JP2018056751A - Relay server and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a relay server that enables an image processing device to use a service which requires address information having a big data size.SOLUTION: A relay server 80 executes storage processing that stores address information and access ID in a memory by associating each other, first reception processing (S66) that receives first upload request information from a MFP 10, reading processing (S67) that reads the address information associated with the access ID included in the first upload request information, first transmission processing (S68) that transmits second upload request information to a service provision device 110, second reception processing (S69) that receives upload result information from the service provision device 110, and second transmission processing (S70) that transmits the upload result information to the MFP 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay server that relays communication between an image processing apparatus and a service providing apparatus.

  Conventionally, there has been known an image processing apparatus that can use a service provided by a service providing apparatus on the Internet. Examples of the service provided by the service providing apparatus include a service for storing data uploaded by the image processing apparatus in the service providing apparatus, a service for downloading data stored in the service providing apparatus to the image processing apparatus, and the like. .

JP 2008-229933 A

  Some of the plurality of service providing apparatuses existing on the Internet allow the image processing apparatus to access a memory area individually allocated for each user. That is, the image processing apparatus needs to store in advance address information indicating the allocated memory area in order to use the service provided by the service providing apparatus.

  However, many image processing apparatuses are not equipped with a memory having a large storage capacity, and a large storage area is required to store image data to be processed. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to secure a large storage area for storing address information in the image processing apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a relay server that allows an image processing apparatus to use a service that requires address information having a large data size. .

  Various disclosures are provided herein. A relay server that is one of disclosed examples includes a communication interface, a memory, and a controller. The controller executes a storing process of storing address information and access ID in the memory in association with each other. The address information indicates a memory area of a service providing apparatus capable of storing image data to be subjected to an image processing operation executed by the image processing apparatus, and is information individually assigned for each user of the image processing apparatus. The access ID is information that is smaller in size than the address information and for identifying the address information. The controller executes a first reception process for receiving first request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface. The first request information includes the access ID and is information for requesting access to the service providing apparatus. The controller reads out the address information associated with the access ID included in the first request information from the memory, and transmits second request information to the service providing apparatus through the communication interface. 1 transmission processing is executed. The second request information is information for requesting access to the memory area indicated by the address information read in the reading process. The controller transmits a second reception process for receiving access result information from the service providing apparatus through the communication interface and the access result information received in the second reception process to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface. The second transmission process is executed. The access result information is information for indicating a result of accessing the memory area according to the second request information.

  According to the above configuration, the image processing apparatus can be accessed in the memory area indicated by the address information individually assigned for each user without storing address information having a large data size in the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 according to the present embodiment. 2A is a block diagram of the MFP 10, FIG. 2B shows information for accessing the service providing apparatus 110, and FIG. 2C shows information for accessing the service providing apparatus 120. 3A is a block diagram of the information processing terminal 50, FIG. 3B is a block diagram of the relay server 80, and FIG. 3C is an access list. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process for acquiring TempID using the information processing terminal 50. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing for storing the access ID or token in the MFP 10. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing for using the scan upload service. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing for using the download print service. FIG. 8 is a display example of the display 53, where (A) shows a service selection screen and (B) shows a login screen. FIG. 9 is a display example of the displays 23 and 53, where (A) shows a URL input screen and (B) shows a TempID input screen. FIG. 10 is a display example of the display 23, where (A) shows a user selection screen and (B) shows a data selection screen.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the execution order of each process described below can be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 in the present embodiment. A system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an MFP 10, an information processing terminal 50, and a relay server 80. The system 100 is a system for receiving service provision from the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120. The MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, the relay server 80, and the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 can communicate with each other via a communication network. Although the specific example of a communication network is not specifically limited, For example, the internet 101, wireless LAN102, wired LAN103, or these combination may be sufficient.

  The MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 belong to the wireless LAN 102. The wireless LAN 102 is connected to the Internet 101 through the router 102A. Further, the relay server 80 and the service providing devices 110 and 120 are connected to the Internet 101. The MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 can communicate with the relay server 80 and the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 via the Internet 101 from the router 102A. However, the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 may belong to different communication networks.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the MFP 10 (abbreviation of Multi-Function Peripheral) includes a printer 11, a scanner 12, a display 23, an input I / F 24, a communication I / F 25, a CPU 31, and a memory. 32 and a communication bus 33 are mainly provided. Each component constituting the MFP 10 is connected to each other through the communication bus 33. The MFP 10 is an example of an image processing apparatus. A specific example of the image processing apparatus is not limited to the MFP 10, and may be, for example, a printer single-function device or a scanner single-function device.

  The printer 11 is hardware that executes a printing operation for recording an image indicated by image data on a sheet. As a recording method of the printer 11, a known method such as an ink jet method or an electrophotographic method can be employed. The scanner 12 is hardware that executes a scan operation for reading an image recorded on a document and generating image data (hereinafter referred to as “scan data”). The print operation and the scan operation are examples of image processing operations. Note that specific examples of the image processing operation are not limited to these, and may be, for example, a FAX transmission operation in which image data is FAX-transmitted to an external device according to the FAX protocol.

  The display 23 is a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and includes a display screen that displays various types of information.

  The input I / F 24 is a user interface that receives an input operation by a user. Specifically, the input I / F 24 includes a button, and outputs various operation signals associated with the pressed button to the CPU 31. Further, the input I / F 24 may include a film-like touch sensor superimposed on the display screen of the display 23. An operation for designating an object displayed on the display screen of the display 23 and an operation for inputting a character string or a numeric string are examples of user operations. The “object” is, for example, a character string, icon, button, link, radio button, check box, pull-down menu, or the like displayed on the display 23.

