JP2020107944A - Image processing device, installation information management method of the same, installation information management system for image processing device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To solve the problem in which, conventionally, in automatic installation processing of an image processing device, it was not possible to accurately grasp work time required for actual work.SOLUTION: In automatic installation processing of an image processing device, if the processing is interrupted due to a work order or operator's convenience, such time is calculated as an exclusion time to be excluded from a working time. By doing this, the exclusion time to be excluded from the total time from a start to an end of work is calculated. Since a time required for automatic installation processing of the actual image processing device is calculated, it becomes possible to accurately grasp efficiency of installation work.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an installation information management method for an image processing apparatus, an installation information management system for an image processing apparatus, and a program.

Before the user newly introduces the image processing apparatus, it is necessary to perform installation work according to the usage environment of the image processing apparatus in advance. The installation work includes work such as installation of a hardware option such as a finisher for finishing prints, setting of a control program for the image processing apparatus, work of validating an extension function license, and installation of an extension program.

As an extension program, a system in which a vendor can extend the function of the image processing apparatus by adding it in to the image processing apparatus is widespread. An example of this type of system is MEAP (registered trademark) of Canon Inc. or the like.
There is also an installation information management system that creates and manages installation instruction information including the firmware of the image processing apparatus, the expansion program, and the execution procedure of those installation operations. Further, there is a program for automatically performing the installation work in the image processing apparatus which is the target of the installation work according to the installation instruction information.

As a related art related to this, in Patent Document 1, in a system that collectively manages a plurality of information processing devices owned by a customer from a server side, the firmware of the information processing device is appropriately and efficiently converted to a desired firmware. A system for updating is disclosed.

JP, 2014-179021, A

However, in the conventional automatic installation processing of the image processing apparatus, it is possible to accurately grasp the working time that can be used as an index for confirming a change in work efficiency and reviewing the work order and method of the installation work. could not.
For example, if a screen that prompts the operator to make a decision is displayed after the automatic installation process starts, if the screen is not being watched because the operator is busy with other work, the automatic The installation process is interrupted and the end time is delayed. In addition, even if a screen is displayed that prompts the worker to perform work, even if the power is left off for several hours due to the operator's convenience, that time is required for the automatic installation process. It will be erroneously recognized as the time when you did.
In this way, when the installation time is extended due to human factors during the automatic installation process, it becomes impossible to properly grasp whether or not the work efficiency has been realized.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention grasps the time required for the actual automatic installation process in the automatic installation process of the image processing apparatus, excluding the time when the process is interrupted during the work, and the work efficiency is improved. The purpose is to understand the change.

According to the present invention, an acquisition unit that acquires instruction information about an automatic installation process, an execution unit that executes the automatic installation process on a self device according to the instruction information acquired by the acquisition unit, and an execution unit that executes the automatic installation process according to the instruction information. An image processing apparatus comprising: a calculating unit that calculates a time during which the automatic installation process is interrupted as an exclusion time, wherein the calculating unit is its own device during a period during which the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped. It is characterized in that a section in which the configuration information regarding the setting of 1 is unchanged is recorded as the exclusion time.

According to the present invention, in the automatic installation process of the image processing apparatus, when the work is interrupted due to the work order or the operator's convenience, such time is calculated as an exclusion time to be excluded from the work time. In this way, the exclusion time that should be excluded from the total time from the start to the end of the work is calculated, and the time required for the automatic installation process of the actual image processing apparatus is calculated, so that the efficiency of the installation work is accurate. You will be able to understand.

It is a general view of an installation information management system. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of an image processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a client computer. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a management server. It is a block diagram which shows the software structure of an image processing apparatus. It is an example of a main menu screen of the image processing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the software function of a support program. It is a block diagram which shows the software function of the installation instruction information preparation system of a client computer. It is a block diagram which shows the software function of the installation instruction information management system of a management server. It is an example of a script file of installation instruction information. It is an example of each screen displayed by the support program. 4 is a main flowchart of an installation work of the image processing apparatus. It is a flow chart which shows automatic installation processing performed by installation processing information. It is a flowchart which shows the update process of firmware. It is a flowchart which shows the temporary stop process of an automatic installation process. It is an example of installation processing result information. It is an example of configuration information. It is an example of a display screen of the installation instruction information creation system.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described using examples. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the means for solving the invention.

<Example of system configuration>
FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an example of the device configuration of an automatic installation information management system 100 for image processing devices in this embodiment.
In the automatic installation information management system 100, a plurality of image processing apparatuses 101a and 101b, a client computer 102, and a management server 103 are communicably connected via a LAN (Local Area Network) 105.

The image processing apparatuses 101a and 101b are multi-function peripherals (MFPs) in which a plurality of functions such as a scanner, a printer, a facsimile, and file transmission are integrated into an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine. In the following, the image processing apparatuses 101a and 101b are also collectively referred to as "image processing apparatus 101".
The image processing apparatus 101 also has an interface for connecting to a network such as the LAN 105. Further, the image processing apparatus 101 has an interface for connecting the portable storage medium 104. The interface for connecting the portable storage medium 104 may be of any type, but a USB interface is used in this embodiment.

The client computer 102 includes a so-called personal computer, mobile terminal, or the like. The client computer 102 can execute applications such as a web browser and GUI program. With these applications, the client computer 102 is configured to communicate with the management server 103 to create and edit installation instruction information, which will be described later.
The client computer 102 also has an interface for connecting to a network such as the LAN 105. Further, the client computer 102 has an interface for connecting the portable storage medium 104. The interface for connecting the portable storage medium 104 may be of any type, but a USB interface is used in this embodiment.

