction device 200 is controlled. The CPU 220 is an example of a control unit. Note that the CPU 220 reading out a software module from the module storage area MA, storing it in an uncompressed state and storing it in the processing area PA is also referred to as a decompression process or a load. As shown in FIG. 4, the correspondence information CI includes capacity information SI that specifies the capacity of each software module in the uncompressed state (capacity after decompression processing).

  The external terminals 110, 120, and 130 (FIG. 1) are, for example, personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “PCs”), smartphones, and tablet terminals, and function as clients that use the multifunction device 200. For example, the external terminal 110 is a PC, and the printer driver of the multifunction device 200 is installed in the external terminal 110. The external terminal 110 instructs the MFP 200 to execute PC printing via this printer driver. The scan driver may be installed in the external terminal 110, and the external terminal 110 may instruct the MFP 200 to execute PC scan via the scan driver. The external terminal 120 stores an application for causing the multifunction device 200 to execute image processing. In response to an operation input to the external terminal 120 according to the operation screen after starting the application, an image or document print instruction or a document scan instruction can be transmitted to the multi-function device 200. That is, the external terminal 120 can issue an instruction to execute a print function or a scan function provided in the multi-function device 200. On the other hand, the external terminal 120 cannot issue an instruction to execute a copy function or a FAX transmission function included in the multifunction device 200.

  The external terminal 130 stores a cooperation application for using an external cooperation function provided in the multifunction device 200. The external terminal 130 functions as an alternative device for the operation unit 250 of the multifunction device 200 by executing the cooperative application. The external terminal 130 when accessing the multifunction peripheral 200 by executing the cooperation application is also referred to as an external cooperation device 130. Specifically, the external cooperation device 130 receives screen data (UI data) for operating the multifunction device 200 from the multifunction device 200 and uses the received screen data to display the operation screen of the multifunction device 200 as an external cooperation device. In response to an operation displayed on the display 130 and input to the external cooperation device 130, execution instructions for various functions can be transmitted to the multifunction device 200.

A-2. Software module control processing:
Next, a software module control process executed in the multifunction device 200 will be described. The software module control process is a process of changing the storage state of various software modules in the storage unit 230 according to various conditions. The software module control process is started when the multifunction device 200 is activated.

  As shown in FIG. 5, first, the CPU 220 of the multi-function device 200 loads software modules required in the above-described standby mode (S110). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, a home UI for displaying a home screen, a FAX reception UI for receiving a FAX, a FAX reception core, and a modem driver are loaded. The home screen includes an operation button for selecting a function that the user wants to execute among the functions provided in the multifunction device 200. Since the software module corresponding to each function is not loaded before the user logs in, the function is not executed even if the operation button is operated. Thereafter, the CPU 220 waits for acquisition of user information (user ID and password) for login (S120). When the user information is acquired (S120: YES), the correspondence between the user ID and the password is appropriate. The use of the multi-function device 200 by the user specified by the user ID is permitted. Further, the CPU 220 refers to the permission information PI (FIG. 3A) and identifies the permitted function permitted for the user identified by the user ID (S130). For example, when the user specified by the user ID is the user X, a copy function, a FAX transmission function, a PC print function, and a PC scan function are specified as permission functions.

  Thereafter, the CPU 220 of the multifunction device 200 executes different processes according to the mode in which the user information for login is acquired. In the present embodiment, as the acquisition mode of user information, in addition to the mode acquired via the operation unit 250 of the multifunction device 200, the mode acquired from the external terminal 120 via the communication unit 260, and the PC print Therefore, there are four modes: a mode acquired from the external terminal 110 via the communication unit 260 and a mode acquired from the external cooperation device 130 via the communication unit 260.

  When the user information for login is acquired via the operation unit 250 of the multi-function device 200 (S140: YES), the CPU 220 of the multi-function device 200 refers to the correspondence information CI including the capacity information SI for all necessary modules. Whether all necessary modules can be loaded by specifying the total capacity in the uncompressed state and determining whether the total capacity is less than or equal to the usable capacity in the processing area PA of the storage unit 230 It is determined whether or not (S150). The all necessary modules referred to here are all software modules necessary for executing the permission function specified in S130. The usable capacity of the processing area PA is a capacity obtained by subtracting a predetermined capacity to be secured for FAX reception or sort copy from the free capacity of the processing area PA.