  The input I / F 24 realized as a touch sensor outputs position information indicating the position on the display screen touched by the user. Note that “touch” in this specification includes all operations for bringing an input medium into contact with a display screen. In addition, even if the input medium is not touching the display screen, “hover” or “floating touch” that brings the input medium close to a position where the distance to the display screen is very small is based on the above-mentioned concept of “touch”. May be included. Furthermore, the input medium may be a user's finger or a touch pen. The user operation for tapping the position of the object displayed on the display 23 is an example of a user operation for specifying the object.

  The communication I / F 25 is an example of a second communication interface that can communicate with an external device through a communication network. That is, the MFP 10 transmits various types of information to the external device through the communication I / F 25 and receives various types of information from the external device through the communication I / F 25. Although the specific communication procedure of communication I / F25 is not specifically limited, For example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance) is employable. Further, when the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 are connected by a USB cable, the communication I / F 25 may be a USB interface to which the USB cable can be attached and detached.

  The CPU 31 controls the overall operation of the MFP 10. The CPU 31 acquires and executes various programs, which will be described later, from the memory 32 based on various information output from the input I / F 24, various information received from an external device through the communication I / F 25, and the like. The CPU 31 and the memory 32 constitute an example of a second controller.

  The memory 32 is an example of a second memory that stores the OS 34 and the device program 35. The device program 35 may be a single program or a collection of a plurality of programs. The memory 32 stores data or information necessary for executing the device program 35. The memory 32 is configured by, for example, a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, an HDD, a portable storage medium such as a USB memory attached to and detached from the MFP 10, a buffer provided in the CPU 31, or a combination thereof.

  The memory 32 may be a computer readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. Non-transitory media include recording media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM in addition to the above examples. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, an electrical signal that carries a program downloaded from a server on the Internet 101 is a computer-readable signal medium that is a kind of computer-readable medium, but can be read by a non-transitory computer. Not included in storage media. The same applies to the memory 62 of the information processing terminal 50 described later.

  Further, the memory 32 can store an access ID as shown in FIG. The access ID is information that is transmitted to the relay server 80 when requesting the use of the service provided by the service providing apparatus 110 to the relay server 80. The access ID is individually assigned for each user of the MFP 10. That is, when the MFP 10 is shared by a plurality of users, the memory 32 stores a plurality of access IDs. The user name associated with the access ID is information for identifying the user assigned with the access ID, and may be specified by the user through the input I / F 24, for example.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2C, the memory 32 can store the token and the address information in association with each other. The token is an example of authentication information issued by the service providing apparatus 120 to indicate that the service providing apparatus 120 has authority to use the service provided. The token is individually assigned to each user of the MFP 10. The address information is information indicating the address of the service providing apparatus 120 to be accessed in order to use the service. The address information is, for example, URL format information. The service providing apparatus 120 assigns common address information to a plurality of users. That is, as shown in FIG. 2C, the same address information is associated with a plurality of tokens.

  Although not shown, the memory 32 can store size information indicating the threshold size. The threshold size is the maximum value of the token data size that can be stored in the memory 32. The threshold size of the MFP 10 is such that, for example, a sufficient memory area for storing image data to be subjected to an image processing operation can be secured, and tokens for the assumed number of users sharing the MFP 10 can be stored. It is a value preset by the administrator.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the information processing terminal 50 mainly includes a display 53, an input I / F 54, a communication I / F 55, a CPU 61, a memory 62, and a communication bus 63. The display 53, input I / F 54, communication I / F 55, CPU 61, memory 62, and communication bus 63 included in the information processing terminal 50 are the display 23, input I / F 24, communication I / F 25, CPU 31, included in the MFP 10. Since the configuration is the same as that of the memory 32 and the communication bus 33, the description thereof is omitted. The information processing terminal 50 is, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC. The terminal program 65 stored in the memory 62 is, for example, a browser program.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the relay server 80 mainly includes a communication I / F 85 that is an example of a first communication interface, a CPU 91, a memory 92 that is an example of a first memory, and a communication bus 93. Prepare for. The CPU 91 and the memory 92 constitute an example of a first controller. The communication I / F 85, the CPU 91, the memory 92, and the communication bus 93 included in the relay server 80 have the same configuration as the communication I / F 25, the CPU 31, the memory 32, and the communication bus 33 included in the MFP 10; Omitted.

  The memory 92 stores a server program 95. The server program 95 includes modules for communicating with the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, and the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120. More specifically, the server program 95 includes a first module that is called when communicating with the service providing apparatus 110 and a second module that is called when communicating with the service providing apparatus 120. A module is a unit on a program indicating a group of a plurality of processes, and is sometimes called a function, a library, or an API.

  The first module supports a communication procedure disclosed by the service providing apparatus 110. That is, the CPU 91 can communicate with the service providing apparatus 110 according to the communication procedure disclosed by the service providing apparatus 110 by calling the first module. The second module supports the communication procedure disclosed by the service providing apparatus 120. That is, the CPU 91 can communicate with the service providing apparatus 120 according to the communication procedure disclosed by the service providing apparatus 120 by calling the second module. In the following description of the processing, the description of the first module and the second module is omitted.

  The relay server 80 may be realized by a first server 80A and a second server 80B, for example, as shown in FIG. The configuration of the first server 80A and the second server 80B is common to the configuration of the relay server 80 shown in FIG. The first server 80A and the second server 80B share processing to be executed by the relay server 80. However, the specific configuration of the relay server 80 is not limited to this, and may be realized by a single device or may further include a third server (not shown).