The management server 103 is a server that manages the installation work of the image processing apparatus 101 on a case-by-case basis with installation instruction information including a combination of conditions such as each delivery destination, each customer, and each business negotiation for which an order has been received. The installation instruction information includes model information, externally connected hardware, firmware, expansion program versions, combinations thereof, setting values, and other configuration information of the image processing apparatus 101 targeted for installation (described later in FIG. 16), Also, the order of application of them and the like are included.
Further, the management server 103 manages available firmware, binary data of extension programs, various license information, and the like. The management server 103 may be composed of a single management server or a plurality of management servers. Further, the management server 103 may be directly connected to the LAN 105 or may be connected via the Internet.

The portable storage medium 104 may be of any type as long as it is a storage device that can be easily removed from the host device, but in the present embodiment, a USB storage that implements the USB mass storage class is used.

<Hardware configuration of image processing device>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the image processing apparatus 101.
The control unit 210 including the CPU 211 controls the operation of the entire image processing apparatus 101. The CPU 211 reads out the control program stored in the ROM 212 and performs various controls such as reading control and transmission control.

The RAM 213 is used as a main memory of the CPU 211 and a temporary storage area such as a work area.
The HDD 214 stores image data, various programs, various information tables, and the like.
The operation unit I/F 215 connects the operation unit 219 and the control unit 210. The operation unit 219 includes a liquid crystal display unit having a touch panel function, a keyboard, and the like.

The printer I/F 216 connects the printer 220 and the control unit 210. The image data printed by the printer 220 is transferred from the control unit 210 via the printer I/F 216, and printed on the recording medium by the printer 220.
The scanner I/F 217 connects the scanner 221 and the control unit 210. The scanner 221 reads an image on a document to generate image data, and inputs the generated image data to the control unit 210 via the scanner I/F 217.

The network I/F 218 connects the control unit 210 (image processing apparatus 101) to the LAN 105. The network I/F 218 transmits image data and information to an external device on the LAN 105 and receives various kinds of information from the external device on the LAN 105.
The USB host I/F 222 is an interface unit that communicates with the USB storage 104. The USB host I/F 222 outputs the data stored in the HDD 214 to the portable storage medium 104 including a USB storage. Further, the USB host I/F 222 inputs the data stored in the portable storage medium 104 and notifies the CPU 211 of it.

The portable storage medium 104, which is a USB storage, is an external storage device that stores data, and is removable from the USB host I/F 222. A plurality of USB devices including a portable storage medium 104, which is a USB storage portable storage medium, can be connected to the USB host I/F 222.

<Hardware configuration of client computer>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the client computer 102.
A control unit 316 including a CPU 317 controls the operation of the entire client computer 102. The CPU 317 reads out the control program stored in the ROM 318 and executes various control processes.
The RAM 319 is used as a main memory of the CPU 311 and a temporary storage area such as a work area. The HDD 320 stores image data and various programs.

The operation I/F 321 is an interface for connecting a user interface terminal for inputting a control operation to a program executed by the client computer 102. In this embodiment, the mouse 322 and the keyboard 323 are used as the user interface terminal, but the user interface terminal is not limited to them.
The display I/F 324 is an interface for connecting a display 325 that displays a user interface of a program executed by the client computer 102.

The network I/F 326 connects the control unit 316 to the LAN 105. The network I/F 326 transmits/receives various information to/from an external device via a network such as the LAN 105.
The USB host I/F 327 is an interface that communicates with the portable storage medium 104 including a USB storage. The USB host I/F 327 outputs the data stored in the HDD 320 to the portable storage medium 104. The USB host I/F 327 also inputs the data stored in the portable storage medium 104 and notifies the CPU 317 of the data.

The portable storage medium 104, which is a USB storage, is an external storage device that stores data, and is removable from the USB host I/F 327. The USB host I/F 327 can be connected to a plurality of USB devices including the portable storage medium 104 including a USB storage.

<Management server hardware configuration>
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the management server 103.
The control unit 410 including the CPU 411 controls the operation of the entire management server 103. The CPU 411 reads out the control program stored in the ROM 412 and executes various control processes.
The RAM 413 is used as a main memory of the CPU 411, a temporary storage area such as a work area. The HDD 414 stores image data, various programs, various information tables described later, and the like.
The network I/F 415 connects the control unit 410 to the LAN 105. The network I/F 415 transmits/receives various information to/from an external device via the network.

<Software configuration of image processing device>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example of the image processing apparatus 101.
In the image processing apparatus 101, a native program 501, which is a control program and has functions such as a printer, a FAX, and a scanner, which operate on the OS 500 in advance, is operating. Further, the extension program execution platform 502, which is the extension program execution platform, is operating.
Further, on the native program 501, a firmware update service 503, an option validation service 504, a setting management service 505, and a serviceman operation service 506 are operating. Furthermore, an extension program system service 507 and an extension program 508 operate on the extension program execution platform 502.

The firmware update service 503 is a service that provides various functions for updating firmware. The firmware update service 503 refers to, for example, the firmware designated by the user, and determines whether or not the referenced firmware needs to be updated. Further, the firmware update service 503 updates the firmware with respect to the native program 501 or via the native program 501.

The option validation service 504 is a service for validating an option function that is built in the native program 501 in advance. The option activation service 504 identifies and activates the optional function specified by the option license file designated by the user.

The setting management service 505 is a service for managing various setting information such as printers and scanners. The setting management service 505 provides a function of rewriting the setting information of the native program 501 when, for example, the user specifies one or a plurality of settings or a file including a plurality of setting information. The setting management service 505 has a user interface (hereinafter referred to as “UI”) for end users, and the user can instruct the setting change via the operation unit 219 of the image processing apparatus 101.