  If the CPU 220 of the multi-function device 200 determines that the total capacity of all necessary modules in the uncompressed state is less than or equal to the usable capacity in the processing area PA and can be loaded (S150: YES), all necessary The module is loaded (S160). As a result, all permitted functions permitted for the logged-in user can be executed. Note that the software module corresponding to the unauthorized function is not loaded. For example, FIG. 7B shows each software module to be loaded when the user Z logs in by operating the operation unit 250 and when it is determined that all necessary modules can be loaded. Specifically, software modules (copy UI, copy core, print service, scan service, external cooperation service) corresponding to the copy function permitted by the user Z are additionally loaded. On the other hand, when the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity of all necessary modules in the uncompressed state is larger than the usable capacity in the processing area PA and cannot be loaded (S150: NO), the loading of all necessary modules is performed. (S160) is not executed. In this case, the CPU 220 waits for a selection instruction to select one of the permitted functions from the operation unit 250 (S170), and when the selection instruction is acquired (S170: YES), the CPU 220 is selected. A software module necessary for executing the function is selectively loaded (S180). As a result, one selected function can be executed. For example, when the user X logs in and it is determined that all necessary modules cannot be loaded, and the user X selects the copy function from the home screen, each software shown in FIG. The module will be loaded.

  When the user information for login is acquired from the external terminal 120 (S140: NO, S190: YES), the CPU 220 of the multifunction device 200 executes from the external terminal 120 among the permitted functions specified in S130. An external function that can be instructed is specified (S200). As described above, in the present embodiment, the external terminal 120 cannot issue an instruction to execute the copy function or the FAX transmission function included in the multifunction device 200, so that the permission function includes the copy function or the FAX transmission function. However, those functions are not included in the external functions. The CPU 220 refers to the correspondence information CI including the capacity information SI, specifies the total capacity of all necessary software modules excluding the UI layer in the uncompressed state, and the total capacity is the processing area PA of the storage unit 230. It is determined whether or not all necessary software modules excluding the UI layer can be loaded by determining whether or not the capacity is less than or equal to the usable capacity (S210). Note that all necessary software modules excluding the UI layer mentioned here are software modules belonging to the core layer and the service layer among the software modules necessary for executing the external function of the permitted functions.

  If the CPU 220 of the multi-function device 200 determines that the total capacity of all necessary modules excluding the UI layer in the uncompressed state is equal to or less than the usable capacity in the processing area PA and can be loaded (S210: YES) ), All necessary modules except the UI layer are loaded (S220). As a result, the external function among the permitted functions permitted for the user who has logged in from the external terminal 120 can be executed. Note that software modules corresponding to non-permitted functions and software modules corresponding to functions not included in the external functions of the permitted functions are not loaded. For example, when the user X logs in to the multifunction device 200 by executing the application of the external terminal 120 and determines that all necessary modules except for the UI layer can be loaded, FIG. As shown, software modules of PC print core, PC scan core, print service, scan service, and external linkage service are loaded. On the other hand, when the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity of all necessary modules excluding the UI layer in the uncompressed state is larger than the usable capacity in the processing area PA and cannot be loaded (S210: NO), the UI The loading of all necessary modules except the layer (S220) is not executed. In this case, the CPU 220 waits for a selection instruction to select one of the functions from the external terminal 120 (S230), and when the selection instruction is acquired (S230: YES), the selected function The software modules (excluding the UI layer) necessary for executing the above are selectively loaded (S240). As a result, one selected function can be executed. Note that, as described above, the external terminal 120 has screen data for operating the multi-function device 200, and a print instruction is issued in response to an operation input to the external terminal 120 according to the operation screen. Can be issued against. Therefore, when user information for login is acquired from the external terminal 120, it is not necessary to load a software module belonging to the UI layer.

