JP3846137B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication device such as an MFP (Network Peripheral Device) configured by attaching an optional device having another function such as a LAN communication function to a facsimile device, and more particularly to a communication device having a web server function and an external browser. The present invention relates to a communication device that can use and change device setting information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a facsimile machine, a network I / F board and a network I / F card, which are connection interfaces (I / F) to a network such as a LAN, are sold separately as optional devices or retrofitted according to specifications at the manufacturing stage. There is something.
[0003]
By attaching such an optional device to the facsimile machine, a function different from the function originally provided in the facsimile machine (here, a communication function different from the facsimile communication function) can be given to the facsimile machine.
[0004]
Accordingly, resources such as scanners, printers, and modems provided in the facsimile apparatus can be used from other communication apparatuses on the network, that is, MFPs having functions such as a network facsimile apparatus, a network printer apparatus, or a network scanner ( Multi-Functional Peripheral) can be used as a network peripheral device.
[0005]
By the way, the MFP as described above includes a network I / F board having a web server function as an optional device in addition to a LAN connection function, and is configured as a so-called intranet web server via the LAN. There is a case. In an MFP having such a web server function, the device setting information can be changed directly from the operation panel provided therein, and the device setting information can be changed from a client device on the LAN using a browser. Some things can be done.
[0006]
In such an MFP, in response to designation of a predetermined URL from the client device, an input screen for device setting information in an HTML format that can be displayed by a browser is transmitted on the screen of the client device. The input screen is displayed. When the user of the client device inputs (or changes, etc.) the corresponding item of the device setting information on the displayed input screen and transmits it, the MFP responds accordingly based on the content of the input item. The corresponding device setting information is changed.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional MFP as described above, when it is recognized that there is an error in the contents of the input item received from the client device, an HTML format screen indicating the error is transmitted to display the error on the screen of the client device. However, the error screen does not include the detailed reason for the error, and there is a problem that the client device user does not know how to deal with it. It was.
[0008]
In addition, the browser provided in the client device generally has a button for returning to the previous screen on its toolbar, but when such a button is pressed to return to the input screen from the error screen as described above. There is a problem that all items of the device setting information are cleared or initialized, forcing the user of the client device to input from one.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is determined whether or not there is an error in the input contents of the device setting information related to communication from the client device. By sending the content to the client device in the HTML format, detailed information such as a specific reason for the error can be shown to the user, and the MFP can clearly teach the countermeasure to the user. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication apparatus such as
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The communication device according to the present invention stores setting information related to communication and input screen information of the setting information in a format that can be displayed by a browser, and responds to input of the setting information from another device using the browser. when determining the web server function for changing the setting information, means for determining whether there is an error in input content, and there is an error Te, the input content, error contents, reenter screen information of the setting information In a communication apparatus comprising a means for transmitting a URL indicating to the other apparatus, the setting information having an error in the input content is returned to the state before the input, is initialized, or is displayed in reverse video, A means for generating re-input screen information so that setting information having no error is input, and configured to transmit a URL indicating the re-input screen information generated by the means to the other device. And wherein the tare Rukoto.
[0015]
In the present invention, only the input contents with an error are returned to the state before the input of the device setting information, or are initialized or highlighted, and the setting information with no error is input. to produce a re-input screen information so that a state, since the generated results are configured to be transmitted to another device, the re-input screen information to landing the U RL, clears the input items an error By returning to the state before the input or the like, or by initializing by returning to the initial value or the like so that the display is reversed, the user can immediately input for correction , By leaving the input contents other than those with errors in the input state, it is possible to reduce the input effort for these items.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an MFP as a communication apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a facsimile apparatus constituting the MFP, and reference numeral 2 denotes an optional device such as a network I / F board.
[0017]
The facsimile apparatus 1 does not include the optional device 2 and has a configuration like a general facsimile apparatus having a copying function as a single unit. , NCU 14, operation panel 15, display unit 16, I / F 17, scanner 18, and printer 19.
[0018]
The CPU 10 executes various processes necessary for the operation based on the computer program stored in the ROM 11.
[0019]
The ROM 11 stores various computer programs necessary for the operation of the CPU 10 in advance.
[0020]
The RAM 12 stores temporary data generated when the CPU 10 executes the computer program.