The serviceman operation service 506 is a service for managing various setting information for printers and scanners for servicemen. The service person operation service 506 provides more detailed setting change than the setting change function provided by the setting management service 505. More detailed settings than the setting change function provided by the setting management service 505 are, for example, adjustment value setting of the sensor position of the scanner 221 and adjustment value setting of the print position of the printer 220.
Further, the service person operation service 506 provides a means for executing a higher function than the function provided by the setting management service 505. The functions higher than the functions provided by the setting management service 505 include a function for initializing the HDD 214 and a function for initializing the setting information held by the setting management service 505.

The image processing apparatus 101 cannot maintain the optimum operation unless the above-mentioned individual hardware states are optimally adjusted. Therefore, normally, these services are permitted to be used only by a service person who has knowledge and skills for maintenance, and are not provided to general end users.

The extension program system service 507 is a utility library commonly useful for the extension program 508 (in the example of FIG. 5, the extension program 508 has A and B installed), and is provided by the automatic installation information management system 100. It The vendor can simplify the trouble of developing the extension program 508 by calling the function of the extension program system service 507 from the extension program 508.

The extension program 508 can access other extension programs 508 and services on the native program 501 only through the extension program execution platform 502 or the extension program system service 507. Further, the extension program 508 having a UI can display an icon on the main menu screen (FIG. 6) displayed on the operation unit 219 of the image processing apparatus 101. When the operation unit I/F 215 detects that the user has selected the icon through the operation unit 219, the operation unit I/F 215 sends a message to that effect to the CPU 211. The CPU 211, which has received the notification, displays the UI of the extension program selected by the user on the operation unit 219.

Note that FIG. 5 shows only the basic software configuration, and other services may be included depending on the implementation environment. Also, it is not necessary to include all services if there is a reason to limit the settings.

<Main menu screen>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a main menu screen displayed on the operation unit 219 of the image processing apparatus 101.
The main menu screen 600 has a program icon display area 601.
The program icon display area 601 is an area for displaying an icon of a program that can be currently operated in the image processing apparatus 101, and a standard program icon 602 and an extended program icon 603 are displayed.
The standard program icon 602 is an icon for displaying a UI for operating a function of a control program provided in the image processing apparatus 101 in advance.
The extension program icon 603 is an icon for displaying a UI for operating the extension program of the image processing apparatus 101.

<Installation work>
Next, the installation work of the image processing apparatus 101 will be described.
In performing the installation work of the image processing apparatus 101, first, the worker connects necessary hardware such as a finisher, a scanner, and an expansion RAM to the image processing apparatus 101 to be the installation work target.

Next, the worker installs in the image processing apparatus 101 a program for supporting the automatic installation processing (hereinafter referred to as “support program”) in the image processing apparatus 101 that is the target of the installation work. The support program may be installed in the image processing apparatus 101 in advance. Further, the support program may be executed as a standard service on the native program 501.
When installed in the image processing apparatus 101, the support program connects the image processing apparatus 101 to the management server 103 and executes automatic installation processing.

<Example of functional configuration of support program>
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of software functions of the support program 700 operating in the image processing apparatus 101. Each function of the support program 700 is realized by the CPU 211 executing a program corresponding to each function.
In the example of FIG. 7, the support program 700 includes a UI control unit 701, a communication unit 702, a process execution unit 703, and a script analysis unit 704.

The UI control unit 701 provides a UI for operating the support program 700 to the operator via the operation unit 219, and receives the operation of the operator.
The communication unit 702 communicates with the management server 103 to download and acquire installation instruction information, software, and the like.
The process execution unit 703 performs various processes according to instructions from the UI control unit 701 and the communication unit 702.
The script analysis unit 704 analyzes the script file (described later in FIG. 10) of the installation instruction information acquired by the communication unit 702 from the management server 103, and determines the process to be executed by the process execution unit 703 and the order.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the software functional configuration of the installation instruction information creation system 800 operating on the client computer 102. Each function of the installation instruction information creation system 800 is realized by the CPU 317 executing a program corresponding to each function. Further, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the program is executed in the client computer 102, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the program may be configured to be executed in a server or service on the network via the network I/F 326.

The installation instruction information creation system 800 includes a UI control unit 801, a communication unit 802, a process execution unit 803, and a script generation unit 804.
The UI control unit 801 provides the operator with a UI for operating the installation instruction information generating system 800 via the display 325, and accepts the operator's operation through the mouse 322 and the keyboard 323.
The communication unit 802 communicates with the installation instruction information management system 900 (described later in FIG. 9) of the management server 103 via the network I/F 326 according to the instructions of the UI control unit 801 and the process execution unit 803. The communication unit 802 requests the installation instruction information management system 900 to read or write the installation instruction information.

The process execution unit 803 performs various processes according to the instruction from the UI control unit 801.
The script generation unit 804 generates installation instruction information and a script file that can be analyzed by the support program 700 according to the instruction of the process execution unit 803.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of software functions of the installation instruction information management system 900 operating on the management server 103. Each function of the installation instruction information management system 900 is realized by the CPU 411 executing a program corresponding to each function. Further, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the program is executed by the management server 103 on the LAN via the network I/F 415, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the program may be executed in a server or service on the Internet.

The installation instruction information management system 900 includes a control unit 901, a communication unit 902, a storage management unit 903, and an installation instruction information database 904.
The control unit 901 instructs the storage management unit 903 to perform processing such as storage, deletion, update, and acquisition of installation instruction information according to the content of the request received by the communication unit 902.

The storage management unit 903 stores, deletes, and updates the installation instruction information in the installation instruction information database 904 according to the instruction of the control unit 901. The storage management unit 903 also acquires installation instruction information from the installation instruction information database 904.

The communication unit 902 receives a request from the client computer 102 or the like, and transmits the request content to the control unit 901. Further, the communication unit 902 receives the processing result for the request content from the control unit 901, creates response data for the request, and transmits the response data to the client computer 102 and the like.