  When the user information for login is acquired for PC printing from the external terminal 110 (S190: NO, S250: YES), the CPU 220 of the multi-function device 200 is a software module necessary for executing the PC print function. Is loaded (S260). As a result, the PC print according to the instruction from the external terminal 110 can be executed. Note that software modules corresponding to functions other than the PC print function are not loaded. In general, when an external terminal 110 issues a PC print function execution instruction, user information and a PC print function selection instruction are acquired simultaneously. If the logged-in user is not permitted to use the PC print function, the process of S260 is skipped. In the present embodiment, the case of the PC print function has been described. Similarly, if the instruction is for the PC scan function, a software module corresponding to the PC scan function is similarly loaded.

  When the external terminal 130 logs in to the multifunction device 200 using the cooperation application, that is, when user information for login is acquired from the cooperation application of the external cooperation device 130 (S250: NO), The CPU 220 refers to the correspondence information CI including the capacity information SI, identifies the total capacity of all necessary modules in the uncompressed state, and the total capacity is less than or equal to the usable capacity in the processing area PA of the storage unit 230. It is determined whether or not all necessary modules can be loaded (S270). The all necessary modules referred to here are all software modules necessary for executing the permission function specified in S130.

  If the CPU 220 of the multi-function device 200 determines that the total capacity of all necessary modules in the uncompressed state is less than or equal to the usable capacity in the processing area PA and can be loaded (S270: YES), all necessary The module is loaded (S280). As a result, all permitted functions permitted for the logged-in user can be executed. Note that the software module corresponding to the unauthorized function is not loaded. On the other hand, when the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity of all necessary modules in the uncompressed state is larger than the usable capacity in the processing area PA and cannot be loaded (S270: NO), the loading of all necessary modules is performed. (S280) is not executed. In this case, the CPU 220 selectively loads software modules necessary for executing the external cooperation function (S290). FIG. 8A shows an example in which software modules (external cooperation UI, external cooperation core, external cooperation service) necessary for executing the external cooperation function are selectively loaded. As a result, the external cooperation device 130 can function as an alternative device for the operation unit 250 of the multifunction device 200. That is, a screen similar to the home screen of the multifunction device 200 can be displayed on the operation screen of the external cooperation device 130, and the user can operate as the home screen of the multifunction device 200. Thereafter, the CPU 220 waits for a selection instruction to select one of the permitted functions from the external cooperation device 130 (S300), and when the selection instruction is acquired (S300: YES), the CPU 220 selects the selected function. A software module necessary for execution is selectively loaded (S310). As a result, one selected function can be executed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 220 of the multifunction device 200 waits for the function execution instruction to be acquired via the operation unit 250 or the communication unit 260 (S320), and when the function execution instruction is acquired (S320). (S320: YES), the hardware such as the image forming unit 202 and the image reading unit 204 is controlled to execute the instructed function (S330). For example, FIG. 8B shows an example in which the PC scan function is selected. Further, the CPU 220 waits for a logout instruction (use termination instruction) from the user (S340), and when a logout instruction is acquired (S340: YES), the use of the MFP 200 by the user specified by the user ID is restricted. At the same time, the software module loaded in each of the above steps is unloaded (that is, deleted from the processing area PA and returned to the state of FIG. 7A), and the software module control process is terminated.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the CPU 220 of the MFP 200 refers to the information acquisition process for acquiring user information for specifying the user via the operation unit 250 or the communication unit 260 and the permission information PI. A function specifying process for specifying a permitted function permitted for the user specified by the user information is executed. Further, the CPU 220 reads out the target software module from the module storage area MA of the storage unit 230 and stores it in the processing area PA in a non-compressed state for the software module corresponding to the specified permitted function. And executing the selected function using the software module stored in the processing area PA in response to obtaining an instruction to select one of the permitted functions via the operation unit 250 or the communication unit 260 Execute function execution processing. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, among the plurality of software modules stored in the module storage area MA of the storage unit 230, a software module for realizing the permission function permitted by the user is selectively selected. Since the uncompressed state is stored in the processing area PA, the time until the function is executed can be shortened as compared with the mode in which the software module is loaded after the function is selected. Further, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, it is avoided that software modules corresponding to functions that are unlikely to be executed are stored in the processing area PA, and the processing area PA is used unnecessarily. Can be avoided. As a result, the free space of the processing area PA of the storage unit 230 is prevented from being reduced, and for example, it is possible to prevent the execution of other functions that use the processing area PA such as FAX reception processing and sort copy. can do. For example, even if it is necessary to limit the number of functions of the multifunction device 200 due to the capacity of the processing area PA of the storage unit 230, for example, when the functions available for each user are limited. Thus, the multifunction device 200 can be provided with a function exceeding the capacity of the processing area PA.