  The first server 80A and the second server 80B are configured to be able to communicate with each other through a wired LAN 103 which is an example of a communication network. The first server 80A is connected to, for example, a DMZ (abbreviation of DeMilitarized Zone) on the wired LAN 103, and is so-called WEB that can communicate with the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, the second server 80B, and the service providing devices 110 and 120. It is a server. On the other hand, the second server 80B is connected to the inside of the firewall of the wired LAN 103, for example, and only the first server 80A among the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, the first server 80A, and the service providing devices 110 and 120 is included. It is a so-called database server that can be connected to.

  The memory 92 of the second server 80B can store the access list shown in FIG. The access list includes one or more access records. The access list includes TempID, token, address information, and access ID. When the relay server 80 is configured by a single device, the access list is stored in the local memory of the relay server 80.

  TempID is information issued by the relay server 80 in order to give the MFP 10 the authority to acquire the token issued by the service providing apparatus 110. The token is an example of authentication information issued by the service providing apparatus 110. The address information indicates a memory area of the service providing apparatus 110 to be accessed in order to use the service provided by the service providing apparatus 110. The service providing apparatus 110 assigns individual address information for each user of the MFP 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 3C, the tokens and the address information are associated one-on-one. The access ID is information issued by the relay server 80 in order to identify a combination of corresponding token and address information.

  TempID and address information are, for example, text data that can be recognized at a glance by the user of the information processing terminal 50. On the other hand, the token and the access ID may be binary data, for example. The data size of the access ID is smaller than the data size of the token and address information. Also, the data size of the address information is often larger than the token data size. The token data size is, for example, 128 bytes, 256 bytes, or the like. The data size of the address information composed of N characters is N bytes.

  The MFP 10 and the relay server 80 can execute a cooperative operation. In the cooperative operation, the relay server 80 instructs the MFP 10 to operate, the MFP 10 executes the operation instructed to the relay server 80, the MFP 10 reports the result of the operation to the relay server 80, and the relay server 80 based on the report Reference numeral 80 designates the MFP 10 for the next operation. In the cooperative operation, information from the MFP 10 to the relay server 80 is transmitted as an HTTP request, and information from the relay server 80 to the MFP 10 is transmitted as an HTTP response.

  The instruction information transmitted from the relay server 80 to the MFP 10 is described in XML, for example. The instruction information includes, for example, screen instruction information indicating a screen to be displayed on the display 23, interface information indicating an interface (for example, input I / F 24, communication I / F 25, etc.) for acquiring input information, And a next operation URL indicating an operation request destination.

  Receiving the instruction information, the MFP 10 displays the screen indicated by the screen instruction information on the display 23, acquires the input information through the interface indicated by the interface information, and requests transmission of the next instruction information indicated by the next operation URL. Send an HTTP request. Further, when transmitting the HTTP request, the MFP 10 transmits input information acquired in a series of cooperative operations to the relay server 80 by a GET method.

  The service providing devices 110 and 120 are devices that provide services to the MFP 10. The service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 exist on the Internet 101 and provide various services in response to requests from the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, or the relay server 80. The service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 according to the present embodiment include, for example, a service for managing the state of the MFP 10, a service for storing uploaded data, a service for transmitting stored data in response to a download request, or a data A service for converting the format may be provided.

  The service providing apparatus 110 is an example of a first apparatus that issues different address information for each user of the MFP 10 and provides the first service. The service providing apparatus 120 is an example of a second apparatus that issues common address information to a plurality of users of the MFP 10 and provides a second service different from the first service. On the other hand, the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 are common in that a different token is issued for each user of the MFP 10.

  More specifically, the address information issued by the service providing apparatus 110 includes, for example, domain information “www.server-a.com” for identifying the service providing apparatus 110 and a path indicating a path to a memory area allocated to the user. Contains information “mfp / user-b”. On the other hand, the address information issued by the service providing apparatus 120 includes, for example, domain information “www.server-a.com” for identifying the service providing apparatus 120 and does not include path information.

  The memory area indicated by the path information may be a logical area (for example, a folder) of the memory provided in the service providing apparatus 110, and may not indicate a physical area of the memory. Good. The path information indicates, for example, a path from a root folder (for example, “mfp”) to a folder (for example, “user-b”) assigned to the user B among a plurality of folders having a hierarchical relationship. The same applies to login instruction information and token instruction information described later.

  The service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 are, for example, “Evernote (registered trademark of Evernote Corporation)”, “Dropbox (registered trademark of DropBox, Inc.)”, “Google Drive (Google is a registered trademark of Google, Inc.)”. , SharePointOnline (registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation), OneDrive for Business (OneDrive is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation), and the like.

[Operation of System 100]
The operation of the system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The flowchart in this specification basically shows the processing of the CPUs 31 and 61 in accordance with the instructions described in the program. That is, processes such as “determination”, “extraction”, “selection”, “calculation”, “decision”, “specification”, and “control” in the following description represent processes of the CPUs 31 and 61. Processing by the CPUs 31 and 61 includes hardware control via the OSs 34 and 64. Further, “data” in this specification is represented by a bit string readable by a computer. Data having substantially the same semantic content but different formats are handled as the same data. The same applies to “information” in this specification.

  First, a process in which the user B of the MFP 10 acquires a TempID from the relay server 80 using the information processing terminal 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 4, the user B obtains account information and address information “www.server-a.com/mfp/user-b” issued by the service providing apparatus 110 to the user B. It shall be. The account information is information for indicating the authority to request the service providing apparatus 110 to issue a token, and is, for example, a combination of a user ID “USER-B” and a password “ABCDE”.