The installation instruction information database 904 is a database that operates in the installation instruction information management system 900. Information on the automatic installation processing of the executed image processing apparatus is accumulated in the installation instruction information database 904.
In this embodiment, the installation instruction information management system 900 includes the installation instruction information database 904, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the installation instruction information database 904 may be provided in another server as long as it can be linked with the installation instruction information management system 900.

<Example of script file of installation instruction information>
FIG. 10 shows an example of installation instruction information indicating a work procedure for automatically performing the installation work of the image processing apparatus 101, and a script file 1000 included therein.

The installation instruction information and the script file 1000 are generated by the script generation unit 804 of the installation instruction information generation system 800 based on the configuration information of the image processing apparatus 101 that is the target of the installation work. The generated installation instruction information and script file 1000 are stored in the installation instruction information management system 900.

The script file 1000 is read by the communication unit 702 of the support program 700 and analyzed by the script analysis unit 704 via the process execution unit 703. After that, according to the script file 1000 analyzed by the script analysis unit 704, the process execution unit 703 executes the automatic installation process of the image processing apparatus 101.
The script file 1000 is composed of a device identification unit 1001 and a process description unit 1002. Although the script file 1000 is described in XML (Extensible Markup Language) in this embodiment, the script file 1000 is not limited to XML and may be described in a shell script or the like.

Information for identifying the image processing apparatus 101 that is the target of the installation work is described in the device identification unit 1001. The device identification unit 1001 includes <deviceId>, which is the identifier of the image processing apparatus 101, and <name> and <comment>, which indicate the content of the script by an arbitrary character string.
<name> and <comment> may be used not only for explaining the contents of the script but also as an identifier in the case where the <deviceId> alone cannot be used for identification. For example, when it is necessary to prepare a plurality of settings for one image processing apparatus 101, it can be used as an identifier.

In the process description part 1002, a command necessary for executing the automatic installation process is described. In the example of FIG. 10, the script file 1000 is composed of the following command groups.
Firmware update process: 1003ab
Pause process of automatic installation process: 1004
Setting information import processing: 1005ab
Extended program installation processing: 1006ab
Extended program start processing: 1007
Optional function activation processing: 1008ab

The command indicating the processing of each installation work includes the order attribute as a tag. In the example of FIG. 10, the processing order of the installation work is determined according to the value of order. If the order of processing is not specified, the order values may be the same. When the order value is the same or when the order is not described, the processes may be executed in the order described in the process description unit 1002, or may be executed in the order read by the script analysis unit 704. .. Further, the order of execution may be determined based on the amount of data used in each process.

The firmware update process 1003ab is a process of updating firmware via the firmware update service 503.
The firmware update process 1003a defines the process by describing the <updateFirmwareCommand> tag. The <contentsServer> tag and the <firmwareVersion> tag specify the firmware to be downloaded and updated from the management server 103.
In the <contentsServer> tag, the URL of the management server 103 is described. The <firmwareVersion> tag describes the version of the firmware to be downloaded.

The firmware update process 1003b defines a process by describing a <updateFirmwareCommand> tag when designating a file stored in the portable storage medium 104 connected to the USB host I/F 222.
The <relativeDirPath> tag and <FirmwareName> specify the file to be used. The <relativeDirPath> tag describes the relative path from the root folder to the firmware to be updated. The <FirmwareName> tag specifies the firmware to be updated.

In the example of FIG. 10, the firmware archived in the zip file format is specified. Further, the method of embedding the binary data in the script file 1000 is not limited to the URL and the file path.
In addition, the firmware version operating on the target image processing apparatus 101 may be newer (the version number is larger) than the firmware version specified by the <firmwareVersion> tag. This is a case where the firmware is updated to an old version (version down). In this case, there is a possibility that the script file is created incorrectly or the installation work is incorrect. Therefore, a paused screen 1120 for confirmation as shown in FIG. 11C is displayed. Then, when it is detected that the continue button 1121 is pressed by the operation of the operation unit 219, the version down process is executed.

Here, FIG. 11 is an example of each screen displayed on the operation unit 219 of the image processing apparatus 101 by the support program. The operator can check the status of automatic installation processing of the image processing apparatus 101 on the screen displayed on the operation unit 219, and can instruct to continue or interrupt the installation work.
When continuing the version down processing, a restart instruction may be received from another terminal by an external communication method. Further, as shown in FIG. 11C, an interruption button 1122 for interrupting the automatic installation processing may be provided on the temporary stop screen 1120.

A temporary stop process 1004 of the automatic installation process is a process for temporarily stopping the automatic installation process of the image processing apparatus 101 and restarting the subsequent automatic installation process in response to a restart instruction from the worker. This can prompt the operator to perform manual work during the automatic installation process.
While the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped, the worker can perform fine adjustment work on the hardware. For example, the color balance correction value of the toner of the image processing apparatus 101 can be adjusted by performing test printing several times and checking the tint of the output. Further, the power OFF operation of the image processing apparatus 101 can be performed, and the work of attaching/detaching the additional hardware can be performed while the power is not supplied. In addition, it is possible to adjust the scanner sensor and print position.

In this embodiment, as a method of accepting the restart instruction of the automatic installation process, a restart button 1131 is displayed on the paused screen 1130 displayed on the operation unit 219, as shown in FIG. Then, when it is detected that the operator presses the restart button 1131 on the operation unit 219, the automatic installation process is restarted. Further, in order to restart the automatic installation process, a restart instruction may be received from another terminal by an external communication method. Further, as shown in FIG. 11D, an interruption button 1132 for interrupting the automatic installation processing may be displayed on the temporarily stopping screen 1130.

