JP4408969B2 - Controlled device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a controlled device that is connected to a network such as a facsimile machine, a copying machine, and a scanner device and can be remotely controlled from the outside via the network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in order to remotely control various devices connected to a network from the outside, control software dedicated to each device is required, and the control software for each device such as a computer to control the device is required. I had to prepare.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention is described in html for providing a Web server function to an image processing apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus, a copying apparatus, and a scanner, and controlling the image processing apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus, a copying apparatus, and a scanner apparatus on the Web server. Remote control of the image processing apparatus by operating a control screen displayed on a general-purpose Web browser by placing a state monitoring program written in the display data and a general-purpose script that runs on the Web browser However, it is possible only by operating the Web browser regardless of the platform (basic hardware configuration or operation system) of the computer or the like to be controlled.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is a controlled device that can be controlled from a computer having a Web browser via a network, and holding means for holding the status data of the controlled device, in response to an access from the computer having the Web browser, and a Web server means for transmitting the HTML data for enabling control of the control device by a computer having the Web browser on a computer having a Web browser, the Web server means, the computer having the Web browser depending of the access, and the HTML data, it operates by expansion of the HTML data, and sends a script to monitor the status of the controlled device in a computer having the Web browser as a response to the access, the Web browser depending on the access by the operation of the script on a computer with And transmits to the computer having the Web browser from the holding means reads the contents of the status data.
[0005]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part for explaining an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a facsimile apparatus. In the figure, 1 is a facsimile processing unit, and the facsimile processing unit 1 is a facsimile in the illustrated example. The management control processing unit 1-1, the facsimile communication control unit 1-2, and the line control unit 1-3 are configured. However, in the actual configuration, the management control processing unit, the communication control unit, and the line control unit are as shown in the illustrated example. It does not have to be clearly divided into three. 2 is an image reading mechanism, 3 is an image reading processing unit, 4 is a printing output mechanism, 5 is a printing output processing unit, 6 is a Web server processing unit, 7 is a network I / F control unit, and the Web server processing unit 6 For example, it has a file device 6-1 such as an HDD (hard disk drive).
[0006]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and when accessed from a computer for controlling the facsimile apparatus connected to the outside via a network, the Web server of the facsimile apparatus Display data described in html created for device control and a device state monitoring script (program) file are downloaded from the processing unit 6.
The downloaded html file is expanded and displayed on the Web browser of the computer, and the permanent monitoring script operates to display the status of the facsimile apparatus. A button is set on the display screen to remotely control the device. When this button is selected, an html file linked to the button is loaded from the Web server 6 of the device and which button is selected for the facsimile processing unit 1. You will be notified. The html file linked to the button on the display screen has a script corresponding to the function of the button if the button needs to respond to the status of the facsimile machine, and data (or dummy data in some cases) if no response is required. ) Is assigned.
[0007]
In accordance with the notification from the Web server processing unit 6, the facsimile processing unit 1 executes an operation corresponding to the notified button. Further, the Web server processing unit 6 has device state data as a file, which is periodically read and loaded by a script that runs on the Web browser of the computer, thereby detecting the state of the device and changing the browser display to the device state. Synchronize. The facsimile processing unit 1 rewrites the status data of the Web server processing unit 6 in accordance with a change in the status of the apparatus. By this series of processing, the apparatus is remotely controlled from an external computer via a network.
[0008]
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part for explaining an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a copying apparatus. The copying apparatus includes a copy control processing unit 11, an image reading mechanism unit 12, The image reading processing unit 13, the image output mechanism 14, the image output processing unit 15, the Web server processing unit 16, and the network I / F control unit 17 are configured. The Web server processing unit 16 has a file device (16-1) composed of, for example, an HDD (hard disk drive). In an actual apparatus, the image reading mechanism unit 12 and the image reading processing unit 13, and the image output mechanism 14 and the image output processing unit 15 may not be clearly divided.
[0009]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the copying apparatus shown in FIG. 3, and when accessed from a computer that controls the present apparatus connected to the outside via a network, the Web server processing of the copying apparatus The display data described in html created for device control and the device status monitoring script (program) file are downloaded from the unit 16.
