JP4240021B2 - Network scanner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a network scanner connected to a communication network such as a local area network (LAN).

Conventionally, as this type of network scanner, for example, there is an image input / output device described in Patent Document 1. This apparatus reads a document set by a user, and stores the scan data in a user folder that can be managed separately for each user terminal. Scan data stored in each user folder is taken into each user terminal connected to the apparatus via the LAN. At this time, this apparatus monitors whether or not the scan data is collected within a predetermined time from the time when the document is read, and if not, notifies the user terminal by e-mail.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-177743

  However, the image input / output device of Patent Document 1 has the following problems because the user is notified when scan data is not collected within a predetermined time. In other words, if the specified time until notification is too short, the user may be notified even though there is still sufficient free space in the memory box, and when other work is being performed The user will be bothered by this. On the other hand, if the specified time is too long, the user may not be notified although there is almost no free space in the memory box, and another user may read a new document. There are things that cannot be done.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a network scanner that can prevent forgetting to collect scan data without bothering a user and can read a new document more reliably.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that scan data obtained by reading a document is classified and stored in a memory box for each user, and based on a take-up request from a user terminal connected via a network. In the network scanner that transmits the scan data to the user terminal, a predetermined determination time for determining whether to notify the user of the presence of the scan data is set based on the empty capacity of the memory box, when the elapsed time from the time stored in the memory box was a scan data exceeds the judgment time, the user terminal of the user that has read the scan data, scan data by e-mail via the network And the length of the determination time is indicated in the memory box. Wherein the size of the free space of the scan is provided with a scan data monitoring means shorter than the more smaller. Here, the “user” is a user of a user terminal connected via a network.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the length of the determination time can be arbitrarily set.

  According to the present invention, the larger the free space in the memory box is, the longer the elapsed time from when the scan data is read, the more the user who has accumulated the scan data is notified by e-mail. For this reason, when there is a sufficient margin in the free space of the memory box, an e-mail that bothers the user who is doing other work is not sent to the user. Further, the smaller the free space in the memory box, the shorter the elapsed time from when the scan data is read, the more the user who has accumulated the scan data is notified by e-mail. For this reason, when there is almost no room in the free space of the memory box, the free space is secured so that another user can newly read the original. Therefore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to collect scan data without bothering the user and to read a new document more reliably.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a network scanner according to the present invention is embodied in a multifunction machine having a copy function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of user terminals 12 are connected to the multifunction machine 10 via a local area network (LAN) 11. The multifunction machine 10 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) 13, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 14, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 15, a reading unit 16, a recording unit 17, an operation unit 18, a display unit 19, an image memory 20, and a codec. 21 (CODEC: Coder-Decoder), modem 22 (MODEM: Modulator-Demodulator), network control unit (NCU) 23, LAN interface 24, and the like. Each is connected. The MPU 13 controls each unit of the multifunction machine 10 based on programs and various information stored in the ROM 14. The RAM 15 temporarily stores various types of information related to the multifunction machine 10 and is provided with a scan data management table to be described later. In this embodiment, the MPU 13 and the ROM 14 constitute a scan data monitoring unit.

  A reading unit 16 including a motor, a conveyance roller and the like reads a document and outputs black and white binary image data. A recording unit 17 including an electrophotographic printer records scan data received by fax and scan data of a document read by the reading unit 16 in a copy mode on a recording sheet.

  The operation unit 18 operated by the user includes a mode key (not shown) for switching between a copy mode, a scanner mode, and a fax mode, and a start button (not shown) for starting a copy operation, a scanner operation, or a fax transmission operation. A numeric keypad (not shown) for inputting numbers such as telephone numbers is provided. In addition, the operation unit 18 is provided with a touch panel display that displays abbreviated keys for setting a destination destination abbreviated number in the fax mode and function keys for performing various settings for each mode. The display unit 19 including the touch panel display performs various displays such as an operation state of the multifunction machine 10.

  The image memory 20 temporarily stores scan data received by fax and scan data read from the original by the reading unit 16 in the copy or scanner mode. In addition, the image memory 20 is provided with, for example, 100 memory boxes 00, 01, 02,..., 99 that can store each scan data for each user.