The setting information import processing 1005ab is processing for importing and reflecting the setting values via the setting management service 505.
The setting information import process 1005a defines the process by describing the <importDeviceConfigCommand> tag. The <contentsServer> tag specifies the setting value file to be downloaded from the management server 103 and imported. In the <contentsServer> tag, the URL of the management server 103 is described.

The setting information import processing 1005b defines the processing with the <importDeviceConfigCommand> tag. The <relativeDirPath> tag and the <configFileName> tag specify the setting information file to be imported.
The <relativeDirPath> tag describes the relative path from the root folder to the setting information file to be imported when specifying the file stored in the portable storage medium 104 connected to the USB host I/F 222. .. In the <configFileName> tag, a setting information file to be imported is specified.
In the example of FIG. 10, the setting information file archived in the zip file format is designated. The format of the setting information file is not limited to the zip file format. Further, the method of embedding the binary data in the script file 1000 is not limited to the URL and the file path.

The extension program installation process 1006ab is a process of installing the extension program via the extension program system service 507.
The extension program installation process 1006a defines the process by describing the <installApplicationCommand> tag. The <contentsServer> tag, the <applicationName> tag, and the <applicationVersion> tag specify the extension programs downloaded from the management server 103 and installed.
The URL of the management server is described in the <contentsServer> tag.

When the file stored in the portable storage medium 104 connected to the USB host I/F 222 is designated, the extension program installation processing 1006b defines the processing by describing the <installApplicationCommand> tag. The <relativeDirPath> tag and the <AppFileName> tag specify the extension program to be installed.
The <relativeDirPath> tag describes the relative path from the root folder to the substance of the extension program to be installed. In the <AppFileName> tag, the substance of the extension program to be installed is specified.
In the example of FIG. 10, the extension program in the Jar file format is designated. The extension program format is not limited to the Jar file format. Further, the method of embedding the binary data in the script file 1000 is not limited to the URL and the file path.

The <licenseServer> tag of the extension program installation process 1006a describes the URL of the management server that acquires the license for the extension program.
In addition, the extension program installation processing 1006b specifies the license for the extension program to be installed by the <licenseRelativeDirPath> tag and the <licenseFileName> tag.
The <licenseRelativeDirPath> tag describes the relative path from the root folder to the license file of the extension program when a file stored in the portable storage medium 104 connected to the USB host I/F 222 is designated. The <licenseFileName> tag specifies the license entity of the extension program.
In the example of FIG. A license file in the lic file format is specified. The license file format is not limited to the lic file format. Further, the method of embedding the binary data in the script file 1000 is not limited to the URL and the file path.

The extension program start processing 1007 defines the processing by the description of the <startApplicationCommand> tag, and the extension program to be started is specified by the <appId> tag. An ID that uniquely identifies the extension program to be started is specified in the <appId> tag.

The option function activation process 1008ab is a process of activating an embedded option via the option activation service 504.
The embedded option program activate process 1008a defines the process by describing the <activateEmbeddedFunctionCommand> tag. The <licenseServer> tag describes the URL of the management server 103 that acquires the license for the extension program. Further, in the <functionId> tag, information specifying the embedded option to be acquired is described.

The built-in option program activate process 1008b defines the process by describing the <activateEmbeddedFunctionCommand> tag. The <relativeDirPath> tag and the <licenseFileName> tag specify the embedded option program to be activated.
The <relativeDirPath> tag describes the relative path from the root folder to the license file of the built-in option program when a file stored in the portable storage medium 104 connected to the USB host I/F 222 is specified. .. In the <licenseFileName> tag, the substance of the license for activating the embedded option program is specified.

In the example of FIG. 10, a license file in the lic format is designated. The license file format is not limited to this. Further, the method of embedding the binary data in the script file 1000 is not limited to the URL and the file path.

If there is no built-in option program preinstalled in the image processing apparatus 101, or if it is not activated, the script file that describes the contents of the automatic installation processing as shown in FIG. 10 is unnecessary.
The content of the script file is not limited to the initial installation work such as the automatic installation processing of the image processing apparatus 101 as shown in the example of FIG. For example, it may be applied to a restart process of the image processing apparatus 101. In addition, processing may be duplicated or increased or decreased as necessary.

<Main flow of installation of image processing device>
FIG. 12 is a main flowchart for explaining the overall operation of the installation work of the image processing apparatus 101, which is executed by an instruction of the operator after the support program 700 is activated in the present embodiment.

First, in step S1201, the process execution unit 703 of the image processing apparatus 101 searches for installation instruction information and displays the result on the operation unit 219. Here, the device ID of the image processing apparatus 101 on which the support program 700 is operating is acquired. Then, the communication unit 702 transmits the acquired device ID to the management server 103.
Then, the management server 103 determines and acquires the installation instruction information including the script file 1000. Here, the management server 103 may acquire only the outline information of the installation instruction information and acquire all the information of the installation instruction information during the automatic installation process described later with reference to FIG.

The device ID is information for identifying the image processing apparatus 101 that is the target of the installation work, such as the individual identifier and model number of the image processing apparatus 101. Further, in the present embodiment, the process execution unit 703 searches for installation instruction information managed by the management server 103, but is configured to search for installation instruction information stored in the portable storage medium 104. May be.
Then, the operation unit 219 displays the acquired installation instruction information on the execution start screen 1100 shown in FIG. 11A to notify the operator. Thereby, the operator can confirm that the correct installation instruction information has been acquired.

When an instruction to execute the automatic installation process is received for the notified setting instruction information, the process proceeds to step S1202. In this embodiment, when the operator presses the execute button 1101 on the execution start screen 1100, the process proceeds to the next step. Note that, as shown in FIG. 11A, a cancel button 1102 may be provided on the execution start screen 1100 in order to end this flowchart when the operator does not give an execution instruction.

