JP2019064071A - Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and setting changing method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To configure settings of a display format etc., of an operation screen into a state matching a user of an information processing apparatus.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus comprising start-up means for starting a plurality of applications having mutually different display formats respectively. The information processing apparatus comprises acquisition means for acquiring property information on a user having used the information processing apparatus and setting means for setting applications to be started based upon statistical information obtained by collecting statistics of the acquired property information, and the start-up means starts the set applications.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, a setting change method, and a program.

  2. Description of the Related Art As an information processing apparatus shared by a plurality of users, apparatuses such as printers, copiers, multifunction machines, etc. that process image information are widely used. In these information processing apparatuses, there is known a method of automatically changing setting values such as a display format of an operation screen and a copy function. For example, there is a method of changing the setting value for each user using a history of settings used by the user in the past, and a method of changing the setting value based on the environment in which the information processing apparatus is installed.

  In Patent Document 1, a function of acquiring attribute information of a person present in an area where the image forming apparatus is installed, and preferentially providing among a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired attribute information The contents of setting are disclosed.

  However, in the method of Patent Document 1, the information for setting the function provided by the image forming apparatus, which is an information processing apparatus, includes information other than the user who uses the information processing apparatus, so the setting content is not stable. There was a fear. Moreover, in the conventional method using the past history of the user, there is a problem that it can not be applied to a common device or the like that does not perform user authentication.

  An information processing apparatus according to the present invention is an information processing apparatus including activation means for activating a plurality of applications having a display format different from each other, and an attribute of a user who uses the information processing apparatus. It comprises: acquiring means for acquiring information; and setting means for setting an application to be activated based on statistical information obtained by statistics of the acquired attribute information, wherein the activation means activates the set application. .

  According to the present invention, setting values such as the display format of the operation screen can be set in a state suitable for the user of the information processing apparatus.

It is a figure showing an example of system configuration of an information processing system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of an outline of an information processor concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of the hardware constitutions of the information processor concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the communication terminal which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the authentication server which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of the software composition of the information processor concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of an information processing system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the user information and use log information which concern on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting change information which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the authentication information management table which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of a change process of the setting information in the information processing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of setting information change processing in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display image before the change in the information processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display image after the change in the information processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the outline of a change of the starting application which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting change information which concerns on the modification 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the display image in the information processing apparatus which concerns on the modification 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the statistical information which concerns on the modification 2 of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of system configuration of an information processing system concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of an information processing system concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the user information registration screen which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of a change process of the setting information in the information processing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the system configuration | structure of the information processing system which concerns on other embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols and redundant description will be omitted.

First Embodiment
System Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a system that can display an operation screen suitable for a user who uses the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing system 1 is used, for example, in a use environment such as an office, a conference room, and a university.

  The information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 10, a communication terminal 50, and an authentication server 90. The information processing apparatus 10 and the authentication server 90 are connected to the network 5 and can communicate with each other. The network 5 is a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). The communication terminal 50 can also perform communication using near field communication. The short distance wireless communication is, for example, BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication.

  The information processing apparatus 10 is an image processing apparatus having a scanner function, a print function, and the like. The information processing apparatus 1 is, for example, an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral), a copier, a printer, or the like. The information processing apparatus 10 is, for example, a shared device installed in a company or a university. An employee of a company, a student of a university, or the like can use the information processing apparatus 10 to execute a desired print process. The information processing apparatus 10 executes, for example, print processing of a print job transmitted by the communication terminal 50 in cooperation with a cloud service. Further, the information processing apparatus 10 executes printing processing of a document, an image, and the like read by the information processing apparatus 10 using a copy function and a scanner function.

  The communication terminal 50 is a terminal device used by a user of the information processing system 1. The communication terminal 50 can use a personal computer having a general configuration such as a tablet PC (Personal Computer). The communication terminal 50 transmits authentication information, a print job, and the like to the information processing apparatus 10 using near field communication such as BLE communication. The communication terminal 50 may be, for example, a mobile phone terminal, a smartphone, a game machine, a notebook PC, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital camera, or the like.

  The authentication server 90 is a server device connected to the network 5. The authentication server 90 is a computer that performs user authentication of the information processing apparatus 10. The authentication server 90 authenticates a user using, for example, a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server. The authentication method by the authentication server 90 is not limited to this. The authentication server 90 is an example of an authentication device.

Outline FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of an outline of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plurality of copy applications based on the statistical value of the attribute of the user who has used the information processing apparatus 10, and the use of the information processing apparatus 10 among a plurality of copy applications each having a display format different from each other. Indicates that it is possible to set a copy application suitable for the user. 2 schematically illustrates the outline of the information processing system according to the first embodiment, and details of functions and the like realized by the information processing system 1 will be described using drawings and the like described later. .

  The setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 2 acquires attribute information of a user who uses the information processing apparatus 10 when a function such as a copy function or a scanner function of the information processing apparatus 10 is executed. The attribute information is information indicating the feature of the user, and includes, for example, attribute items such as the age, gender, and affiliation of the user.

  The setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 generates statistical information 250 obtained by statistics of the acquired attribute information. Specifically, the information processing apparatus 10 calculates a statistical value for each attribute item included in the acquired attribute information. Details of the statistical information 250 will be described later. The statistical information 250 is updated as needed each time attribute information is acquired.

  Next, the setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 sets a copy application to be activated based on the generated or updated statistical information 250. Specifically, the setting change application 13 sets the copy application to be activated by the activation application 12 among the copy applications (for example, the copy application A 14 a and the copy application B 14 b) having different display formats installed in the information processing apparatus 10 Do. The statistical information 250 includes predetermined conditions for changing the copy application to be activated. The setting change application 13 changes the setting of the set copy application when the statistical content included in the statistical information 250 satisfies a predetermined condition.

  Then, the setting change application 13 notifies the start application 12 of the set copy application. The start application 12 starts the notified (set) copy application (the copy application A14a or the copy application B14b). As described above, the information processing system 1 sets a copy application to be activated at the next activation time out of the copy applications having different display formats based on the statistical value of the attribute of the user who has used the information processing apparatus 10. Therefore, the information processing system 1 can set an application suitable for the user of the information processing apparatus 10.

Hardware Configuration FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3 may have the same configuration in each embodiment, and components may be added or deleted as necessary. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a controller 1000. The controller 1000 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1001, a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) 1002, a flash memory 1003, a hard disk drive (HDD) 1004, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 1005, and a communication unit 1006.

  The ASIC 1005 is a multifunction device board provided with a CPU interface, an SDRAM interface, a local bus interface, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus interface, a MAC (Media Access Controller), an HDD interface, and the like.

  The CPU 1001 reads and executes various programs such as a program according to the present invention from the HDD 1004 via the ASIC 1005. The information processing apparatus 10 implements a setting change method according to the present invention, for example, by the CPU 1001 executing a program according to the present invention. The SDRAM 1002 functions as a program memory storing various programs, a work memory used when the CPU 1001 executes various programs, and the like. Note that instead of the SDRAM 1002, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM) may be used.

  The flash memory 1003 is a non-volatile memory, and stores a boot loader (boot program) for starting the information processing apparatus 10 and an OS (Operation System). The flash memory 1003 also functions as an application memory for storing each program. Further, the flash memory 1003 functions as a service memory for storing software of each service (copy service, print service, facsimile service).