  The codec 21 performs compression encoding and decoding of image data for fax transmission / reception and the like. The modem 22 modulates transmission data and demodulates reception data based on a fax transmission control procedure. The network control device 23 has a function of transmitting a dial signal corresponding to the telephone number of the other party and a function of detecting an incoming call while controlling connection with the public telephone line. The LAN interface 24 performs communication control between the MFP 10 and each user terminal 12 via the LAN 11 based on a TCP / IP communication protocol or the like.

Each user terminal 12 includes a communication protocol for transmitting and receiving data between the multifunction machine 10 and other user terminals 12.
Next, the memory boxes 00 to 99 provided in the image memory 20 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each of the memory boxes 00 to 99 includes a memory area having a certain fixed capacity as a whole. For this reason, the size of scan data that can be stored in the entire memory boxes 00 to 99 is limited to a predetermined size or less by the MPU 13. Further, the number of scan data that can be stored in each of the memory boxes 00 to 99 and the number of scan data that can be stored in the entire memory boxes 00 to 99 are limited to a predetermined value or less by the MPU 13. In this memory area, a plurality of scan data divided into the memory boxes 00 to 99 are stored.

Next, the scan data management table provided in the RAM 15 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the scan data management table, information related to the scan data stored in the memory boxes 00 to 99 is written. This information includes the box numbers 00 to 99 of the memory boxes 00 to 99 in which the scan data is stored, the data name of the scan data, the data size of the scan data, and the reading date when the scan data is stored. Consists of time. The MPU 13 gives the data name, size, and reading date / time.

Next, operations performed by the MPU 13 in the scanner mode will be described.
The user can capture the scanned data into the user terminal 12 via the LAN 11 after causing the multifunction peripheral 10 to read the document or image of the document in the scanner mode. In this case, first, the user operates the multi-function device 10 in advance to select a box number of a desired memory box 00 to 99, and then sets a personal identification number for the memory box 00 to 99 of this box number. Each time the user scans the document, the user inputs the box number and the password into the multi-function device 10. Then, the MPU 13 enables the scan data to be stored in the selected memory boxes 00 to 99. Then, when the user causes the multifunction device 10 to read the document, the scan data read from the document is accumulated in the designated memory boxes 00 to 99. At this time, a data name for the scan data is generated by the MPU 13, and this data name is stored as management data in the scan data management table together with the box number and reading date / time.

  Next, the user transmits a take-over request for taking in the scan data of the memory box from the user terminal 12 to the multi-function device 10 via the LAN 11 together with the box number and the password. Then, in the MFP 10, the MPU 13 reads the scan data stored in the memory boxes 00 to 99 and transmits this scan data to the user terminal 12 of the user via the LAN 11. The user terminal 12 of the user captures this scan data and stores it in its memory.

  Next, scan data monitoring processing executed by the MPU 13 in the multifunction machine 10 will be described. The scan data monitoring process is executed by the MPU 13 based on a program stored in the ROM 14. In this scan data monitoring process, when there is scan data whose elapsed time from the point of accumulation in any of the memory boxes 00 to 99 exceeds a predetermined determination time, the user of the user who has read this scan data The terminal 12 is notified of the presence of scan data by e-mail via the LAN 11. The length of the determination time is set to be shorter as the size of the empty capacity of the entire memory box 00 to 99 is smaller. Note that the length of the determination time can be arbitrarily set by a setting menu prepared in the program.

  As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1, in this scan data monitoring process, first, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as “S”) 100, it is determined whether or not scan data is stored in each of the memory boxes 00 to 99. Is done. If YES in S100, next, in S101, the total free capacity of the memory boxes 00 to 99 is obtained from the sizes of all the scan data stored in the memory boxes 00 to 99.

  Next, in S102, an elapsed time from the reading time to the current time is obtained for one of the scan data. Next, in S103, a determination time serving as a reference for determining whether or not to warn the user of the scan data from the free space of the entire memory box 00 to 99 is obtained. As shown in the table of FIG. 5, the determination time is 60 when the empty capacity V of the entire memory box 00 to 99 is larger than 50% of the total capacity C of the memory box 00 to 99 and 95% or less. It has been a minute. Further, when the empty capacity V is larger than 20% of the total capacity C and 50% or less, it is set to 30 minutes. Further, when the empty capacity V is larger than 10% of the total capacity C and 20% or less, it is set to 20 minutes. The determination time is 10 minutes when the empty capacity V is larger than 5% of the total capacity C and 10% or less. Furthermore, the determination time is set to 5 minutes when the empty capacity V is 5% or less of the total capacity C. That is, the elapsed time until a warning is given to the user who has read the scan data is set shorter as the free space V of the entire memory box 00 to 99 at that time is smaller.