  First, the terminal program 65 of the information processing terminal 50 transmits service list request information to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 55 (S11). The service list request information is information for requesting transmission of service list information indicating the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 with which the relay server 80 can communicate.

  Next, the server program 95 of the relay server 80 receives service list request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 (S11). Then, the server program 95 transmits the service list information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the service list request information (S12). The service list information is, for example, HTML indicating a service selection screen shown in FIG.

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives service list information from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 85 (S12). Next, the terminal program 65 displays a service selection screen shown in FIG. 8A on the display 53 according to the received service list information (S13). The service selection screen includes a service icon 131 corresponding to the service providing apparatus 110 and a service icon 132 corresponding to the service providing apparatus 120. Then, the terminal program 65 receives a user operation on the service selection screen through the input I / F 54 (S14).

  Next, in response to receiving the designation of the service icon 131 through the input I / F 54 (S14), the terminal program 65 transmits issuance request information to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 55 (S15). The issue request information is information for requesting the service providing apparatus 110 corresponding to the specified service icon 131 to issue a token. The service providing device 110 designated by the user B is an example of a designated device.

  Next, the server program 95 receives issue request information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 (S15). Then, the server program 95 transmits the issue request information to the service providing apparatus 110 specified by the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 (S16). The process of S15 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a fifth reception process, and the process of S16 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a fifth transmission process.

  Next, the service providing apparatus 110 receives issue request information from the relay server 80 (S16). Next, the service providing apparatus 110 transmits login instruction information to the relay server 80 as a response to the issue request information (S17). The login instruction information is an example of first redirect information indicating a memory area of the service providing apparatus 110 in which login screen information is stored. The login instruction information is, for example, URL format information.

  Next, the server program 95 receives login instruction information from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 (S17). Then, the server program 95 transmits login instruction information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the issue request information (S18). The process of S17 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a sixth reception process, and the process of S18 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a sixth transmission process.

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives login instruction information from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 55 (S18). Then, the terminal program 65 transmits login screen request information to the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 55 (S19), and receives login screen information from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 55 (S20). The login screen request information is information for requesting transmission of login screen information stored in the memory area indicated by the login instruction information. The login screen information is HTML indicating the login screen shown in FIG. 8B, and is transmitted by the service providing apparatus 110 as a response to the login screen request information.

  Next, the terminal program 65 displays a login screen shown in FIG. 8B on the display 53 according to the received login screen information (S21). The login screen displays a message “Please enter your user ID and password and press [Login]”, a text box 136 for accepting input of a user ID, and a text box 137 for accepting input of a password. [Login] icon 138. The terminal program 65 receives the input of the user ID “USER-B”, the input of the password “ABCDE”, and the designation of the [login] icon 138 through the input I / F 54 (S22). The input account information “USER-B” & “ABCDE” is transmitted to the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 55 (S23).

  Next, the service providing apparatus 110 receives account information from the information processing terminal 50. Next, the service providing apparatus 110 issues a token “0x4CD7” in association with the received account information, and stores the issued token in the memory. Then, the service providing apparatus 110 transmits the token instruction information to the information processing terminal 50 as a response to the account information (S24). The token instruction information is an example of second redirect information indicating a memory area in which the issued token is stored.

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives token instruction information from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 55 (S24). Then, the terminal program 65 transmits the token instruction information to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 55 (S25).

  Next, the server program 95 receives token instruction information from the terminal program 65 through the communication I / F 85 (S25). Next, the server program 95 transmits token request information to the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 (S26). The token request information is an example of transmission request information for requesting transmission of a token stored in the memory area indicated by the token instruction information. The process of S25 is an example of a seventh reception process, and the process of S26 is an example of a seventh transmission process.

  Next, the server program 95 receives the token “0x4CD7” issued in association with the account information of the user B as a response to the token request information from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 (S27). The process of S27 is an example of a fourth reception process. Note that the processing in steps S15 to S27 may be executed in accordance with a well-known procedure conforming to the OAuth protocol, for example.

  Next, the server program 95 transmits the address instruction information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the token instruction information (S28). The address instruction information is information for instructing transmission of the address information acquired by the user B. The address instruction information is, for example, HTML indicating the address input screen shown in FIG.

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives address instruction information from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 55 (S28). Next, the terminal program 65 displays an address input screen shown in FIG. 9A on the display 53 according to the received address instruction information (S29). The address input screen includes a message “Please input address information and press [OK].”, A text box 141 for accepting input of address information, and an [OK] icon 142.

  Then, the terminal program 65 receives the input of the address information “www.server-a.com/mfp/user-b” and the designation of the [OK] icon 142 through the input I / F 54 (S30). The input address information is transmitted to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 54 (S31). The input of address information is not limited to inputting a character string constituting the address information through a keyboard, for example, and includes copying and pasting from an email stored in the memory 62, for example.

  Next, the server program 95 receives address information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 (S31). Next, the server program 95 determines whether or not the memory area indicated by the received address information is accessible (S32). The process of S31 is an example of a third reception process, and the process of S32 is an example of a first determination process.

  For example, the server program 95 transmits an echo request of ICMP (abbreviation of Internet Control Message Protocol) to the service providing apparatus 110 indicated by the address information through the communication I / F 85. Then, the server program 95 determines that access is possible in response to receiving an echo reply from the service providing apparatus 110 via the communication I / F 85. On the other hand, the server program 95 determines that it is inaccessible when it cannot receive an echo reply even after a predetermined time has elapsed. However, the method for determining whether access is possible is not limited to the above example, and other known methods may be adopted.