The downloaded html file is expanded and displayed on the Web browser of the computer, and the permanent monitoring script operates to display the status of the copying apparatus. A button is set on the display screen to remotely control the apparatus. When this button is selected, an html file linked to the button is loaded from the Web server processing section 16 of the apparatus, and the copy control processing section 11 You will be notified if the button has been selected. The html file linked to the button on the display screen has a script corresponding to the function of the button if it needs to react to the status of the copying machine, and data (or dummy data in some cases) if no response is required. ) Is assigned.
[0010]
In accordance with the notification from the Web server processing unit 16, the copy control processing unit 11 executes an operation corresponding to the notified button. Further, the Web server processing unit 16 has device state data as a file, which is periodically read and loaded by a script that runs on the Web browser of the computer, thereby detecting the state of the device and displaying the display on the browser. Synchronize with state. The copy control processing unit 11 rewrites the status data of the Web server processing unit 16 in accordance with a change in the status of the apparatus. By this series of processing, the apparatus is remotely controlled from the computer via the network.
[0011]
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part for explaining an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a scanner device. The scanner device includes a scanner control processing unit 21, an image reading mechanism unit 22, The image reading processing unit 23, an image data output mechanism, a Web server processing unit 26, and a network I / F control unit 27 are included. The Web server processing unit 26 has a file device 26-1 including, for example, an HDD (hard disk drive). In an actual apparatus, the image data output mechanism is any one of SCSI I / F, parallel I / F, serial I / F, etc., and the network I / F may also serve as this. A configuration that is not clearly divided like the image reading processing unit 23 may be used.
[0012]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the scanner apparatus shown in FIG. 5, and when accessed from a computer that controls the apparatus connected to the outside via a network, the Web server process of the scanner apparatus is performed. Display data written in html created for device control and a device status monitoring script (program) file are downloaded from the unit 26.
The downloaded html file is expanded and displayed on the Web browser of the computer, and the permanent monitoring script operates to display the status of the copying apparatus. A button is set on the display screen to remotely control the apparatus. When this button is selected, an html file linked to the button is loaded from the Web server 26 of the apparatus and which button is in the scanner control processing unit 21. You will be notified of the choice. The html file linked to the button on the display screen has a script corresponding to the function of the button if the button needs to respond to the status of the scanner device, and data (or dummy data in some cases) if no response is required. ) Is assigned.
[0013]
In accordance with the notification from the Web server processing unit 26, the scanner control processing unit 21 executes an operation corresponding to the notified button. Further, the Web server processing unit 26 has device state data as a file, which is periodically read and loaded by a script that operates on the Web browser of the computer, thereby detecting the state of the device and displaying the display on the browser. Synchronize with state. The scanner control processing unit 21 rewrites the status data of the Web server processing unit 26 in accordance with the change in the status of the apparatus. By this series of processing, the apparatus is remotely controlled from an external computer via a network.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, control data and a script of a controlled device placed as a file on a Web server are loaded via a network in response to a request from a computer having an external Web browser and are operated on the computer side . This makes it possible to remotely control a controlled device connected to a network regardless of the type of computer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a main part configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a facsimile machine;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of an essential part for explaining an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a copying apparatus.
4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the copying apparatus shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part for explaining an embodiment when the present invention is applied to a scanner device.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the scanner device shown in FIG. 5;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Facsimile processing part, 2, 12, 22 ... Image reading mechanism part, 3, 13, 23 ... Image reading processing part, 4 ... Print output mechanism, 5 ... Print output processing part, 6, 16, 26 ... Web server process , 16-1, 26-1,... File device, 7, 17 ... network I / F control unit, 11 ... copy control processing unit, 14 ... image output mechanism, 15 ... image output processing unit, 21 ... Scanner control processing unit.

Claims (2)

A controlled device that can be controlled from a computer having a web browser via a network,
Holding means for holding state data of the controlled device;
The response to an access from a computer having a Web browser, and a Web server means for transmitting the HTML data for enabling control of the control device by a computer having the Web browser on a computer having a Web browser,
The Web server means, the response to an access from a computer having a Web browser, and the HTML data, operates by expansion of the HTML data, script to monitor the status of the controlled device in a computer having the Web browser As a response to the access ,
Further, the web server means reads out the contents of the status data from the holding means and transmits it to the computer having the web browser in response to access by the operation of the script in the computer having the web browser. Controlled device.   2. The controlled apparatus according to claim 1, wherein access by the operation of the script is periodically received.

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