  Next, in S104, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time of the scan data exceeds the determination time obtained in S103. If YES in S104, it is determined that the elapsed time of this scan data is too long for the size of the empty capacity V of the entire memory box 00-99. That is, unless the empty area of the memory boxes 00 to 99 is increased, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the empty area is filled with new scan data. In this case, in the next S105, an e-mail for warning that the scan data is collected from the memory boxes 00 to 99 is transmitted to the user terminal 12 of the user who has read the scan data.

  On the other hand, when NO in S104, it is determined that the elapsed time of the scan data is not too long for the size of the empty capacity V of the entire memory box 00-99. That is, it is determined that the possibility that the empty area is filled with new scan data is low even if the empty area of the memory boxes 00 to 99 is not enlarged. In this case, S105 is not executed.

  Next, in S106, it is determined whether or not the next scan data exists in the memory boxes 00 to 99. If YES in S106, the process from S102 is repeatedly executed on the scan data. On the other hand, if NO in S106, it is determined that the elapsed time has been determined for all the scan data in the memory boxes 00 to 99, and then S107 is executed.

  In S107, the execution of this process is interrupted for one minute, for example, and the monitoring of the scan data in the memory boxes 00 to 99 enters a standby state. Thereafter, the processing from S100 is repeatedly executed. That is, the elapsed time of each scan data is monitored every minute.

If NO in S100, S107 is executed next.
As described above, in the MFP 10 of this embodiment, when there is scan data in which the elapsed time from the reading time stored in any of the memory boxes 00 to 99 exceeds the predetermined determination time, The user terminal 12 of the user who has read the scan data is notified of the presence of the scan data by e-mail via the LAN 11. The length of the determination time is set to be shorter as the size of the empty capacity of the entire memory box 00 to 99 is smaller. Therefore, the smaller the free space in the memory boxes 00 to 99, the shorter the elapsed time since the scan data is accumulated, the more the user who has accumulated the scan data is notified by e-mail. For this reason, when the free space of the memory box has a sufficient margin, an e-mail that bothers the user who is doing other work is not transmitted to the user. Further, the smaller the free space in the memory boxes 00 to 99, the shorter the elapsed time from the accumulation of the scan data, the more the user who has accumulated the scan data is notified by e-mail. For this reason, when there is almost no free space in the memory boxes 00 to 99, the free space is secured so that another user can newly read the original. Therefore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to collect scan data without bothering the user and to read a new document more reliably.

It should be noted that the determination time may be set to change continuously with respect to the change in the free capacity of the memory boxes 00-99.
Alternatively, the determination time may be set to be progressively shorter as the free capacity of the memory boxes 00 to 99 is smaller.

6 is a flowchart of scan data monitoring processing executed by the multifunction peripheral according to the embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a multifunction machine. The schematic diagram which shows a scan data management table. The schematic diagram which shows a memory box. The table | surface which shows the correspondence of the free space of a memory box, and determination time.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Multifunction machine, 11 ... LAN as a network, 12 ... User terminal, 13 ... MPU which comprises scan data monitoring means, 14 ... Similarly ROM, V ... Empty capacity.

Claims (2)

In a network scanner that distinguishes and stores scan data obtained by reading a document for each user in a memory box and transmits the scan data to the user terminal based on a take-off request from a user terminal connected via a network.
Based on the available capacity of the memory box, set the predetermined determination time to determine whether to notify the existence of the scanned data to the user, elapsed time the determination of the time point stored in the memory box When there is scan data exceeding the time, the user terminal of the user who has read this scan data is notified of the presence of the scan data by e-mail via the network, and the length of the determination time is A network scanner comprising scan data monitoring means for making the memory box shorter as the empty capacity of the memory box becomes smaller.   The network scanner according to claim 1, wherein the length of the determination time can be arbitrarily set.

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