  Next, the server program 95 issues a TempID “789” unique in the access list in response to determining that the memory area can be accessed (S33). Then, the server program 95 receives the token “0x4CD7” received in S27, the address information “www.server-a.com/mfp/user-b” received in S31, and the TempID “789” issued in S33. The included access record is registered in the access list (S34). The access record registered here may not include the access ID. The process of S34 is an example of a storage process. The server program 95 transmits the TempID “789” issued in S33 to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the address information (S35).

  Next, the terminal program 65 receives TempID “789” from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 55 (S35). Then, the terminal program 65 displays the received TempID “789” on the display 53 and notifies the user B (S36).

  On the other hand, when the service icon 132 shown in FIG. 8A is designated, the system 100 executes the process of FIG. 4 in which the processes of S28 to S31 are omitted. In this case, for example, the service providing apparatus 120 instead of the service providing apparatus 110 is a communication partner, and address information “www.server-b.com” common to a plurality of users is received from the service providing apparatus 120. This is different from the process described above, and is common to the process described above in other points.

  Next, a process for storing the access ID issued by the relay server 80 in the MFP 10 using the TmpID “789” acquired by the user B will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the device program 35 of the MFP 10 displays a TempID input screen shown in FIG. 9B on the display 53 (S41). The TempID input screen includes a message “Please input TempID.”, A text box 146 for accepting input of TempID, and a [Send] icon 147. The device program 35 receives the input of TempID “789” and the designation of the [Send] icon 147 through the input I / F 54 (S42), and stores the input TempID “789” and the memory 32. The stored size information is transmitted to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S43).

  Next, the server program 95 receives TempID and size information from the MFP 10 via the communication I / F 85 (S43). Next, the server program 95 determines whether or not the data size of the token “0x4CD7” associated with the TempID “789” is equal to or larger than the threshold size (S44). The process of S44 is an example of a second determination process.

  Next, the server program 95 issues a unique access ID “xyz” in the access list in response to determining that the token is equal to or larger than the threshold size (S44: Yes) (S45). Then, the server program 95 registers the access ID “xyz” issued in S45 in the access record including the TempID “789” received in S43 (S46). The process of S45 is an example of an issue process, and the process of S46 is an example of a storage process.

  Next, the server program 95 transmits the access ID “xyz” issued in S45 to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the TempID and address information (S47). On the other hand, when the server program 95 determines that the token is smaller than the threshold size (S44: No), the server program 95 skips the processing of S45 to S47 and replaces the token “0x4CD7” corresponding to the TempID received in S43 with A response of TempID and size information is transmitted to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 (S49). The process of S47 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a third transmission process, and the process of S49 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a fourth transmission process.

  Next, in response to receiving the access ID “xyz” from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S47), the device program 35 inputs through the input I / F 25 as shown in FIG. 2B. The user name “user B” and the access ID “xyz” received in S47 are associated with each other and stored in the memory 32 (S48). On the other hand, in response to receiving the token “0x4CD7” from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S49), the device program 35 receives the user name “User B” input through the input I / F 25 and received in S49. The token “0x4CD7” is stored in the memory 32 in association with each other (S50).

  On the other hand, although not shown, the server program 95 can receive the TempID associated with the token issued by the service providing apparatus 120 from the MFP 10 via the communication I / F 85 (S43). In this case, the server program 95 transmits the token “0x8B26” and the address information “www.server-b.com” received from the service providing apparatus 120 to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 without executing the process of S44. To do. This process executed by the relay server 80 is an example of an eighth transmission process. Then, the device program 35 stores the token and address information received from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 in the memory 32 as shown in FIG.

  Next, a process in which the user B uses the scan upload service provided by the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 using the MFP 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the apparatus program 35 displays a service selection screen on the display 23 in response to accepting a user operation instructing use of the scan upload service through the input I / F 24 (S61). The service selection screen includes a service icon 131 corresponding to the service providing apparatus 110 and a service icon 132 corresponding to the service providing apparatus 120, as in FIG.

  Next, for example, in response to the designation of the service icon 131 being accepted through the input I / F 24 (S62), the device program 35 causes the display 23 to display the user selection screen shown in FIG. 10A (S63). ). The user selection screen includes a message “Please select a user using service A” and user icons 151 and 152. The user icons 151 and 152 correspond to one of access IDs stored in the memory 32. User icons 151 and 152 describe user names associated with access IDs.

  Next, the device program 35 causes the scanner 12 to execute a scanning operation (S65), for example, in response to receiving the designation of the user icon 152 through the input I / F 24 (S64). That is, the scanner 12 reads an image recorded on a document set on a contact glass or ADF, and generates scan data indicating the image.

  Then, the apparatus program 35 transmits the first upload request information to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S66). The first upload request information is an example of first request information for requesting storage of scan data in a memory area allocated to the user B corresponding to the user icon 152 in the memory of the service providing apparatus 110. . The first upload request information includes the access ID “xyz” associated with the user icon 152 and the scan data generated in S65. The process of S66 executed by the MFP 10 is an example of a third transmission process.

  Next, the server program 95 receives the first upload request information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 (S66). Next, the server program 95 reads an access record including the access ID “xyz” included in the first upload request information from the access list (S67). The process of S66 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a first reception process, and the process of S67 is an example of a read process.

  Next, the server program 95 transmits the second upload request information through the communication I / F 85 to the service providing apparatus 110 identified by the domain information “www.server-a.com” of the access record read in S67 ( S68). The second upload request information is an example of second request information for requesting storage of scan data in the memory area indicated by the path information. The second upload request information includes, for example, the scan data included in the first upload request information, the access record token “0x4CD7” and the path information “mfp / user-b” read in S67. The process of S68 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a first transmission process.