  The flash memory 1003 also functions as a firm memory for storing firmware, and a data memory for storing a network address, a model number, and the like. Note that instead of the flash memory 1003, a non-volatile RAM in which backup circuits using RAM (Random Access Memory) and a battery are integrated or another non-volatile memory such as EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) is used. May be

  The HDD 1004 is a non-volatile storage medium that stores data regardless of whether the information processing apparatus 10 is powered on or off. The HDD 1004 records programs and data other than the programs and data stored in the flash memory 1003. The HDD 1004 may be used as a firm memory. The communication unit 1006 is an interface that communicates with the communication terminal 50 and the authentication server 90 according to an instruction of the CPU 1001.

  The operation unit 1007 is connected to the controller 1000 using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like. The operation unit 1007 is an interface for a user who performs an operation on the information processing apparatus 10. The operation unit 1007 includes various operation keys, a character display and a touch panel of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) as a display device. The information processing apparatus 10 can input data, execute a job, and display data by operating the operation unit 1007.

  Furthermore, the controller 1000 includes a fax control unit 1008, a USB 1009 with a removable storage medium 1009a via an PCI bus 1014, an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 1394 (1010), a plotter engine 1011, a scanner engine 1012 and The BLE module 1013 and the like are connected. Thus, the information processing apparatus 10 can provide services such as a copy service, a print service, and a facsimile service. The plotter engine 1011 may employ either an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method.

  The configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 is merely an example, and the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 is not limited to the configuration of FIG. 3. For example, the communication unit 1006 may be connected to the PCI bus 1014. Also, the communication unit 1006 may be connected by wire in addition to being connected by wireless such as a wireless LAN. Furthermore, the communication unit 1006 may have a digital service unit (DSU) or a modem connected to a telephone network. You may have a communication apparatus connected to a mobile telephone network.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the communication terminal according to the first embodiment. The hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4 may have the same configuration in each embodiment, and components may be added or deleted as necessary. Communication terminal 50 may have the same configuration as the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 4.

  The communication terminal 50 includes a CPU 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM 503, a storage 504, an input unit 505, a display interface (I / F) 506, an input / output interface (I / F) 507, a wireless communication unit 508, and a short distance. A wireless communication unit 509 and a bus 510 are included.

  The CPU 501 controls the entire communication terminal 50. The CPU 501 is an arithmetic device that implements the functions of the communication terminal 50 by reading programs and data stored in the ROM 502, the storage 504, and the like on the RAM 503 and executing processing. The RAM 503 is a volatile memory used as a work area or the like of the CPU 501. The ROM 502 is a non-volatile memory that can hold programs and data even after the power is turned off.

  The storage 504 is, for example, a storage device such as an HDD, a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash ROM, and stores an OS, an application program, various data, and the like. The input unit 505 is an interface for the operator to input various instructions to the communication terminal 50. For example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a voice input device, and the like.

  The display interface (IF) 506 displays various information possessed by the communication terminal 50 in the form of a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, an image or the like on the display 506 a in response to a request from the CPU 501. The display interface (IF) 506 is, for example, a graphic chip or a display interface. An input / output interface (I / F) 507 is an interface for connecting an external device to the communication terminal 50. The external apparatus includes, for example, a recording medium 507a such as a USB memory, a memory card, an optical disk, or various electronic devices.

  The wireless communication unit 508 is a communication interface that performs communication (connection) with the information processing apparatus 10 via the network 5. The wireless communication unit 508 includes an antenna, a wireless unit, a MAC unit, and the like. The short distance wireless communication unit 509 is a communication unit that performs communication by short distance wireless communication, and includes, for example, an antenna, a wireless unit, and a MAC unit. The short distance wireless communication is, for example, BLE communication. In addition, near field communication is not limited to BLE communication, and Zigbee (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), millimeter wave wireless communication, infrared communication, QR code (registered trademark), visible light, environmental sound or ultrasonic wave Or the like.

  A bus 510 is connected to the above-described components and transmits an address signal, a data signal, various control signals, and the like. The CPU 501, the ROM 502, the RAM 503, the storage 504, the input unit 505, the display interface (I / F) 506, the input / output interface (I / F) 507, the wireless communication unit 508 and the short distance wireless communication unit 509 Connected to each other.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the authentication server according to the first embodiment. The hardware configuration shown in FIG. 5 may have the same configuration in each embodiment, and components may be added or deleted as necessary. The authentication server 90 includes a CPU 901, a ROM 902, a RAM 903, a storage 904, an input / output interface (I / F) 905, a communication unit 906, and a bus 907.

  The CPU 901 controls the entire authentication server 90. The CPU 901 is an arithmetic device that implements each function of the authentication server 90 by reading programs and data stored in the ROM 902, the storage 904, and the like on the RAM 903 and executing processing. A RAM 903 is a volatile memory used as a work area or the like of the CPU 901. The ROM 902 is a non-volatile memory that can hold programs and data even after the power is turned off.

  The storage 904 is, for example, a storage device such as an HDD or an SSD. The storage 904 stores an OS, an application program, various data, and the like. An input / output interface (I / F) 905 is an interface for connecting an external device to the authentication server 90. The external device includes, for example, a recording medium 905a such as a USB memory, a memory card, an optical disk, or various electronic devices.

  The communication unit 906 is an interface that communicates with the information processing apparatus 10 according to an instruction of the CPU 901. The communication unit 906 may be connected to the network 5 using wired communication in addition to being connected to the network 5 using wireless communication such as a wireless LAN. The communication unit 906 may also have a DSU or a modem connected to a telephone network. Furthermore, the communication unit 906 may have a communication device connected to a mobile phone network.

  A bus 907 is connected to the above-described components, and transmits an address signal, a data signal, various control signals, and the like. The CPU 901, the ROM 902, the RAM 903, the storage 904, the input / output interface (I / F) 905, and the communication unit 906 are mutually connected via a bus 907.

Software Configuration FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the OS 20, the authentication application 11, the activation application 12, the setting change application 13, the copy application A 14a, and the copy application B 14b operate on the work area 30 of the SDRAM 1002. The OS 20 is basic software that provides basic functions of the information processing apparatus 10 and manages the entire information processing apparatus 10.

  The authentication application 11 is an application for performing user authentication processing of the information processing apparatus 10. The authentication application 11 communicates the authentication information 55 with the communication terminal 50 and the authentication server 90, and carries out a function of performing an authentication process of the user.

  The activation application 12 is an application for activating a copy application installed in the information processing apparatus 10. The start application 12 has a function of starting the copy application based on the setting information 290 notified from the setting change application 13. The setting change application 13 is an application for changing the setting information 290 for activating the copy application. The setting information 290 includes information of a copy application activated by the activation application 12. Details of the setting information 290 will be described later.

  The copy application A 14 a and the copy application B 14 b are applications for performing print processing in the information processing apparatus 10. The copy application A 14 a and the copy application B 14 b have a function of controlling print processing and a function of controlling display of a display UI (user interface) which is an operation screen with respect to the operation unit 1007 of the information processing apparatus 10. The copy application A 14 a and the copy application B 14 b display different display UIs on the operation unit 1007. For example, the copy application A 14 a causes the operation unit 1007 to display the old format display UI. On the other hand, the copy application B 14 b causes the operation unit 1007 to display a display UI of a new format. The copy application A 14 a and the copy application B 14 b are examples of a plurality of applications having display formats different from each other. Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which two copy applications of copy application A 14 a and copy application B 14 b are installed in the information processing apparatus 10, three or more copy applications may be installed.