  In the present embodiment, the CPU 220 of the multifunction device 200 permits the user specified by the user information to use the multifunction device 200 in response to the acquisition of the user information, and via the operation unit 250 or the communication unit 260. In response to the input of a logout instruction (an instruction to end the use of the multifunction device 200 by the user specified by the user information), a management process for restricting the use of the multifunction device 200 by the user specified by the user information is performed. Run. At this time, the CPU 220 executes the function specifying process and the expansion process in response to the user information being acquired. Further, in response to the logout instruction being input via the operation unit 250 or the communication unit 260, the CPU 220 executes a release process for deleting the software module stored in the processing area PA of the storage unit 230 in the expansion process. To do. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, software modules corresponding to functions that are likely to be executed are stored in the processing area PA, and software modules corresponding to functions that are unlikely to be executed are stored. Stored in the processing area PA is avoided, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which the processing area PA is unnecessarily used while reducing the waiting time when the function is executed.

  In the present embodiment, the correspondence information CI (FIG. 4) including the capacity information SI for specifying the capacity of each software module in the uncompressed state is stored in the information storage area IA of the storage unit 230 of the multifunction device 200. The CPU 220 refers to the capacity information SI to determine whether or not the total capacity of the software modules corresponding to the permitted function in the uncompressed state is equal to or less than the usable capacity in the processing area PA of the storage unit 230. The determination process to be executed is executed. If the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity is equal to or less than the usable capacity in the determination process, the CPU 220 executes the above expansion process. On the other hand, if the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity is larger than the usable capacity in the determination process, the CPU 220 does not execute the expansion process, and activates one of the permitted functions via the operation unit 250 or the communication unit 260. In response to obtaining the instruction to be selected, the software module corresponding to the selected permitted function is read from the module storage area MA, and the post-instruction expansion process for storing the software module in the processing area PA in an uncompressed state is executed. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, when the total capacity of the software modules corresponding to the permission function in the uncompressed state is larger than the usable capacity in the processing area PA, the above expansion process is executed. Thus, it is possible to prevent the execution of other functions from being hindered due to the free space of the processing area PA becoming too small while ensuring the execution of the selected function.

  In the present embodiment, when the CPU 220 of the multifunction device 200 acquires user information via the operation unit 250 in the information acquisition process, the expansion process is performed on all software modules corresponding to the permitted function. On the other hand, when user information is acquired from the external terminal 120 via the communication unit 260 in the information acquisition process, the UI layer that controls the operation of the operation unit 250 among the software modules corresponding to the permission function The above expansion process is executed for software modules other than. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, when user information is acquired from the external terminal 120 via the communication unit 260, UI layers that are unlikely to be used are excluded from the target of the expansion process. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively avoid the situation where the processing area PA is used unnecessarily.

  In the present embodiment, an external function that can be instructed to be executed from the external terminal 120 via the communication unit 260 among a plurality of functions included in the multifunction device 200 in the information storage area IA of the storage unit 230 of the multifunction device 200. The external function specifying information for specifying is stored. In addition, when the CPU 220 acquires user information from the external terminal 120 via the communication unit 260 in the information acquisition process, the CPU 220 executes the expansion process for a software module corresponding to the external function among the permitted functions. To do. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, when user information is acquired from the external terminal 120 via the communication unit 260, the software module corresponding to the function that cannot be instructed to execute from the external terminal 120 is the above-described software module. Since it is excluded from the target of the expansion process, it can be more effectively avoided that the processing area PA is used unnecessarily.

  In the present embodiment, when user information and an instruction to select a permission function are acquired at the same time as in the case of an instruction to execute a PC print function from the external terminal 110, the CPU 220 The expansion process is executed for the software module corresponding to the selected permitted function. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, it is possible to more effectively avoid the occurrence of a state where the processing area PA is unnecessarily used.