Next, in step S1202, the process execution unit 703 creates the automatic installation process result information 1500 (see FIG. 15) and stores it in the HDD 214. Here, the current time is recorded as the start time 1501.

Next, in step S1203, the process execution unit 703 sequentially executes processes according to the command order described in the process description unit 1002 of the script file 1000 of the installation instruction information acquired in step S1201. Based on the command, the process execution unit 703 executes setting work such as software installation and update that must be executed as automatic installation processing of the image processing apparatus 101. This work causes the image processing apparatus 101 to record a program and setting data necessary for starting up the image processing apparatus 101 which is a target of the installation work. For example, the update of the firmware including the native program 501 of the image processing apparatus 101, the installation and start of the extension program 508, and the like are included.
Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, the operation unit 219 displays a running screen 1110 indicating that the automatic installation processing by the command is being executed, and notifies the operator. The automatic installation process in step S1203 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

Next, in step S1204, the process execution unit 703 records the current time as the end time 1502 of the automatic installation process result information 1500.
Also, as the end code 1503, a code indicating success is recorded when all the processes in step S1203 are normally ended. If a part of the processing fails, a code indicating failure is recorded as the end code 1503.

Next, in step S1205, the UI control unit 701 displays a completion screen 1140 indicating that the automatic installation processing by the script file 1000 has ended on the operation unit 219 as shown in FIG. ..
The communication unit 702 also transmits the automatic installation processing result information 1500 to the management server 103. The automatic installation processing result information 1500 may be stored in the portable storage medium 104.
Then, after the automatic installation process ends, when the worker presses the completion button 1141 on the completion screen 1140 shown in FIG. 11E, the flowchart of FIG. 12 ends.

<Execution flow of script file>
FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the automatic installation processing by the command described in the script file 1000 of the installation instruction information, which is executed in step S1203 of the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S1301, the process execution unit 703 selects commands according to the execution order for the script file 1000 acquired in step S1201 of FIG. Then, for each command, the processes of S1302 to S1311 are repeatedly executed. When the processing of all commands is completed (N in step S1301), the flowchart of FIG. 13 ends.
Below, the script file 1000 shown in FIG. 10 will be described as an example.

In step S1302, the process execution unit 703 adds the command execution history line 1504 to the automatic installation process result information 1500. Then, in the added line 1504, the type and content of the command and the current time as the start time 1506 of the command to be processed are recorded.

Next, in step S1303, the type of command to be processed is determined, and the processing to be executed is determined. Then, depending on the determination in step S1303, the process proceeds from step S1304 to step S1309.

In the example of the script file 1000 in FIG. 10, first, the firmware update process 1003a that is the first command is selected, and the process proceeds to step S1304.
Then, in step S1304, the process execution unit 703 instructs execution of firmware update via the firmware update service 503. Details of the firmware update processing in step S1304 will be described later with reference to FIG. 14A.

When the process of step S1304 ends, in step S1311, the process execution unit 703 records success as the end code 1505 of the automatic installation process result information 1500 (FIG. 15) and records the current time as the end time 1507. When the command execution history 1504, which is the result information about the firmware update process, is created, the process returns to step S1301.

Next, in the example of the script file 1000 of FIG. 10, the temporary stop process 1004 of the automatic installation process, which is the second command, is selected.
When the temporary stop process 1004 of the automatic installation process is selected, the process execution unit 703 temporarily stops the automatic installation process in step S1305. Then, the paused screen 1130 shown in FIG. 11D is displayed on the operation unit 219. When the operator presses the resume button on the screen 1130 during suspension, the automatic installation process is resumed.

The command of the temporary stop process 1104 of the automatic installation process is for prompting the worker to perform the installation work that cannot be automatically processed. In the example of (d) shown in FIG. 11, the message "Please perform a test print." is displayed, and the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped. To perform a test print, it is necessary to manually print the test data, insert the printed test data sheet into the platen, and scan it. Need to encourage work. Details of the temporary stop processing of the automatic installation processing in step S1305 will be described later with reference to FIG. 14B.

Then, in step S1310, the process execution unit 703 determines whether to continue the automatic installation process. In the case of continuing, the process proceeds to step S1311, the command execution history 1504 which is the result information about the temporary stop process of the automatic installation process is created, and then the process returns to step S1301.
When interrupting the automatic installation processing, the flowchart of FIG. 13 is terminated.

The script file 1000 shown in FIG. 10 will be described as an example.
When the setting information import processing 1004, which is the third command, is selected, in step S1306, the processing execution unit 703 imports and reflects the setting values via the setting management service 505.
When the extension command installation process 1006a, which is the fourth command, is selected, in step S1307, the process execution unit 703 installs the extension program via the extension program system service 507.

When the extension command start processing 1007, which is the fifth command, is selected, in step S1308, the process execution unit 703 starts the extension program via the extension program system service 507.
When the optional function activation process 1008a, which is the sixth command, is selected, the process execution unit 703 validates the embedded option via the option validation service 504 in step S1309.
When it is determined in step S1310 that there is no subsequent command, the flowchart of FIG. 13 ends.

<Firmware update process>
FIG. 14A is a flowchart illustrating details of the firmware update process in step S1304 of the flowchart in FIG.
First, in step S1401, the process execution unit 703 downloads the firmware based on the firmware update process 1003ab, copies the constituent files to the HDD 214 of the image processing apparatus 101 as temporary data, and stores the temporary data.

Next, in step S1402, the processing execution unit 703 compares the firmware version read in the RAM 213 of the image processing apparatus 101 with the firmware version acquired in step S1401.
If the version of the firmware acquired in step S1401 is newer than the version of the firmware read in the RAM 213 (the version number is larger), the version is upgraded and the process proceeds to step S1409. On the other hand, when the version of the firmware acquired in step S1401 is older (the version number is smaller), the version is down and the process proceeds to step S1403.