Functional Configuration Subsequently, the functional configuration of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the network system according to the first embodiment. The functions realized by the information processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 7 are functions including an authentication unit 110, a start control unit 120, a setting change unit 130, a print processing unit A 140a, and a print processing unit B 140b.

  Among these, the authentication unit 110 is realized by executing the authentication application 11 shown in FIG. The activation control unit 120 is realized by executing the activation application 12 shown in FIG. The setting change unit 130 is realized by executing the setting change application 13 shown in FIG. The print processing unit A 140 a is realized by executing the copy application A 14 a illustrated in FIG. 6. The print processing unit B 140 b is realized by executing the copy application B 14 b illustrated in FIG. 6.

Each Functional Configuration of Authentication Unit The authentication unit 110 includes a terminal communication unit 111, an authentication server communication unit 112, a user information notification unit 113, and a login processing unit 114. These functions are realized by any of the components shown in FIG. 3 being operated by an instruction from the CPU 1001 according to the authentication application 11 (program) expanded from the flash memory 1003 onto the SDRAM 1002. It is.

  The terminal communication unit 111 is a function of exchanging data with the communication terminal 50. The terminal communication unit 111 receives the authentication information 55 transmitted from the communication terminal 50 using, for example, near field communication. The short distance wireless communication is, for example, BLE communication. Near field communication is not limited to BLE communication, and may be Zigbee (registered trademark), NFC, millimeter wave wireless communication, infrared communication, QR code (registered trademark), visible light, environmental sound, ultrasonic waves, etc. Good. The authentication information 55 is information for performing user authentication of the information processing apparatus 10. The terminal communication unit 111 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the BLE module 1013 and the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The terminal communication unit 111 is an example of a receiving unit.

  The authentication server communication unit 112 is a function of exchanging data with the authentication server 90 via the network 5. The authentication server communication unit 112 transmits, for example, the authentication information 55 received by the terminal communication unit 111 to the authentication server 90. Further, the authentication server communication unit 112 receives, from the authentication server 90, information on the authentication result by the authentication server 90. Furthermore, the authentication server communication unit 112 receives, from the authentication server 90, user information 210 associated with the user authenticated by the authentication server 90. The user information 210 includes attribute information indicating an attribute of the user. Details of the user information 210 will be described later. The authentication server communication unit 112 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the communication unit 1006 and the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The authentication server communication unit 112 is an example of a receiving unit.

  The user information notification unit 113 is a function of notifying the activation control unit 120 of the user information 210 received by the authentication server communication unit 112. The user information notification unit 113 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The login processing unit 114 is a function that performs login processing of the information processing apparatus 10 when the authentication server communication unit 112 receives information on the authentication result of the authentication success. The login processing unit 114 is implemented by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG.

Each Functional Configuration of Activation Control Unit The activation control unit 120 includes a user information acquisition unit 121, an input reception unit 122, an activation instruction unit 123, and a setting information acquisition / holding unit 124. Each of these units is a function realized by any one of the constituent elements shown in FIG. 3 being operated by an instruction from CPU 1001 according to activation application 12 (program) developed on flash memory 1003 from SDRAM 1003. It is. The activation control unit 120 is an example of an activation unit.

  The user information acquisition unit 121 is a function of acquiring the user information 210 notified by the authentication unit 110. The user information acquisition unit 121 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The input accepting unit 122 is a function of accepting an input operation by the user on the operation unit 1007 of the information processing apparatus 10. The input receiving unit 122 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the operation unit 1007 and the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG.

  The start instruction unit 123 is a function that issues an instruction to start a copy application based on setting information 290 set by the setting change unit 130 described later. For example, when the copy application A 14 a is set in the setting information 290, the start instruction unit 123 notifies the copy application A 14 a of the start instruction. On the other hand, when the copy application B 14 b is set in the setting information 290, the start command unit 123 notifies the copy application B 14 b of a start command. The start instruction unit 123 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 shown in FIG.

  The setting information acquisition / holding unit 124 is a function of acquiring and holding the setting information 290 notified from the setting changing unit 130 described later. The setting information acquisition / holding unit 124 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The activation instruction unit 123 issues an instruction to activate the copy application based on the setting information 290 held by the setting information acquisition / holding unit 124.

Each Functional Configuration of Setting Changer The setting changer 130 includes a usage information acquisition unit 131, a storage unit 132, a setting information change unit 133, and a setting information notification unit 134. These units are realized by any of the components shown in FIG. 3 being operated by an instruction from CPU 1001 according to setting change application 13 (program) developed on flash memory 1003 from SDRAM 1003. It is a function. The setting change application 13 is an example of a program executed to realize the setting change method according to the present invention.

  The usage information acquisition unit 131 is a function of acquiring the usage information 230 of the information processing apparatus 10 notified from the print processing unit A 140 a or the print processing unit B 140 b. The usage information 230 is information indicating a usage history of the information processing apparatus 10 by the user, and includes information such as functions and settings used by the user. Details of the use information 230 will be described later. The usage information acquisition unit 131 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The usage information acquisition unit 131 is an example of an acquisition unit.

  The storage unit 132 is a function of storing various data in the flash memory 1003 or the like shown in FIG. In the storage unit 132, a usage information management DB 132a and a setting information management DB 132b are constructed. Here, information stored in the usage information management DB 132 a and the setting information management DB 132 b will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. The usage information management DB 132a manages user information 210 and usage information 230 as shown in FIG. The storage unit 132 is an example of a storage unit.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of user information and usage information according to the first embodiment. The user information 210 is information indicating the characteristics of the user who has used the information processing apparatus 10. The user information 210 is registered in advance by the user, and is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10 when the authentication processing unit 92 succeeds in the user authentication of the information processing apparatus 10. The user information 210 includes attribute information indicating an attribute of the user. The attribute information is information indicating the feature of the user, and includes, for example, attribute items such as the age, gender, and affiliation of the user. In the user information 210 shown in FIG. 8A, items of “age”, “sex”, “belonging”, and “number of years (years of service)” are linked to “user name”. The attribute item is not limited to this, and can be added or changed as appropriate.

  The use information 230 shown in FIG. 8B is information indicating the use history of the information processing apparatus 10 by the user, and the use function and setting information at the time of use are linked. The usage information 230 shown in FIG. 8B indicates that the user has used the copy function. The usage information 230 shown in FIG. 8B indicates that the settings of “one copy”, “black and white”, “both sides”, and aggregation “absent” are used as settings at the time of use. The items included in the setting at the time of use are not limited to the above, and can be appropriately added or changed according to the functions that can be executed by the information processing apparatus 10. The user information 210 and the usage information 230 are acquired from the print processing unit A 140 a or the print processing unit B 140 b by the usage information acquisition unit 131 and stored in the usage information management DB 132 a constructed in the storage unit 132.

  Next, the setting information management DB 132 b will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. The setting information management DB 132 b manages statistical information 250 as shown in FIG. 9 and setting change information 270 as shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information according to the first embodiment. The statistical information 250 is a statistical value of the user information 210 acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 131. The statistical information 250 includes an attribute item 251 indicating an attribute of the user and statistical content 252 of information corresponding to the attribute item 251.