  In the present embodiment, the multi-function device 200 can execute an external cooperation function that enables the external cooperation device 130 to be used as an alternative device of the operation unit 250, and the information storage area IA of the storage unit 230. Stores correspondence information CI (FIG. 4) including capacity information SI for specifying the capacity of each software module in an uncompressed state. When the CPU 220 acquires user information from the external cooperation device 130 via the communication unit 260 in the information acquisition process, the CPU 220 refers to the capacity information SI and the capacity of the software module corresponding to the permission function in the uncompressed state. A determination process for determining whether or not the total of these is less than or equal to the usable capacity in the processing area PA of the storage unit 230 is executed. If the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity is equal to or less than the usable capacity, the CPU 220 executes the above-described deployment process for all software modules corresponding to the permitted function. On the other hand, if the CPU 220 determines that the total capacity is larger than the usable capacity, the CPU 220 executes the above-described deployment process for the software module corresponding to the external cooperation function in the permitted function, and In response to obtaining an instruction to select one, a software module corresponding to the selected permitted function is read from the module storage area MA, and is expanded in a non-compressed state and stored in the processing area PA. To do. Therefore, according to the MFP 200 of the present embodiment, the external cooperation device 130 is used as an alternative device for the operation unit 250, and the total capacity of the software modules corresponding to the permission function in the uncompressed state is processed. If the capacity is larger than the usable capacity in the area PA, the post-instruction deployment process is executed after the development process is executed for the software module corresponding to the external linkage function, so that the free space in the process area PA is too small. Therefore, it is possible to avoid obstructing the execution of other functions.

B. Variations:
The technology disclosed in the present specification is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified into various forms without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

  The configuration of the image processing system 10 in the above embodiment is merely an example, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the plurality of functions included in the multifunction device 200 is merely an example, and the multifunction device 200 may not include some of the plurality of functions illustrated in FIG. 3 may be provided with functions other than those shown in FIG. In the above-described embodiment, the hardware included in the multifunction device 200 is merely an example, and the multifunction device 200 only needs to include hardware necessary for realizing the functions included in the multifunction device 200. In the above embodiment, the information storage area IA and the module storage area MA of the storage unit 230 may be configured by a storage unit such as an external memory or a cloud server.

  In the above-described embodiment, communication between the devices constituting the image processing system 10 is not limited to a wired LAN or a wireless LAN, and may be performed via other communication means such as USB or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Good.

  In the above embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced with software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. Good.

  In the software module control process of the above embodiment, some steps may be omitted, the contents may be changed, or the order of other steps may be changed. For example, in the above embodiment, the function specifying process and the expansion process are executed in response to the user ID and password being acquired. However, the acquisition of the user ID is completed and the password is acquired. The function specifying process and the expansion process may be executed at a timing when the process is not completed. In general, even if password acquisition has not been completed, the user can be specified by the user ID, and thus such processing can also be realized. In this way, the waiting time for executing the function can be further shortened.

  Also, when the usable capacity in the processing area PA of the storage unit 230 is extremely small, for example, when executing the process of displaying the UI on the operation unit 250, the UI layer is loaded, and then the function execution instruction The loading and unloading of each software module is repeatedly executed according to the necessity at each stage for the execution of the function, such as unloading the UI layer and loading the core layer at the time when is acquired. It is good. In this case, since the display is switched every time processing is performed, it may not be clear which UI should be displayed. Therefore, the UI layer is divided into a display position storage function and a display data storage function, and the display position storage function is loaded. The state may be maintained, and the display data storage function may be repeatedly loaded and unloaded. Further, for example, even when UI screen data is transmitted from the cloud server to the multifunction device 200, such as when a photo or document on the cloud server is printed by the multifunction device 200, the user information is not an external terminal but the operation unit 250. May be considered acquired by

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110: External terminal 120: External terminal 130: External terminal (external cooperation apparatus) 200: Multifunction machine 202: Image formation part 204: Image reading part 220: CPU 230: Storage part 240: Display part 250: Operation part 260: Communication part

Claims (8)