In the case of version down, in step S1403, the current time is stored in the RAM 213 as the time to start displaying the screen 1120 during suspension (FIG. 11C).
Next, in step S1404, the process execution unit 703 displays the pause screen 1120 on the operation unit 219 in order to prompt the operator to confirm whether or not to perform the firmware version down, and waits for the operation. .. When the continue button 1121 or the suspend button 1122 is pressed by the operator, the process proceeds to step S1405.

Next, in step S1405, the process execution unit 703 saves the current time in the RAM 213 as the time when the continue button 1121 or the suspend button 1122 is pressed on the paused screen 1120 and the paused screen 1120 is closed.

Next, in step S1406, the process execution unit 703 subtracts the time acquired in step S1403 from the time acquired in step S1405 to calculate the period during which the paused screen 1120 is displayed. Then, it is determined whether or not the displayed period (display time) exceeds a predetermined fixed time.
If the display time does not exceed the certain time, the process proceeds to step S1408. On the other hand, if the display time exceeds the certain time, the process proceeds to step S1407.
Here, in consideration of the number of characters displayed on the paused screen 1120, the predetermined fixed time is set to an average readable time (specifically, about several tens of seconds). In the present embodiment, the display time is calculated from the difference between the two current times acquired in steps S1403 and S1405, but the method is not limited to this. For example, the elapsed time may be calculated by the tick count of the CPU 211.

If the display time calculated in step S1406 exceeds the predetermined time, the display time is recorded in the automatic installation process result information 1500 as an exclusion time 1508 to be excluded from the time required for the firmware update process in step S1407. Here, the exclusion time is not progressing because the automatic installation process was interrupted, and subtracted from the total time from the start to the end of the automatic installation process in order to calculate the time required for the actual automatic installation process. It means the time to exclude.

Next, in step S1408, the process execution unit 703 determines whether to continue the firmware version down. Here, the determination as to whether or not to continue is made based on whether the button pressed in step S1404 is the continue button 1121 or the suspend button 110.
If the firmware version down is continued, the process advances to step S1409. If interrupted, this flowchart is ended.

When continuing the firmware version down, in step S1409, the firmware file stored in step S1401 is expanded and placed in the HDD 214 or the RAM 319 that can be read by the CPU 211 when the image processing apparatus 101 starts up.
Note that in step S1409, since the program of the OS 500 needs to be replaced, the image processing apparatus 101 is restarted according to the file to be updated. When the arrangement of all the firmware is completed, the flowchart of FIG. 14A ends.

<Pause process of automatic installation process>
FIG. 14B is a flowchart illustrating the details of the temporary stop processing of the automatic installation processing in step S1305 of the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S1410 of the flowchart in FIG. 14B(1), the process execution unit 703 acquires the configuration information of the image processing apparatus 101 and adds it to the configuration information table 1601 (see FIG. 16). Here, the configuration information is information about the setting of the target image processing apparatus 101. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, information on whether or not removable hardware is installed, setting values/registration information of software programs, adjustment values for eliminating the individual differences of each hardware, and performing coordinated operation, etc. It includes the information of.

Next, in step S1411, the process execution unit 703 displays the pause screen 1130 shown in FIG. 11D on the operation unit 219.
Then, when the resume button 1131 or the suspend button 1132 is pressed by the worker on the paused screen 1130, the process proceeds to step S1412.

Next, in step S1412, the configuration information is acquired and added to the configuration information table 1601 as in step S1410.
Then, in order to calculate the exclusion time, the processing execution unit 703 executes the following processing of steps S1413 to S1406 in order from the n=1st position of the configuration information table 1601.

First, with n=1, in step S1413, the process execution unit 703 compares the (n+1)th configuration information with the immediately preceding (nth) configuration information. Then, if there is no change in the configuration information and they are the same, it is determined that the automatic installation process has been interrupted in the section from n to n+1, and the process proceeds to step S1414.
In the example shown in FIG. 16, for example, when the configuration information 3 (1604) and the configuration information 2 (1603) are compared, there is no difference between the two. Therefore, in this section (2018/06/07 19:25; 35 to 2018/06/08 08:48:32), it is determined that the automatic installation process has been interrupted and not executed.

On the other hand, if the configuration information is different, the process execution unit 703 determines that the automatic installation process has been executed in the section from n to n+1, and proceeds to step S1416.
In the example shown in FIG. 16, for example, when the configuration information 2 (1603) and the configuration information 1 (1602) are compared, the values (density R, G, B) indicated by 1606 are different. Therefore, it is determined that the automatic installation process (here, the test print) is being executed in this section.

When the configuration information is the same, in step S1414, the process execution unit 703 subtracts the information acquisition date and time of the nth configuration information from the information acquisition date and time of the (n+1)th configuration information.
Next, in step S1415, the process execution unit 703 adds the time calculated in step S1414 to the exclusion time as the time during which the temporary installation screen 1130 is being displayed and the automatic installation process is not executed, and is interrupted. To do.

In step S1416, the process execution unit 703 confirms whether the configuration information has been compared to the end of the configuration information table 1601 in order to compare the configuration information for all the sections in the period during which the paused screen 1130 was displayed. To do.
If it is not completed yet, the process returns to step S1413. Then, when completed to the end, the process proceeds to step S1417.

Then, in step S1417, the process execution unit 703 records the exclusion time added in step S1415 in the automatic installation process result information 1500 as an exclusion time 1508 to be excluded from the automatic setting work.
Further, the worker can turn off the power of the image processing apparatus 101 while the temporary installation screen 1130 is displayed during the temporary installation processing of the automatic installation processing. In this case, when the power is turned on next time, the automatic installation process can be restarted by returning to the state in which the temporarily stopped screen 1130 is displayed.