  The attribute item 251 corresponds to the item associated with the “user name” included in the user information 210 shown in FIG. 8A. The statistical content 252 extracts information corresponding to the attribute item 251 included in the user information 210 of the user who has performed the printing process using the information processing apparatus 10, and manages it as a statistical value. The statistical information 250 illustrated in FIG. 9 indicates, for example, statistical values obtained by classifying users who use the information processing apparatus 10 as the statistical content 252 according to the age with respect to the attribute item “age”. In addition, the calculation method (classification method) of the statistical value of the statistics content 252 shown in FIG. 9 can be suitably set and changed by the administrator. The statistical information 250 is generated by the setting information changing unit 133 and updated each time the user information 210 is acquired.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of setting change information according to the first embodiment. The setting change information 270 is information for changing the display format of the information processing apparatus 10 and the setting information 290 for setting executable functions. In the setting change information 270 shown in FIG. 10, the statistical condition 271 and the setting content 272 are linked. The statistical condition 271 is a predetermined condition for changing the setting information 290 based on the statistical value included in the statistical content 252 shown in FIG. The setting content 272 indicates the change content (setting content) of the setting information 290. The setting content 272 includes information of the copy application to be set as the change content of the setting information 290.

  When the statistical information 250 shown in FIG. 9 satisfies the statistical condition 271 included in the setting change information 270, the setting change application 13 changes the setting information 290 to the setting content 272 associated with the corresponding statistical condition 271. The information contained in the statistical condition 271 corresponds to the information of the statistical value contained in the statistical content 252 shown in FIG. The setting change information 270 illustrated in FIG. 10 indicates that, for example, the statistical condition 271 indicates that “age“ 50 years old ”or more is 30%” and the copy application A 14 a is set as the setting information 290. The statistical condition 271 and the setting content 272 are not limited to this, and can be appropriately set and changed by the administrator.

  Returning to FIG. 7, the description of the functional configuration of the setting change unit 130 will be continued. The setting information changing unit 133 is a function of determining setting information 290 for activating a copy application based on the statistical information 250 shown in FIG. Further, the setting information changing unit 133 generates or updates the statistical information 250 based on the user information 210 acquired by the usage information acquiring unit 131. The setting information changing unit 133 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The setting information changing unit 133 is an example of a setting unit.

  The setting information notification unit 134 is a function of notifying the start control unit 120 of the setting information 290 set by the setting information changing unit 133. The setting information notification unit 134 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. Each function (setting change application 13) of the setting change unit 130 may be realized by another device (for example, an external server such as the authentication server 50) configuring the information processing system 1. In this case, an apparatus that implements the function of the setting change unit 130 transmits and receives setting information 290 and the like to and from the information processing apparatus 10.

Each functional configuration of the print processing unit The print processing unit A 140a includes an activation reception unit 141a, a display control unit 142a, a function control unit 143a, and a usage information notification unit 144a. These functions are realized by any of the components shown in FIG. 3 being operated by an instruction from the CPU 1001 according to the copy application A 14 a (program) expanded on the flash memory 1003 to the SDRAM 1002. It is.

  The function of the print processing unit B 140 b is the same as that of the print processing unit A 140 a, and thus the description thereof is omitted. The function of the print processing unit B 140 b is operated by an instruction from the CPU 1001 according to the copy application B 14 b (program) expanded on the flash memory 1003 from the flash memory 1003 to any of the constituent elements shown in FIG. To be realized. Here, the functions implemented by the print processing unit A 140 a and the print processing unit B 140 b are different from each other. The print processing unit A 140 a and the print processing unit B 140 b differ in, for example, the operation screen (display UI) displayed on the operation unit 1007 by the display control unit 142 a and the display control unit 142 b.

  The activation reception unit 141 a is a function of receiving an activation instruction of the copy application A 14 a notified from the activation control unit 120. When the activation reception unit 141a receives the activation command, the activation reception unit 141a activates the copy application A 14a. The activation reception unit 141a is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The display control unit 142 a is a function that causes the operation unit 1007 to display an operation screen (display UI). The display control unit 142a is realized by the operation unit 1007 and the program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG.

  The function control unit 143a is a function that executes functions such as a copy function and a scanner function of the information processing apparatus 10. The function control unit 143a is realized by a program executed by the plotter engine 1011, the scanner engine 1012 and the CPU 1001 shown in FIG. The usage information notification unit 144a is a function of notifying the setting change unit 13 of information on processing performed by the function control unit 143a as the usage information 230. The use information notification unit 144a is a function of notifying the setting change unit 13 of the user information 210 of the user who has performed the printing process executed by the function control unit 143a. The usage information notification unit 144a is realized by a program or the like executed by the CPU 1001 shown in FIG.

Each Functional Configuration of Communication Terminal Next, the functional configuration of the communication terminal 50 will be described. The functions realized by the communication terminal 50 shown in FIG. 7 are functions including the transmission / reception unit 51, the storage / readout unit 52, and the storage unit 53. These units are functions or means implemented by any of the constituent elements shown in FIG. 4 being operated by an instruction from the CPU 501 according to a program expanded on the RAM 503 from the ROM 502 or the storage 504. .

  The transmitting and receiving unit 51 is a function of exchanging data with the information processing apparatus 10. The transmission / reception unit 51 transmits the authentication information 55 stored in the storage unit 53 to the information processing apparatus 10 using, for example, near field communication. The transmission / reception unit 51 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the short distance wireless communication unit 509 and the CPU 501 illustrated in FIG. The transmission and reception unit 51 is an example of a first transmission unit.

  The storage / readout unit 52 is a function of storing various data in the storage unit 53 and reading out the various data from the storage unit 53. The storage / readout unit 52 and the storage unit 53 are realized by, for example, a program executed by the ROM 502, the storage 504, and the CPU 501 shown in FIG. In addition, the storage unit 53 stores authentication information 55. The authentication information 55 is information for performing a user authentication process for using the information processing apparatus 10, and includes, for example, a user name and a password.

Each Functional Configuration of Authentication Server Subsequently, the functional configuration of the authentication server 90 will be described. The functions realized by the authentication server 90 shown in FIG. 7 are functions including the transmission / reception unit 91, the authentication processing unit 92, and the storage unit 93. These units are functions or means implemented by any of the components shown in FIG. 5 being operated by an instruction from the CPU 901 according to a program expanded on the RAM 903 from the ROM 902 or the storage 904. .

  The transmission / reception unit 91 is a function of exchanging data with the information processing apparatus 10 via the network 5. The transmitting and receiving unit 91 is, for example, a function of receiving the authentication information 55 transmitted by the information processing apparatus 10. Specifically, the authentication information 55 is transmitted from the communication terminal 50 to the information processing apparatus 10 using near field communication. Then, the transmission and reception unit 91 receives the authentication information 55 transmitted from the information processing apparatus 10 via the network 5.

  Further, the transmitting and receiving unit 91 transmits the information of the authentication result by the authentication processing unit 92 to the information processing apparatus 10 via the network 5. Furthermore, the transmission and reception unit 91 transmits, to the information processing apparatus 10, the user information 210 associated with the user authenticated by the authentication processing unit 92. The transmission / reception unit 91 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the communication unit 906 and the CPU 901 illustrated in FIG. The transmission and reception unit 91 is an example of a second transmission unit.