  Next, the service providing apparatus 110 receives the second upload request information from the relay server 80 (S68). Next, the service providing apparatus 110 determines whether or not the token “0x4CD7” included in the second upload request information is valid. Next, in response to determining that the token is valid, the service providing apparatus 110 stores the scan data in the memory area indicated by the path information “mfp / user-b”. On the other hand, the service providing apparatus 110 rejects the storage of the scan data in response to determining that the token is invalid.

  Then, the service providing apparatus 110 transmits the upload result information to the relay server 80 (S69). The upload result information is an example of access result information for indicating a result of accessing the memory area according to the second upload request information, that is, an execution result of the scan upload service. The upload result information when it is determined that the token is valid is information indicating that the scan data is stored in the memory area indicated by the pass information. The upload result information when it is determined that the token is invalid is information indicating that the storage of the scan data is rejected.

  Next, the server program 95 receives upload result information from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 (S69). Then, the server program 95 transmits the upload result information received in S69 to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the first upload request information (S70). The process of S69 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a second reception process, and the process of S70 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a second transmission process.

  Next, the device program 35 receives upload result information from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S70). The process of S70 executed by the MFP 10 is an example of a third reception process. Then, for example, the device program 35 displays the execution result of the scan upload service indicated by the upload result information on the display 53 and notifies the user B of it.

  On the other hand, the device program 35 receives the designation of the service icon 132 on the service selection screen through the input I / F 24, and the scan data generated in S65, the token “0x8B26” and the address information stored in the memory 32. First upload request information including “www.server-b.com” is transmitted (S66). Further, the server program 95 skips the process of S67. Further, the server program 95 transmits the second upload request information to the service providing apparatus 120 indicated by the address information included in the first upload request information (S68). Since other processes are the same as those described above, description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, a process in which the user B uses the MFP 10 using the download print service provided by the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 will be described with reference to FIG. A detailed description of the points common to the processing when using the scan upload service will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly described. First, prior to the processing of S81 in FIG. 7, the processing from S61 to S64 in FIG. 6 is executed.

  The device program 35 receives the user operation for instructing the use of the download print service, the designation of the service icon 131, and the designation of the user icon 152 through the input I / F 24, and the relay server through the communication I / F 25. The first list request information is transmitted to 80 (S81). The first list request information is a first list for requesting transmission of a list of data IDs of data stored in the memory area of the service providing apparatus 110 assigned to the user B (hereinafter referred to as “list data”). It is an example of request information. The first list request information includes an access ID “xyz” associated with the user icon 152. The process of S81 executed by the MFP 10 is an example of a third transmission process.

  Next, the server program 95 receives the first list request information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 (S81). Next, the server program 95 reads an access record including the access ID “xyz” included in the first list request information from the access list (S82). The process of S81 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a first reception process, and the process of S82 is an example of a read process.

  Next, the server program 95 transmits the second list request information to the service providing apparatus 110 identified by the domain information “www.server-a.com” of the access record read in S82 through the communication I / F 85 ( S83). The second list request information is an example of second request information for requesting transmission of list data in the memory area indicated by the path information. The second list request information includes, for example, the token “0x4CD7” and the path information “mfp / user-b” of the access record read in S82. The process of S83 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a first transmission process.

  Next, the service providing apparatus 110 receives the second list request information from the relay server 80 (S83). Next, in response to determining that the token included in the second list request information is valid, the service providing apparatus 110 generates list data of the memory area indicated by the path information “mfp / user-b”. Then, the service providing apparatus 110 transmits list data, which is an example of access result information, to the relay server 80 (S84).

  Next, the server program 95 receives list data from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 (S84). Then, the server program 95 transmits the list data received in S84 to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the first list request information (S85). The process of S84 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a second reception process, and the process of S85 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a second transmission process.

  Next, the device program 35 receives list data from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S85). The process of S85 executed by the MFP 10 is an example of a third reception process. Then, the device program 35 displays the data selection screen shown in FIG. 10B on the display 23 (S86). The data selection screen includes data icons 156, 157 and 158. The data icons 156, 157, and 158 correspond to one of data IDs “photograph. JPEG”, “estimate sheet. PDF”, and “presentation.PPT” included in the list data.

  Next, the device program 35 transmits the first data request information to the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 in response to receiving the designation of the data icon 156 through the input I / F 24 (S87), for example (S88). ). The first data request information is for requesting transmission of data stored in the memory area of the service providing apparatus 110 assigned to the user B, more specifically, data identified by the data ID corresponding to the data icon 156. This is an example of the first request information. The first list request information includes a data ID “Photo.JPEG” corresponding to the data icon 156 and an access ID “xyz” associated with the user icon 152. The process of S88 executed by the MFP 10 is a third transmission. It is an example of a process.

  Next, the server program 95 receives the first data request information from the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 (S88). Next, the server program 95 reads an access record including the access ID “xyz” included in the first data request information from the access list (S89). The process of S88 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a first reception process, and the process of S89 is an example of a read process.

  Next, the server program 95 transmits the second data request information through the communication I / F 85 to the service providing apparatus 110 identified by the domain information “www.server-a.com” of the access record read in S89 ( S90). The second data request information is an example of second request information for requesting transmission of data “photograph. JPEG” stored in the memory area indicated by the path information. The second data request information includes, for example, the data ID “Photo.JPEG” included in the first data request information, the access record token “0x4CD7” read in S89, and the path information “mfp / user-b”. . The process of S90 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a first transmission process.