FIG. 14B(2) is a flowchart for detecting a change in the configuration information between the time when the power of the image processing apparatus 101 is turned off and the time when the power is turned on again during the suspension processing of the automatic installation processing.

When the worker turns off the power of the image processing apparatus 101, in step S1420, the process execution unit 703 acquires the configuration information immediately before the power is turned off and adds it to the configuration information table 1601 as in step S1410.
Then, the flowchart of FIG. 14B(2) ends.

After that, when the worker turns on the power of the image processing apparatus 101, the flowchart of FIG. 14B(1) is executed.
Here, in step S1410, the process execution unit 703 acquires the configuration information when the power is turned on and adds it to the configuration information table 1601. Then, by performing the processing of steps S1413 to S1417, it is possible to detect whether or not the configuration information has been changed from the previous power-off to power-on.

As described above, when the automatic installation process of one image processing apparatus 101 is completed, the worker can grasp the time actually required for the automatic installation process, excluding the exclusion time during which the automatic installation process was interrupted. You can
Further, the installation instruction information creation system 800 operating on the client computer 102 refers to the automatic installation processing result information 1500 accumulated in the installation instruction information management system 900 to create installation instruction information. Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the time required for each process can be displayed on the screen 1701 based on the created installation instruction information.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when installing the image processing apparatus, the time excluding the exclusion time during which the automatic installation process was interrupted is calculated from the entire time from the start to the end of the automatic installation process. .. Therefore, even if there is a time during which the automatic installation process is not executed due to the work order or the convenience of the operator, the time required for the actual automatic installation process can be automatically acquired.
As a result, the worker can accurately grasp the work efficiency of the installation work of the image processing apparatus. Further, by utilizing the acquired installation processing result information and reflecting it in the automatic installation processing and various manual work, it is possible to further improve the efficiency of the installation work of the image processing apparatus. Further, when an abnormal process is interrupted for a long time in the process of the automatic installation process, it is possible to detect a defect of the automatic installation process or a defect of the main body of the image processing apparatus by detecting the interruption.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus read and execute the program. It can also be realized by the processing. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or an apparatus including one device.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made based on the spirit of the present invention, and they are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention includes all configurations that combine the above-described embodiments and the modifications thereof.

100 network 101 image processing apparatus 102 client computer 103 management server

Claims (17)

An acquisition means for acquiring instruction information about the automatic installation process,
Execution means for executing the automatic installation process for the own device according to the instruction information acquired by the acquisition means;
Calculation means for calculating, as an exclusion time, a time during which the automatic installation process executed according to the instruction information is interrupted,
An image processing apparatus having:
The image processing apparatus, wherein the calculating unit records, as the exclusion time, a section in which the configuration information regarding the setting of the apparatus itself does not change during the period in which the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit that records a start time and an end time of the automatic installation process. A second calculating unit that calculates the actual time required for the automatic installation process by subtracting the exclusion time from the total time of the automatic installation process calculated from the start time and the end time. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that Furthermore, it has a display means,
4. The calculating unit records, as an exclusion time, a period during which a screen showing that the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped is displayed on the display unit. The image processing device according to 1. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the instruction information includes a first command related to firmware update processing. The calculating unit records, as the exclusion time, a time during which the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped when the execution unit executes the firmware update process as the automatic installation process according to the first command. The image processing device according to claim 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the firmware update process is version down. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction information includes a second command related to the temporary stop processing of the automatic installation processing. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the calculation unit records a period during which the power of the apparatus itself is off as the exclusion time. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein when the automatic installation process executed by the execution unit is completed, result information regarding the automatic installation process is created. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the firmware update processing is completed as the automatic installation processing, first result information regarding the firmware update processing is created as the result information. As the automatic installation processing, when the temporary suspension processing of the automatic installation processing ends, second result information regarding the temporary suspension processing of the automatic installation processing is created as the result information. The image processing device according to 1. An acquisition process for acquiring instruction information related to automatic installation processing,
An execution step of executing the automatic installation process for the device itself according to the instruction information acquired by the acquisition means;
A calculating step of calculating a time during which the automatic installation process executed according to the instruction information is interrupted as an exclusion time,
A method of managing installation information of an image processing apparatus having:
In the calculation step, a section in which the configuration information regarding the setting of the self apparatus is not changed during the period in which the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped is recorded as the exclusion time, and the installation information management method for the image processing apparatus is characterized. .. An acquisition means for acquiring instruction information about the automatic installation process,
Execution means for executing the automatic installation process for the own device according to the instruction information acquired by the acquisition means;
Calculation means for calculating, as an exclusion time, a time during which the automatic installation process executed according to the instruction information is interrupted,
An installation information management system for an image processing apparatus having:
An installation information management system for an image processing device, wherein the calculation means records a section in which the configuration information regarding the setting of the device itself does not change during the period in which the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped, as the exclusion time. .. In addition, it has a server,
The installation information management system for an image processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image processing apparatus acquires the instruction information from the server. The installation information management system for an image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image processing apparatus transmits result information regarding the automatic installation processing to the server. An acquisition means for acquiring instruction information about the automatic installation process,
Execution means for executing the automatic installation process for the own device according to the instruction information acquired by the acquisition means;
Calculation means for calculating, as an exclusion time, a time during which the automatic installation process executed according to the instruction information is interrupted,
A program used in an installation information management system of an image processing apparatus having
A program for recording, as the exclusion time, a section in which the configuration information relating to the setting of the self apparatus does not change during the period in which the automatic installation process is temporarily stopped.