  The authentication processing unit 92 is a function of performing user authentication of the information processing apparatus 10 in response to the authentication request transmitted from the information processing apparatus 10. Specifically, the authentication processing unit 92 performs a user authentication process using the authentication information 55 included in the authentication request and the authentication information management list 95 described later. The authentication processing unit 92 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 901 shown in FIG. The authentication processing unit 92 is an example of an authentication unit.

  The storage unit 93 is a function of storing various data in the ROM 902 or the storage 904 shown in FIG. The storage unit 93 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 901 illustrated in FIG. The storage unit 93 also stores an authentication information management list 95 and a user information management list 96. FIG. 11A is a view showing an example of the authentication information management list according to the first embodiment. The authentication information management list 95 illustrated in FIG. 11A manages authentication information 55 of users who can use the information processing apparatus 10.

  The authentication information management list 95 stores “user name” and “password” in association with one another. The “user name” is identification information for identifying a user who can use the information processing apparatus 10. "Password" is an authentication code corresponding to the user name. The “user name” and the “password” are examples of the authentication information 55. The authentication processing unit 92 of the authentication server 90 authenticates the user using the authentication information 55 transmitted from the communication terminal 50 via the information processing apparatus 10 and the authentication information management list 95 shown in FIG. Do the processing.

  FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an example of the user information management list according to the first embodiment. The user information management list 96 illustrated in FIG. 11B associates and manages the user information 210 illustrated in FIG. 8A for each user. In the example of FIG. 11B, the user information management list 96 manages user information of a user whose “user name” is user 0001 and user information of a user whose “user name” is user 0002. When the user authentication by the authentication processing unit 92 is successful, the transmitting and receiving unit 91 of the authentication server 90 transmits, to the information processing apparatus 10, user information associated with the authenticated user.

Change Processing of Setting Information Subsequently, in the information processing system according to the first embodiment, a change processing of a copy application activated by the information processing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of setting information change processing in the information processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which the copy application A 14a is set as the setting information 290.

  In step S101, the transmission and reception unit 51 of the communication terminal 50 transmits the authentication information 55 stored in the storage unit 53 to the information processing apparatus 10 using near field communication. The authentication application 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives the authentication information 55 from the communication terminal 50 by the terminal communication unit 111 of the authentication unit 110. In step S102, when the authentication application 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives the authentication information 55 transmitted from the communication terminal 50, the authentication server communication unit 112 of the authentication unit 110 sends authentication information 55 to the authentication server 90. Send The transmission / reception unit 91 of the authentication server 90 receives the authentication information 55 transmitted from the information processing apparatus 10.

  In step S103, when the authentication processing unit 92 of the authentication server 90 receives the authentication information 55 transmitted from the information processing apparatus 10, the authentication processing unit 92 executes the authentication process using the received authentication information 55. Specifically, when receiving the authentication information 55 from the information processing apparatus 10, the transmission / reception unit 91 of the authentication server 90 outputs the received authentication information 55 to the authentication processing unit 92. Then, the authentication processing unit 92 executes an authentication process using the authentication information management list 95 stored in the storage unit 93.

  In step S104, when the authentication process is successful, the transmission / reception unit 91 of the authentication server 90 transmits, to the information processing apparatus 10, the information of the authentication result and the user information 210 of the user subjected to the authentication process. Further, the authentication application 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives the information of the authentication result and the user information 210 of the user for whom the authentication process has been performed from the authentication server 90 by the authentication server communication unit 112 of the authentication unit 110. In the case where the authentication processing by the authentication processing unit 92 of the authentication server 90 fails, the information processing system 1 does not perform the processing after step S104.

  In step S105, when the authentication application 11 of the information processing device 10 receives the information of the authentication result by the authentication server 90, the login processing unit 114 of the authentication unit 110 executes the login processing of the information processing device 10. Thus, the information processing apparatus 10 causes the operation unit 1007 to display an icon of the activation application 12 described later.

  In step S106, the authentication application 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 causes the user information notification unit 113 to notify the start application 12 of the user information 210 transmitted from the authentication server 90. Further, the activation application 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 causes the user information acquisition unit 121 to acquire the user information 210 notified from the authentication application 11. In addition, the order of the process of step S105 and step S106 may be back and forth, or may be performed in parallel.

  In step S <b> 107, the activation application 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives an operation input from the user by the input receiving unit 122 of the activation control unit 120. Specifically, when the login processing unit 114 of the authentication unit 110 performs login processing of the user, the startup application 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 displays the startup application 12 displayed on the operation unit 1007 by the input reception unit 122. Accept the user operation selected by.

  In step S108, when the input reception unit 122 of the start control unit 120 receives a user input from the start application unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10, the start instruction unit 123 of the start control unit 120 transmits the copy application A 14a to the copy application A 14a. Notify start command. When the start receiving unit 141a of the print processing unit A 140a receives a start command from the copy application A 14a, the copy application A 14a of the information processing apparatus 10 causes the display control unit 142a of the print processing unit A 140a to start the operation screen.

  In step S109, the copy application A 14a of the information processing apparatus 10 executes the print processing by the function control unit 143a of the print processing unit A 140a. Specifically, when the copy application A 14a of the information processing apparatus 10 receives a user input on the operation screen displayed on the operation unit 1007 by the display control unit 142ab, the copy application A 14a executes the printing process by the function control unit 143a.

  In step S110, the copy application A 14a of the information processing apparatus 10 notifies the authentication application 11 of the end of the process when the printing process by the function control unit 143a is completed. In step S111, when the authentication application 11 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives the notification of the end of the processing by the function control unit 143a, the login processing unit 114 of the authentication unit 110 performs the logout processing of the user. In step S112, when the print processing by the function control unit 143a is completed, the copy application A 14a of the information processing apparatus 10 executes the print processing on the setting change application 13 by the usage information notification unit 144a of the print processing unit A 140a. The user information 210 and usage information 230 of the user are notified. The setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the user information 210 and the utilization information 230 by the use information acquisition unit 131 of the setting change unit 130 (an example of an acquisition step). In addition, the order of the process of step S110 and step S111 and the process of step S112 may be back and forth or may be performed in parallel.

  In step S113, when the setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the user information 210 and the usage information 230 from the print processing unit A 140a, the setting change application 13 executes a process of changing the setting information 290 (an example of setting step). Here, the details of the process of changing the setting information 290 in the information processing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of changing setting information in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The process of changing the setting information shown in FIG. 13 is realized by executing the setting change application 13 shown in FIG. In addition. In FIG. 13, it is assumed that the statistical information 250 shown in FIG. 9 and the setting change information 270 shown in FIG. 10 stored in the storage unit 132 are used for the process of changing the setting information 290.

  In step S201, when the use information acquisition unit 131 of the setting change unit 130 acquires the user information 210 and the use information 230 from the print processing unit A 140a, the process proceeds to step S202 (an example of an acquisition step). On the other hand, if the use information acquisition unit 131 of the setting change unit 130 has not acquired the user information 210 and the use information 230 from the print processing unit A 140a, the process is repeated in step S201. The user information 210 and the usage information 230 are notified from the print processing unit A 140 a each time the print processing by the information processing apparatus 10 is executed.