  Next, the service providing apparatus 110 receives the second data request information from the relay server 80 (S90). Next, in response to determining that the token included in the second data request information is valid, the service providing apparatus 110 receives the data ID “photograph.JPEG” from the memory area indicated by the path information “mfp / user-b”. The data identified by “” (hereinafter referred to as “download data”) is read out. Then, the service providing apparatus 110 transmits download data, which is an example of access result information, to the relay server 80 (S91).

  Next, the server program 95 receives download data from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 (S91). Then, the server program 95 transmits the download data received in S91 to the MFP 10 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the first data request information (S92). The process of S91 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a second reception process, and the process of S92 executed by the relay server 80 is an example of a second transmission process.

  Next, the device program 35 receives download data from the relay server 80 through the communication I / F 25 (S92). The process of S92 executed by the MFP 10 is an example of a third reception process. Then, the device program 35 causes the printer 11 to execute a print operation for the download data (S93). That is, the printer 11 records the image indicated by the download data on the sheet.

  On the other hand, the device program 35 receives the designation of the service icon 132 on the service selection screen through the input I / F 24, and the token “0x8B26” and address information “www.server-b.com” stored in the memory 32 are received. The first list request information including "is transmitted (S81). Further, the device program 35 transmits the first data request information including the data ID, the token “0x8B26” and the address information “www.server-b.com” stored in the memory 32 (S88). Further, the server program 95 skips the processes of S82 and S89. Further, the server program 95 transmits the second list request information and the second data request information to the service providing apparatus 120 indicated by the address information included in the first list request information and the first data request information (S83, S90). ). Since other processes are the same as those described above, description thereof will be omitted.

[Effects of Embodiment]
When relaying the access from the MFP 10 to the service providing apparatus 110, the relay server 80 according to the above embodiment reads the address information corresponding to the access ID included in the first request information, and is indicated by the read address information. The memory area of the service providing apparatus 110 is accessed. Thus, the MFP 10 can be accessed in the memory area indicated by the address information individually assigned for each user without storing the address information having a large data size in the MFP 10.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, since the address information is manually input through the input I / F 24 of the MFP 10, the relay server 80 confirms in advance that the address information received from the MFP 10 has been correctly input. Thereby, when the service provided by the service providing apparatus 110 is actually used, it is possible to prevent the allocated memory area from being accessed. In the above embodiment, the example in which the process illustrated in FIG. 4 is performed using the information processing terminal 50 has been described. However, part or all of the processing executed by the information processing terminal 50 in FIG. 4 may be executed by the MFP 10. That is, the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 are examples of external devices.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, when the token is equal to or larger than the threshold size, the address information for identifying the combination of the address information and the token is stored in the MFP 10. As a result, the MFP 10 can be accessed by the service providing apparatus 110 without storing a token having a large data size in the MFP 10. On the other hand, when the token is smaller than the threshold size, the token is used as the access ID. As a result, it is not necessary to use an access ID different from the token, and the processing of the relay server 80 can be simplified. However, the relay server 80 may always transmit the access ID to the MFP 10 by skipping the process of S44.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, the first module is used for communication with the service providing apparatus 110, and the second module is used for communication with the service providing apparatus 120. As described above, by previously modularizing different communication procedures for each of the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120, it is easy to change the communication procedure of the existing service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 or connect to a new service providing apparatus. It becomes.

  Note that the token may be classified into a refresh token and an access token. The refresh token is a token for requesting the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 to issue an access token. The access token is a token that is newly issued every time the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 are accessed. That is, the relay server 80 accesses the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 using the same refresh token and different access tokens when the service provided by the service providing apparatuses 110 and 120 is used by the MFP 10 a plurality of times. .

  More specifically, the tokens used in S67 of FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, and S82 and S89 of FIG. 7 are refresh tokens. In S68, S83, and S90, the server program 95 transmits access token request information including the refresh token read from the memory 92 to the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85. Then, the server program 95 receives the access token newly issued by the service providing apparatus 110 from the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85 as a response to the access token request information. Then, the server program 95 transmits the second request information including the received access token to the service providing apparatus 110 through the communication I / F 85.

  In the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, and the relay server 80 according to the above-described embodiment, the various programs stored in the memories 32, 62, and 92 are executed by the CPUs 31, 61, and 91, whereby the controller of the present invention is executed. An example in which each process to be executed is realized has been described. However, the configuration of the controller is not limited to this, and part or all of the configuration may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit.

  Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented not only as the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, and the relay server 80, but also as a program that causes the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, and the relay server 80 to execute processing. Then, the program may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium may include a storage unit mounted on a server that can be connected to the MFP 10, the information processing terminal 50, and the relay server 80 through a communication network, in addition to a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and the like. And the program memorize | stored in the memory | storage part of the server may be distributed through communication networks, such as the internet 101, as the information or signal which shows the said program.

10 ... MFP
11 ... Printer 12 ... Scanner 31, 61, 91 ... CPU
23 ... Display 24 ... Input I / F
25, 55, 85 ... Communication I / F
32, 62, 92 ... memory 35 ... device program 95 ... server program 50 ... information processing terminal 80 ... relay server 80A ... first server 80B ... second server 110, 120 ... Service providing device

Claims (10)