[0021]
The modem 13 is composed of a fax modem capable of facsimile communication. Similarly, the modem 13 is directly connected to an NCU (Network Control Unit) 14 connected to the bus. The NCU 14 is hardware that performs operations for closing and opening a line with the analog public telephone line network (PSTN) 3, and connects the modem 13 to the public telephone line network 3 as necessary. In addition, you may make it connect to a digital circuit network (ISDN) by providing the interface for ISDN.
[0022]
The operation panel 15 includes various keys such as a character key, a numeric keypad, an abbreviated dial key, and a one-touch dial key necessary for operating the MFP as a communication apparatus according to the present invention.
[0023]
The display unit 16 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display device (LCD) or a CRT display, and displays an operation state of the CPU 10 and the like. Instead of this, by providing a touch panel type display device, it is possible to substitute a part or all of the operation panel 15 described above.
[0024]
The scanner 18 reads a document using a CCD or the like and outputs dot image data converted into black and white binary.
[0025]
The printer 19 is an electrophotographic printer or the like, and prints out the image data read by the scanner 18 and the image data received by facsimile.
[0026]
The optional device 2 attached to the facsimile apparatus 1 configured as described above is connected to an appropriate I / F 17 connected to the bus of the facsimile apparatus 1 via a dual port RAM (DPRAM) 24 included therein. Yes.
[0027]
The optional device 2 includes a CPU 20, a ROM 21, a RAM 22, a LAN I / F 23, and the above-described DPRAM 24 connected to the CPU 20 via a bus.
[0028]
The CPU 20 executes various processes necessary for the operation based on the computer program stored in the ROM 21.
[0029]
The ROM 21 stores in advance various computer programs necessary for the operation of the CPU 20, including the web server program 21a. In the present invention, the web server program 21a is provided on the option device 2 side in order to enhance the versatility on the facsimile device 1 side, but it may be configured to be provided on the facsimile device 1 side. is there.
[0030]
The RAM 22 stores temporary data generated when the computer program is executed by the CPU 20, and stores device setting information 22a related to communication of the MFP as the communication apparatus according to the present invention. In the present invention, the device setting information 22a is provided on the option device 2 side, but may be provided on the facsimile device 1 side.
[0031]
The LAN I / F 23 is an interface for connecting the optional device 2 to the LAN 4.
[0032]
As described above, the facsimile apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a document reading function, a facsimile communication function, and an image data printing function as a general facsimile apparatus with a copying function. The optional device 2 is provided with a communication function for the LAN 4 and is configured as an MFP functioning as a web server using the LAN 4 by the web server program 21 a stored in the ROM 21.
[0033]
Specifically, data including image data can be exchanged with, for example, client devices 5 and 5 on the LAN 4, whereby the facsimile device 1 including the optional device 2 can be exchanged with a network facsimile device, a network printer device, Alternatively, it can be used as an MFP (network peripheral device) having a function such as a network scanner, and HTML format data can be exchanged with the client devices 5 and 5 each having a browser program 5a. It is possible.
[0034]
In addition, the MFP as the communication apparatus according to the present invention can change the device setting information 22a stored in the RAM 22 when the user operates the operation panel 15, and also via the LAN 4. Thus, the device setting information 22a can also be changed from the client device 5.
[0035]
When the device setting information 22a is changed from the client device 5, the client device 5 uses the browser program 5a to transmit a URL for displaying the input screen of the device setting information 22a to the LAN 4, and receives this URL. For example, the MFP transmits the input screen data in the HTML format stored in the RAM 22 to the LAN 4. The client device 5 appropriately inputs a change request on the input screen displayed on the display of its own device, and transmits the input result to the LAN 4. In such a form, input and display are performed on the client device 5. Since such processing is executed by the CPU 20 of the optional device 2 in the present embodiment, the processing content will be described in detail next. However, depending on the configuration, it can be executed by the CPU 10 of the facsimile apparatus 1.
[0036]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the CPU 20 of the MFP as the communication apparatus according to the present invention and the client apparatus 5 in accordance with the change of the device setting information 22a, and FIG. 3 shows an example of the device setting input screen. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an error screen, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a re-input screen.
[0037]
First, the client device 5 inputs the URL of the device setting input screen using the browser program 5a and designates it by transmitting it to the MFP (step 1), and the MFP reads the HTML from the RAM 22 based on the designated URL. Data of the device setting input screen in the format is read and transmitted to the client device 5 (step 2).