  In step S202, the use information acquisition unit 131 of the setting change unit 130 causes the use information management DB 132a to store the user information 210 and the use information 230 acquired from the print processing unit A 140a. In step S203, when the usage information acquisition unit 131 acquires the usage information 230, the configuration information change unit 133 of the configuration modification unit 130 reads the statistical information 250 and the configuration change information 270 stored in the configuration information management DB 132b. Update the statistical information 250.

  In step S204, when there is an item satisfying the condition included in the setting change information 270 in the updated statistical information 250, the setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 shifts the process to step S205. Specifically, when there is an item satisfying the statistical condition 271 included in the setting change information 270 in the statistical content 252 included in the statistical information 250, the setting information changing unit 133 shifts the process to step S205. On the other hand, when there is no item in the updated statistical information 250 that satisfies the condition included in the setting change information 270, the setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 ends the process.

  In step S205, when the setting content 272 corresponding to the statistical condition 271 is different from the current setting information 290, the setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 shifts the process to step S206. On the other hand, when the setting content 272 corresponding to the statistical condition 271 is the same as the current setting information 290, the setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 ends the process.

  In step S 206, when the setting content 272 corresponding to the statistical condition 271 is different from the current setting information 290, the setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 changes the setting information 290 currently set. The setting contents 272 corresponding to the statistical condition 271 included in are changed (an example of setting step). In step S207, the setting information notification unit 134 of the setting change unit 130 notifies the start control unit 120 of the changed setting information 290.

  Returning to FIG. 12, the description of the change process of the copy application activated by the information processing apparatus 10 is continued. In step S114, the setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 causes the setting information notification unit 134 of the setting change unit 130 to transmit the changed setting information 290 to the start application 12 (an example of a notification step). In step S115, the activation application 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 acquires the setting information 290 notified from the setting change application 13 by the setting information acquisition / holding unit 124 of the activation control unit 120, and is stored. Then, the activation application 12 activates the copy application based on the newly stored setting information 290 at the next activation (an example of the activation step). Thus, the information processing apparatus 10 can start the copy application included in the setting information 290 held in the setting change application 13 when executing the next printing process.

  Here, a display screen displayed on the operation unit 1007 of the information processing apparatus 10 when the copy application is activated will be described. FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of a display image before changing setting information in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. A display screen 300a illustrated in FIG. 14 is an operation screen displayed on the operation unit 1007 of the information processing apparatus 10 in the process of step S108 illustrated in FIG. A display screen 300 a shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the operation unit 1007 when the copy application A 14 a is activated. The display screen 300 a is, for example, an old-format display UI of the information processing apparatus 10.

  FIG. 15 is a view showing an example of a display image after change of setting information in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The display screen 300b illustrated in FIG. 15 is image information held by the start application 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 in the process of step S115 illustrated in FIG. The display screen 300 b illustrated in FIG. 15 is displayed on the operation unit 1007 when the copy application B 14 b is activated. The display screen 300 b is, for example, a display UI of a new format of the information processing apparatus 10.

  In the transition of the change of the display screen shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, as shown in FIG. 10, when it is determined that the user's age group is high, for example, the setting change information 270 displays the old format display UI (display screen The setting is made to start the copy application A 14a for displaying 300a). On the other hand, when it is determined that the user's age group is low, for example, the setting change information 270 is set so as to start the copy application B 14 b that causes the display UI (display screen 300 b) of the new format to be displayed. The setting change information 270 is set so as to start the copy application A 14a that causes the display UI (display screen 300a) of the old format to be displayed, for example, when it is determined that the number of years of service of the user is long. On the other hand, the setting change information 270 is set so as to start the copy application B 14 b for displaying the display UI (display screen 300 b) of the new format, for example, when it is determined that the number of years of service of the user is short.

  Here, the start processing of the copy application will be described. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an outline of the activation process of the copy application according to the first embodiment. A display screen 310 illustrated in FIG. 16 is an operation screen displayed on the operation unit 1007 when the activation application 12 is activated. The information processing apparatus 10 activates the copy application set by the setting change application 13 by selecting the icon 311 of the activation application 12 on the display screen 310. Although the display screen 310 illustrated in FIG. 16 displays the icon 312a of the copy application A 14a and the icon 312b of the copy application B 14b, the display screen 310 may not explicitly display the display screen 310.

  In the present embodiment, the information processing apparatus 10 has described the example in which the setting change application 13 and the start application 12 are respectively installed, but the function realized by the setting change application 13 and the start application 12 (a setting change unit 130 and The activation control unit 120) may be realized by one application. Further, for example, the notification from the setting change application 13 to the start application 12 as shown in step S114 of FIG. 12 may not be performed. In this case, the boot application 12 sets, for example, the copy set by referring (reading) the setting information 290 stored in the storage unit 132 of the setting change application 13 (setting change unit 130) when the copy application is started. You can launch the app.

  Furthermore, when the icon of the copy application A 14 a or the icon of the copy application B 14 b is selected before the icon 311 of the start application 12 is selected by the display screen 310 of FIG. 16, the selected copy application is activated. It may be configured. The setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 changes the setting information 290 when there is an item satisfying the statistical condition 271 included in the setting change information 270 in the statistical content 252 included in the statistical information 250. However, if the setting is changed frequently, the user's usability may be degraded. Therefore, in the process shown in FIG. 13, the setting information changing unit 133 is configured to change the setting information 290 only when the statistical content 252 included in the statistical information 250 satisfies the statistical condition 271 a certain number of times or more. It is also good.

Effect of First Embodiment As described above, in the information processing system according to the first embodiment, the setting change application 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 receives the user information 210 of the user who has used the information processing apparatus 10 ( Based on statistical information 250 obtained by acquiring attribute information and collecting acquired user information 210, the activation application 12 is activated from among a plurality of copy applications (an example of a plurality of applications) having display formats different from one another Set the copy application to be Then, in the information processing system 1, the activation application 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 activates the copy application set by the setting change application 13. Therefore, the information processing system 1 can set the setting information 290 such as a copy application having a different display format in a state suitable for the user of the information processing apparatus 10.

Modification 1 of First Embodiment
Next, an information processing system according to a first modification of the first embodiment will be described. The information processing system according to the first modification of the first embodiment displays the display screen on the operation unit 1007 as well as the information of the copy application to be activated in the setting content 272 included in the setting change information shown in FIG. It includes information on the size and processing to be executed by the copy application to be activated.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting change information according to the first modification of the first embodiment. The setting change information 270a shown in FIG. 17 includes the information 272a of the copy application to be activated in the setting contents 272 indicating the change contents (setting contents) of the setting information 290, the display size of the display screen for the operation unit 1007, the information processing apparatus 10 Includes information 272 b of processing to be executed by The setting change information 270a shown in FIG. 17 includes "set copy application A 14a" information 272a and "set character size one step larger" as the setting contents 272 for the statistical condition 271 of "age" 50 years old or more is 30% or more ". The setting change information 270a shown in FIG. 17 includes “information for setting color printing disabled” as the setting contents 272 for the statistical condition 271 of “belonging to“ student ”is 90% or more”. Including. The setting change information 270a may include both the information 272a of the copy application to be activated by the setting content 272 and the information 272b of the display size of the display screen for the operation unit 1007 and the function to be executed by the information processing apparatus 10 Only one or the other may be included.