A plurality of hardware including an image forming unit and an image reading unit;
A module storage area for storing a plurality of software modules that realize a plurality of functions including an image forming function and an image reading function by operating the plurality of hardware, and a module storage area for each user among the plurality of functions A storage unit that includes permission information that identifies permitted functions that are permitted, information storage areas that store corresponding information that identifies software modules corresponding to the functions, and processing areas that are used to execute the plurality of functions. When,
An interface part;
A control unit;
With
The controller is
Information acquisition processing for acquiring user information for identifying a user via the interface unit;
A function specifying process for specifying the permission function for the user specified by the acquired user information with reference to the permission information;
For the software module corresponding to the identified permitted function, the software module to be read is read from the module storage area, stored in the processing area in an uncompressed state, and
A function of executing the selected permission function using the software module stored in the processing area in response to obtaining an instruction to select one of the permission functions via the interface unit; Execution process,
An image processing apparatus that executes The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The controller is
In response to the acquisition of the user information in the information acquisition process, the user specified by the user information is allowed to use the image processing apparatus, and the user specified by the user information via the interface unit A management process for restricting the use of the image processing apparatus by a user specified by the user information in response to the input of an instruction to end use of the image processing apparatus by
In response to the user information being acquired in the information acquisition process, the function specifying process and the expansion process are executed,
An image processing apparatus that executes a release process for deleting the software module stored in the processing area in the expansion process in response to the input of the end instruction via the interface unit. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
In the information storage area, capacity information for specifying the capacity of each software module in an uncompressed state is stored,
The controller is
Referring to the capacity information, a determination process is performed to determine whether the total capacity of the software modules corresponding to the specified permitted function in the uncompressed state is equal to or less than the usable capacity in the processing area. ,
When it is determined in the determination process that the total capacity is equal to or less than the usable capacity, the expansion process is executed,
If it is determined in the determination process that the total capacity is greater than the usable capacity, an instruction to select one of the permitted functions is acquired via the interface unit without executing the expansion process. In response to this, the image processing apparatus executes the post-instruction expansion process of reading the software module corresponding to the selected permission function from the module storage area, storing the software module in an uncompressed state, and storing it in the processing area. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The interface unit is
An operation unit for receiving an operation;
A communication unit that communicates with an external terminal;
Including
The plurality of software modules include a first type of software module that controls the operation of the operation unit,
The controller is
In the information acquisition process, when the user information is acquired via the operation unit, the deployment process is executed for all the software modules corresponding to the permission function,
In the information acquisition process, when the user information is acquired from the external terminal via the communication unit, the software excluding the first type software module among the software modules corresponding to the permission function An image processing apparatus that executes the expansion processing on a module. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The interface unit includes a communication unit that communicates with an external terminal,
The information storage area stores external function specifying information for specifying an external function that is a function that can be instructed to be executed from the external terminal via the communication unit among the plurality of functions.
When the control unit acquires the user information from the external terminal via the communication unit in the information acquisition process, the control unit targets the software module corresponding to the external function among the permitted functions. An image processing apparatus that executes an expansion process. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
When the user information and the instruction to select the permitted function are acquired at the same time, the control unit executes the deployment process for the software module corresponding to the selected permitted function among the permitted functions. , Image processing device. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein
The interface unit is
An operation unit for receiving an operation;
A communication unit that communicates with externally linked devices;
Including
The plurality of functions include an external cooperation function that enables the external cooperation device to be used as an alternative to the operation unit,
In the information storage area, capacity information for specifying the capacity of each software module in an uncompressed state is stored,
The controller is
In the information acquisition process, when the user information is acquired from the external cooperation device via the communication unit, the capacity of the software module corresponding to the permission function specified with reference to the capacity information in an uncompressed state A determination process is performed to determine whether or not the total is equal to or less than the usable capacity in the processing area,
If it is determined in the determination process that the total capacity is equal to or less than the usable capacity, the expansion process is executed for all software modules corresponding to the permission function,
When it is determined in the determination process that the total capacity is larger than the usable capacity, the deployment process is executed for the software module corresponding to the external linkage function among the permitted functions, and the In response to obtaining an instruction to select one of the permitted functions, the software module corresponding to the selected permitted function is read from the module storage area and stored in the processing area in an uncompressed state. An image processing apparatus that executes post-instruction development processing. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The controller is
In the information acquisition process, a user ID and a password are acquired as the user information,
At the timing at which at least the user ID is acquired among the user information, the function specifying process and the expansion process are executed,
In the function execution process, the selected permission function is executed when the password corresponding to the user ID specified by the user information matches.

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