[0038]
The client device 5 receives the data of the device setting input screen in the HTML format from the MFP, and displays it on the display (step 3: see FIG. 3). Note that the device setting input screen in FIG. 3 shows a “user setting” screen such as a user ID, a user password, a user name, and a user type as an example. Here, a new user is added, and the constraint condition is set so that the user ID and the user password are input with single-byte characters as shown in the figure.
[0039]
Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the user of the client device 5 inputs “aiueo” in the user ID item on the displayed device setting input screen, does not input anything in the user password item, and enters the user name. Enter “Murata Machine Co., Ltd.” in the item of “No.”, and select “General User” as the default user type item in the pull-down type. 5 accepts the input information (step 4), and the client device 5 transmits the input information to the MFP when the user performs an operation of pressing the registration button at the lower left of the screen (step 5).
[0040]
The MFP checks the content of the input information received from the client device 5 based on a predetermined restriction condition set on the above-described device setting input screen (step 6), and determines whether or not there is an error. (Step 7). If the constraint condition is not satisfied, that is, there is an error, error screen data specifying the error location and the link to the re-input screen is generated in the HTML format, and the generation result is transmitted to the client device 5 (step 8). ).
[0041]
The client device 5 receives the error screen data in the HTML format from the MFP, and displays it on the display (step 9: see FIG. 4). Note that the error screen in Fig. 4 indicates that there was an error in the input information, "Note: There was an error in the set item." For example, in the user ID field, “(wrong) double-byte characters have been entered.” And in the user password field, “(wrong) password has not been entered. Is displayed. Further, the error screen in FIG. 4 shows a link to the re-input screen indicated with an underline “return to the setting screen” in the lower center portion thereof. In this way, the user of the client device 5 can easily understand how to correct the error by displaying the error screen showing the details of the error.
[0042]
Then, the client device 5 selects (sends) the URL of the re-input screen by selecting and operating the character string portion “returns to the setting screen” (step 10). Based on the specified URL, the MFP reads out the device setting input screen data from the RAM 22 together with the data cached in the RAM 22 in step 2, for example, and generates an HTML format re-input screen. (Step 11), and thereafter, the process from Step 3 is repeated for the re-input screen in the same manner as the device setting input screen.
[0043]
Note that the HTML format re-input screen data received by the client apparatus 5 from the MFP is displayed on the display as shown in FIG. That is, the contents of the user ID and user password items in which the input information has an error are initialized and cleared. However, this may be displayed in reverse with the input information remaining. In any case, it is only necessary that the user can quickly input or change the corresponding item. On the other hand, the contents of each item of the user name and the user type for which there is no error in the input information are not initialized, and are configured to hold information input by the user.
[0044]
On the other hand, if there is no error in the input information in step 7, a change process of the device setting information 22a stored in the RAM 22 is executed based on the input information (step 12), and this process ends.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, in the communication device according to the present invention, only the input contents having an error are returned to the state before the device setting information is input, or are initialized or displayed in reverse video, Since the re-input screen information is generated so that the setting information with no error is input, and the generation result is transmitted to another device, the re-input screen information with the URL as the link destination has an error. By clearing the input items that were present and returning them to the state before the input, or by resetting them to the initial values, etc. In addition, it is possible to reduce the labor of re-input for these items by leaving the input contents other than those with errors in the input state. Is Excellent effect.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an MFP as a communication apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing contents of a CPU of a MFP as a communication apparatus according to the present invention and a client apparatus according to a change in device setting information.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a device setting input screen.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an error screen.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a re-input screen.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Facsimile apparatus 2 Option apparatus 5 Client apparatus 5a Browser program 20 CPU
21 ROM
21a Web server program 22 RAM
22a Device setting information 23 LAN I / F

Claims (1)

Web that stores setting information related to communication and input screen information of the setting information in a format that can be displayed by a browser, and changes the setting information in response to input of the setting information from another device using the browser and server function, means for determining whether there is an error in entry, if it is determined that there is an error, the input content, error content, the other device a URL indicating the re-input screen information of the setting information A communication device comprising means for transmitting to
Setting information with errors in the input contents is returned to the state before input, initialized, or displayed in reverse video, and re-input screen information is generated so that setting information without errors in the input contents is input. Means to
Communication device configured to feature the tare Rukoto in order to transmit a URL indicating the re-input screen information generated by said means to the other apparatus.

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