  The setting change information 270 a may include information set from the statistical value of the usage information 230 as the display size of the display screen for the operation unit 1007 or the information 272 b of the function to be executed by the information processing apparatus 10. The setting change information 270a shown in FIG. 17 is a setting content 272 for the statistical condition 271 of "an item in which 50% or more of the users set the same setting". It contains "set" information 272b. In this case, the statistical information 250 shown in FIG. 9 includes statistical values of information on the use function and the setting at the time of use included in the use information 230 shown in FIG.

  FIG. 18 is a view showing an example of a display image in the information processing apparatus according to the first modification of the first embodiment. Fig. 18 shows a change of the display screen when the statistical condition of "age" 50 years old or more is 30% or more "in the setting change information 270a shown in Fig. 17 is shown in Fig. 18A. The display screen 310a is an operation screen displayed on the operation unit 1007 before the setting change unit 130 changes the setting information 290. On the other hand, the display screen 310b shown in FIG. It is an operation screen displayed on the operation unit 1007 after the information 290 is changed.

  The setting information changing unit 133 of the setting changing unit 130 sets the setting information 290 because the statistical condition of “age“ 50 years old ”or more is 30% or more” is satisfied in the setting change information 270 a illustrated in FIG. The setting information notification unit 134 of the setting changing unit 130 notifies the start control unit 120 of the changed setting information 290. Then, the start instruction unit 123 of the start control unit 120 notifies the print processing unit A 140a of the start instruction using the setting information 290 acquired and held by the setting information acquisition and holding unit 124. Then, the printing process is performed. When the display control unit 142a of the unit A 140a acquires the start instruction by the start instruction unit 123, the display control unit 142a is displayed on the display screen 310b illustrated in FIG. The displays one step increase the text size of the display screen 310a shown in FIG. 18 (a).

  In the transition of the change of the display screen shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, as shown in FIG. 17, for example, when it is determined that the age group of the user is high, the setting change information 270a is shown in FIG. As shown in (b), the display UI (display screen 310b) with the character size increased is set to be displayed.

  Therefore, the information processing system according to the first modification of the first embodiment determines not only the copy application to be activated by the setting change unit 130 of the information processing apparatus 10 but also the display size and display of the display screen on the operation unit 1007 Set the contents. Therefore, the information processing system according to the first modification of the first embodiment can set setting information 290 such as a copy application having a different display format to a state more suitable for the user of the information processing apparatus 10. Further, the setting change unit 130 of the information processing apparatus 10 may set process contents executable by the activated copy application.

Modification 2 of First Embodiment
Next, an information processing system according to a second modification of the first embodiment will be described. In the information processing system according to the second modification of the first embodiment, “belonging” is an attribute item included in the user information 210 instead of one piece of the statistical information 250 illustrated in FIG. It is set for each.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of statistical information according to the second modification of the first embodiment. The statistical information 250a shown in FIG. 19 includes an item of affiliation 253 in addition to the statistical information 250 shown in FIG. The statistical information 250 a holds statistical values of information corresponding to the attribute item 251 in the statistical content 252 for each affiliation 253. The method of calculating the statistical value shown in the statistical content 252 for each affiliation included in the statistical information 250 a is the same as that of the statistical information 250. Moreover, the calculation method (classification method) of the statistical value of the statistical content 252 contained in the statistical information 250a may differ for every affiliation.

  Therefore, in the information processing system according to the second modification of the first embodiment, the statistical information 250 is not set to one for the information processing apparatus 10, but is set for each “affiliation” that is an attribute item included in the user information 210. Be done. Therefore, the information processing system according to the second modification of the first embodiment can set setting information 290 such as a copy application having a different display format to a state more suitable for the user of the information processing apparatus 10.

Second Embodiment
Next, an information processing system according to the second embodiment will be described. The same configuration and function as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of the information processing system according to the second embodiment. In the information processing system 1a shown in FIG. 20, instead of the authentication server 90, the information processing apparatus 10a has a user authentication function. Further, in the information processing system 1a, the communication terminal 50a transmits the authentication information 55 and the user information 210 to the information processing apparatus 10a using near field communication.

  When the information processing apparatus 10a receives the authentication information 55 transmitted from the communication terminal 50a, the information processing apparatus 10a performs a user authentication process using the authentication information 55. Furthermore, when the information processing apparatus 10a receives the user information 210 transmitted from the communication terminal 50, the information processing apparatus 10a stores the user information 210 and sets the setting information 290 from the stored user information 210.

  Thereby, in the information processing system 1a, the communication of the authentication information 55 and the user information 210 is performed only between the information processing device 10a and the communication terminal 50a, so that the information processing system 1a is compared with the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. Thus, processing with enhanced security can be realized.

Functional Configuration FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a network system according to the second embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10a illustrated in FIG. 21 includes the function of the authentication unit 110a instead of the function of the authentication unit 110 according to the first embodiment. The authentication unit 110 a includes a terminal communication unit 111, a user information notification unit 113, a login processing unit 114, an authentication processing unit 115, and a storage unit 116. The terminal communication unit 111, the user information notification unit 113, and the login processing unit 114 are the same as those shown in FIG.

  The authentication processing unit 115 is a function of performing user authentication of the information processing apparatus 10 based on the authentication request transmitted from the communication terminal 50a. Specifically, the authentication processing unit 115 performs user authentication processing using the authentication information 55 included in the authentication request and the authentication information management list 95 stored in the storage unit 116. The authentication information management list 95 is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. The authentication processing unit 115 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 1001 illustrated in FIG. The authentication processing unit 115 is an example of an authentication unit.

  The communication terminal 50a shown in FIG. 21 includes the function of the input receiving unit 54 in addition to the function of the first embodiment. The input accepting unit 54 is a function of accepting an input operation by the user on the input unit 505 shown in FIG. The input receiving unit 54 receives, for example, an input of the user information 210 from the user of the information processing system 1a. The input reception unit 54 is realized by, for example, a program or the like executed by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. The input receiving unit 54 is an example of a receiving unit.

  Here, a method of inputting user information will be described. FIG. 22 is a view showing an example of a user information registration screen according to the second embodiment. The input screen 600 illustrated in FIG. 22 is displayed on the communication terminal 50a when an application for registering user information provided by the information processing system 1a is accessed using a web browser or the like of the communication terminal 50a. The input screen 600 receives an input of an attribute item indicating an attribute of the user. The input items of attribute information include items of age, gender, affiliation and number of years (years of service). The input items of the attribute information may be similar to the attribute items included in the user information 210 shown in FIG. Note that the input items of attribute information are not limited to the input items shown in FIG.

  The input accepting unit 54 accepts input of information for each input item, and registers the user information 210 by selecting the “register” icon 601 displayed on the input screen 600. The communication terminal 50a transmits the registered user information 210 together with the authentication information 55 to the information processing apparatus 10a using near field communication. The screen layout of the user information input screen 600 shown in FIG. 22 is not limited to this.

Process of Changing Setting Information Subsequently, a process of changing the start application according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram showing an example of setting information change processing in the information processing system according to the second embodiment. In step S301, the communication terminal 50a receives an input of the user information 210. Specifically, the input receiving unit 54 of the communication terminal 50a receives an input of the user information 210 by inputting information in the attribute item included in the input screen 600 shown in FIG.