A relay server comprising a communication interface, a memory, and a controller,
The controller executes a storage process in which address information and an access ID are associated with each other and stored in the memory, and the address information can store image data that is a target of an image processing operation executed by the image processing apparatus. Information indicating a memory area of the service providing apparatus and individually allocated for each user of the image processing apparatus, and the access ID is information smaller in size than the address information and for identifying the address information ,
The controller executes a first reception process for receiving first request information from the image processing apparatus through the communication interface, and the first request information includes the access ID and requests access to the service providing apparatus. Information to do
The controller is
A read process for reading out the address information associated with the access ID included in the first request information from the memory;
A first transmission process for transmitting second request information to the service providing apparatus through the communication interface, wherein the second request information is an access to the memory area indicated by the address information read in the read process. Is information for requesting,
The controller is
A second reception process for receiving access result information from the service providing apparatus through the communication interface;
A second transmission process for transmitting the access result information received in the second reception process to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface, and the access result information is stored in the memory area according to the second request information. A relay server that is information used to indicate the access result. The controller is
Executing a third reception process for receiving the address information associated with the user of the image processing apparatus from the external apparatus through the communication interface;
The relay server according to claim 1, wherein in the storage process, the address information received in the third reception process is associated with the access ID and stored in the memory. The controller is
In the third reception process, the address information input by a user of the image processing apparatus is received through the input interface of the external apparatus,
A first determination process for determining whether or not the memory area indicated by the address information received in the third reception process is accessible;
The relay server according to claim 2, wherein the storage process is executed when it is determined that access is possible in the first determination process. The controller is
A fourth reception process for receiving authentication information from the service providing apparatus through the communication interface is executed, the authentication information indicates that the user has authority to access the service providing apparatus, and each user of the image processing apparatus Individually assigned information,
The controller is
A second determination process for determining whether the size of the authentication information received in the fourth reception process is greater than or equal to a threshold size;
In response to determining that the size is equal to or larger than the threshold size in the second determination process,
An issuing process for issuing the access ID for identifying a combination of the address information received in the third receiving process and the authentication information received in the fourth receiving process;
A third transmission process for transmitting the access ID issued in the issuing process to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface;
In the storing process, the address information received in the third receiving process, the authentication information received in the fourth receiving process, and the access ID issued in the issuing process are stored in the memory in association with each other. ,
The relay server according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, in the first transmission process, the second request information including the authentication information is transmitted to the service providing apparatus through the communication interface.   In response to determining that the controller is smaller than the threshold size in the second determination process, the controller uses the authentication information received in the fourth reception process as the access ID to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface. The relay server according to claim 4, wherein a fourth transmission process for transmission is executed. The controller executes a fifth reception process for receiving issuance request information for requesting the designated device to issue the authentication information from the external device through the communication interface, and the designated device communicates with the relay server. Among the plurality of possible service providing devices, the service providing device designated by the user of the external device,
The controller is
A fifth transmission process for transmitting the issue request information received in the fifth reception process to the designated device through the communication interface;
First redirect information indicating the memory area of the designated device storing screen information indicating a login screen for accepting input of account information is received from the designated device through the communication interface as a response to the issue request information. And a sixth reception process
A sixth transmission process for transmitting the first redirect information received in the sixth reception process to the external device through the communication interface, and the account information has an authority to issue the authentication information. In order to show, the information issued by the designated device for each user of the image processing device,
The controller is
A seventh reception process for receiving, from the external device, second redirect information indicating the memory area of the designated device in which the authentication information is stored;
Performing transmission request information for requesting transmission of the authentication information stored in the memory area indicated by the second redirect information to the designated device through the communication interface;
The controller receives the authentication information corresponding to the account information input through the login screen from the designated device through the communication interface as a response to the transmission request information in the fourth reception process. Or the relay server of 5. The service providing apparatus includes:
A first device that issues different address information for each user of the image processing device and provides a first service;
A second device that issues the address information common to a plurality of users and provides a second service different from the first service;
The controller is
When the first device is designated as the designated device, the second determination process is executed,
When the second device is designated as the designated device, the address information received in the third reception processing and the authentication information received in the fourth reception processing are performed without executing the second determination processing. The relay server according to claim 6, wherein an eighth transmission process for transmitting to the image processing apparatus through the communication interface is executed. The memory stores a program indicating processing executed by the controller,
The controller is
Communicate with the first device using a first module included in the program;
The relay server according to claim 7, which communicates with the second device using a second module included in the program. The relay server includes a first server and a second server connected to a communication network,
The first server includes the communication interface, and is connected to a position on the communication network capable of communicating with the image processing apparatus, the service providing apparatus, and the second server;
The second server includes the memory and is connected to a position on the communication network that can communicate only with the first server among the image processing apparatus, the service providing apparatus, and the first server. The relay server according to claim 1. A system comprising a relay server comprising a first communication interface, a first memory and a first controller, and an image processing device comprising a second communication interface, a second memory and a second controller,
The first controller executes a storage process in which address information and an access ID are associated with each other and stored in the first memory, and the address information is an image that is a target of an image processing operation executed by the image processing apparatus. Information indicating a memory area of a service providing apparatus capable of storing data and individually assigned to each user of the image processing apparatus, wherein the access ID is smaller than the size of the address information and identifies the address information Information for
The first controller executes a first reception process for receiving first request information from the image processing apparatus through the first communication interface, and the first request information includes the access ID and is sent to the service providing apparatus. Information for requesting access to
The first controller includes:
A read process for reading out the address information associated with the access ID included in the first request information from the first memory;
A first transmission process for transmitting second request information to the service providing apparatus through the first communication interface, and the second request information is sent to the memory area indicated by the address information read in the read process. Information for requesting access to
The first controller includes:
A second reception process for receiving access result information from the service providing apparatus through the first communication interface;
A second transmission process for transmitting the access result information received in the second reception process to the image processing apparatus through the first communication interface, and the access result information is stored in the memory according to the second request information. It is information to show the result of accessing the area,
The second controller is
A third transmission process for transmitting the first request information including the access ID stored in the second memory to the relay server through the second communication interface;
A system for executing a third reception process for receiving the access result information from the relay server as a response to the first request information through the second communication interface.