  In step S302, the communication terminal 50a transmits the user information 210 and the authentication information 55 to the information processing apparatus 10a. Specifically, the transmitting and receiving unit 51 of the communication terminal 50a transmits the user information 210 input by the input receiving unit 54 and the authentication information 55 stored in the storage unit 53 to the information processing apparatus 10a. The transmission and reception unit 51 of the communication terminal 50a is an example of a transmission unit. The authentication application 11a of the information processing apparatus 10a receives the user information 210 and the authentication information 55 transmitted from the communication terminal 50a by the terminal communication unit 111 of the authentication unit 110a.

  In step S303, when the authentication application 11a of the information processing apparatus 10a receives the authentication information 55, the authentication processing unit 115 of the authentication unit 110a performs user authentication processing using the authentication information 55. In step S303, when the user authentication by the authentication processing unit 115 is completed, the authentication application 11a of the information processing apparatus 10a executes the login processing of the information processing apparatus 10a by the login processing unit 114 of the authentication unit 110a. The processes of steps S304 to S313 are the same as the processes of steps S106 to S115 shown in FIG.

Effect of Second Embodiment As described above, in the information processing system according to the second embodiment, the communication terminal 50a transmits the authentication information 55 and the user information 210 to the information processing apparatus 10a. Then, the information processing apparatus 10a performs user authentication processing using the authentication information 55 transmitted from the communication terminal 50a. Therefore, since the communication of the authentication information 55 and the user information 210 is performed only between the information processing device 10a and the communication terminal 50a, the information processing system 1a is compared with the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. Thus, processing with enhanced security can be realized.

Other Embodiments
Next, other embodiments will be described. In the information processing system according to the other embodiment, the configuration of the first embodiment or the second embodiment is applied to parts other than the configuration clearly described below. The information processing system 1 b is not an image processing apparatus in which the information processing apparatus 10 has a scanner function or a print function, but is a display apparatus that displays an operation screen to execute a predetermined function.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of an information processing system according to another embodiment. The information processing system 1 b is a system in which the information processing apparatus 10 is replaced with an image processing apparatus such as an MFP having a printing function, and a display apparatus having display means. The information processing apparatus 10 b is, for example, an IWB (Interactive White Board: a white board having an electronic blackboard function capable of mutual communication).

  The information processing apparatus 10 b installs a plurality of applications (for example, display applications) having display formats different from each other, and can execute the processing function of the apparatus. The information processing apparatus 10 b can set an application to be started using the method of changing setting information described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10b is not limited to the IWB, and may be a display apparatus capable of displaying an operation screen for executing a predetermined function. The information processing device 10 b may be, for example, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or the like.

  Although the information processing apparatus, the information processing system, the setting change method, and the program according to an embodiment of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and other embodiments, additions Modifications, deletions, etc. can be made within the scope of those skilled in the art, and any modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention as long as the functions and effects of the present invention are exhibited.

  The functions of each embodiment can be realized by computer-executable programs described in a legacy programming language such as assembler, C, C ++, C #, Java (registered trademark) or an object-oriented programming language, etc., ROM, EEPROM EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, flexible disk, CD (Compact Disc) -ROM, CD-RW (Re-Writable), DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, Blu-ray Disc, SD It can be stored in a device readable recording medium such as a card, MO (Magneto-Optical disc) or the like, or can be distributed through a telecommunication line.

  Also, some or all of the functions of each embodiment can be implemented on a programmable device (PD) such as, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or can be implemented as an ASIC. Circuit configuration data (bit stream data) to be downloaded to the PD to realize the functions of the PD, Hardware Description Language (HDL) for generating the circuit configuration data, Very High Speed Integrated Circuits Hardware Description Language (VHDL), It can be distributed by a recording medium as data described by Verilog-HDL or the like.

1 information processing system 10 information processing apparatus 50 communication terminal 51 transmission / reception unit (an example of transmission means and first transmission means)
54 Input acceptance unit (an example of acceptance means)
90 Authentication server (an example of an authentication device)
91 Transmission / reception unit (an example of second transmission means)
92 Authentication processing unit (an example of authentication means)
111 Terminal communication unit (an example of receiving means)
112 Authentication server communication unit (an example of receiving means)
115 Authentication processing unit (an example of authentication means)
120 Start control unit (an example of start means)
131 Usage information acquisition unit (an example of acquisition means)
132 storage unit (an example of storage means)
133 Setting information change unit (an example of setting means)

JP 2012-151768 A

Claims (11)

An information processing apparatus comprising: activation means for activating a plurality of applications, each having a display format different from each other;
Acquisition means for acquiring user attribute information using the information processing apparatus;
And setting means for setting an application to be activated among the plurality of applications based on statistical information obtained by statistics of the acquired attribute information;
The information processing apparatus, wherein the activation unit activates the set application.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets an application to be activated by the activation unit when the statistical information satisfies a predetermined condition for changing the application. The condition is an age-related condition,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets an application to be activated by the activation unit when the statistical information satisfies the condition regarding the age. The above conditions are for the number of years of service,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets an application to be activated by the activation unit when the statistical information satisfies a condition regarding the number of years of service. The statistical information is information collected for each affiliation of the user,
The said setting means sets the application started by the said starting means, when the said statistical information corresponding to the affiliation contained in the acquired attribute information satisfy | fills the said predetermined condition. The information processing apparatus according to one item. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:
Storage means for storing the statistical information;
The information processing apparatus, wherein the setting unit updates the statistical information based on the acquired attribute information, and sets an application activated by the activation unit based on the updated statistical information.   The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the setting unit sets a process executable by the application based on the statistical information. A communication terminal used by a user, an authentication device for performing authentication processing of the user, and an information processing device including a plurality of applications and activation means for activating a plurality of applications having display formats different from one another An information processing system,
The communication terminal is
A first transmission unit configured to transmit, to the authentication device, authentication information for performing an authentication process of the user using short-range wireless communication;
The authentication device
An authentication unit that performs the authentication process using the authentication information;
And second transmitting means for transmitting attribute information indicating an attribute of the authenticated user,
The information processing apparatus is
Receiving means for receiving the attribute information from the authentication device;
Setting means for setting the application to be activated based on statistical information obtained by statistics of the attribute information of the user who has used the information processing apparatus;
The information processing system, wherein the activation unit activates the set application. An information processing system comprising: a communication terminal used by a user; and an information processing apparatus including activation means for activating a plurality of applications having a display format different from each other.
The communication terminal is
Accepting means for accepting input of the attribute information of the user;
And transmission means for transmitting the input attribute information and authentication information for performing authentication processing of the user to the information processing apparatus using short-range wireless communication,
The information processing apparatus is
Receiving means for receiving the attribute information and the authentication information from the communication terminal;
An authentication unit that performs the authentication process using the received authentication information;
Setting means for setting the application to be activated based on statistical information obtained by statistics of the attribute information of the user who has used the information processing apparatus;
The information processing system, wherein the activation unit activates the set application. A setting change method executed by an information processing apparatus comprising: activation means for activating a plurality of applications having a display format different from each other;
An acquisition step of acquiring attribute information of a user using the information processing apparatus;
A setting step of setting an application to be started based on statistical information obtained by statistics of the acquired attribute information;
An activation step of activating the set application by the activation means;
How to change the settings to run.   A program that causes a computer to execute the setting change method according to claim 10.