JP5336989B2 - Application development support device for image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus suitable for developing an application that collects operation logs of the image forming apparatus and uses them.

  In the following Patent Document 1, it is proposed to improve development efficiency by operating a simulator of an image forming apparatus with an application under development and testing it in an application under development in an application development of an image forming apparatus. ing.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-228561 discloses that an actual machine test of an image forming apparatus at a development stage is performed by operating the image forming apparatus from an external computer via a communication unit.

JP-A-9-305389 JP 2001-356828 A

  However, in the method of Patent Document 1, when developing an application that communicates between the image forming apparatus and the log collection / analysis server, it is necessary to communicate with the log collection / analysis server during debugging. As a result, development efficiency is reduced.

  Also, in application development when the function of the log collection / analysis server is provided in the image forming device, if you want to change the log analysis method, it cannot be changed easily, which is why application development is delayed It becomes.

  The above-mentioned patent document 2 relates to an actual machine test, and there is no description regarding simulation.

  In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus that can efficiently develop an application that uses an operation log of the image forming apparatus.

In the first aspect of the present invention, a processor, a storage unit, and an input unit are provided, and the storage unit stores an application development kit and a first simulator that causes the processor to perform a simulation of the image forming apparatus. In the application development support apparatus for the image forming apparatus,
The storage means further stores a second simulator for causing the processor to perform a log collection / analysis server simulation. This simulation collects a log received from an application to be developed and responds to occurrence of a predetermined event. The log is analyzed, and the analysis result of the log is returned in response to a request from the application.

In a second aspect of the present invention, a processor, a storage unit, and an input unit are provided, and the storage unit stores an application development kit and a first simulator that causes the processor to perform a simulation of the image forming apparatus. In the application development support apparatus for the image forming apparatus,
A second simulator is further stored in the storage means;
The second simulator causes the processor to collect a log received from an application to be developed, analyze the log in response to occurrence of a predetermined event, and analyze the log in response to a request from the application Return the result.

In the third aspect of the application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in the first or second aspect, an auxiliary program is further stored in the storage means.
The auxiliary program causes the processor to create, edit, and register the log analysis logic in response to an input from the input means,
The second simulator causes the processor to analyze the log based on the registered analysis logic.

In a fourth aspect of the application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the display apparatus according to the third aspect further comprises display means,
The auxiliary program further causes the display unit to display a list of the logs in response to an input from the input unit.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third or fourth aspect, the portion of the auxiliary program that causes the processor to create and edit the log analysis logic in response to an input from the input means. , Included in the second simulator.

  According to the configuration of the first aspect, not only the first simulator for simulating the image forming apparatus but also the second simulator for simulating the log collection / analysis server is included in the application development support apparatus for the image forming apparatus, Since the second simulator operates in cooperation with the development target application of the image forming apparatus, it is possible to efficiently develop an application that automatically changes the user interface of the image forming apparatus using the log analysis result without using a real machine. It has the effect of becoming.

  According to the configuration of the second aspect, even if the function of the log collection / analysis server is included in the image forming apparatus, the second simulator of this function is linked with the development target application of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently develop an application that automatically changes the user interface of the image forming apparatus using the log analysis result without using a real machine.

  According to the configuration of the third aspect, since log analysis logic can be easily created and edited in the application development, the application using the log analysis result can be improved. There is an effect.

  According to the configuration of the fourth aspect, it is possible to display a list of log contents during application development, and thus it is possible to develop the application more efficiently without using a real machine.

  According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, since the log analysis logic creation / editing function is included in the second simulator, the application using the log analysis result is also provided for each image forming apparatus even in the actual machine corresponding to the simulator. , It is possible to make it better.

  Other objects, configurations and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

It is a general | schematic functional block diagram which shows the software structure of the application development assistance apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a cooperative relationship among a developer, an image forming apparatus simulator, an application, and a log server simulator when debugging an application. It is explanatory drawing which shows formally the content of the log analysis logic file described by XML. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of an application development assistance apparatus. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming system related to a development target application. It is a general | schematic functional block diagram which shows the software structure of the application development assistance apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a cooperative relationship between an SDK add-on and a log server simulator.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system related to an application developed using the application development support apparatus 10.

  In this system, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 to 22 and a log collection / analysis server 30 are connected by a network 40. The application to be developed is incorporated in each of the image forming apparatuses 20 to 22, and an operation log of the image forming apparatus by the user is transmitted to the log collection / analysis server 30, and the log collection / analysis server 30 Collecting / analyzing, returning the analysis result in response to a request from the image forming apparatuses 20-22, using the result in the application in the received image forming apparatus, and automatically changing the user interface, This is to improve the operability by reducing the total number of operation steps of the hierarchical menu.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the application development support apparatus 10.

  In the application development support apparatus 10, a CPU 11 is coupled to a PROM 13, a DRAM 14, a hard disk drive 15, and an interactive input / display apparatus 16 via an interface 12. In FIG. 4, a plurality of types of interfaces are represented by one block 12 for simplification.

  The PROM 13 stores BIOS. The DRAM 14 is used as a main storage device in a virtual storage system. The hard disk drive 15 stores a virtual storage OS (operating system), various drivers, a Java (registered trademark) virtual machine (JVM), a software development kit (SDK), a simulator, and various data. The interactive on-display device 16 includes an input device 161 such as a keyboard and a pointing device and a display device 162 (see FIG. 1).

  FIG. 1 is a schematic functional block diagram showing a software configuration of the application development support apparatus 10.

  The application development support apparatus 10 includes various programs that operate on the OS 50. The application development support apparatus 10 includes not only the simulator SM1 of the image forming apparatus but also the simulator SM2 of the log collection / analysis server 30 so that the application 70 to be developed that communicates between the two as described above can be used without a real machine. It is possible to check the operation of the application 70 by operating on the application development support apparatus 10.

  The simulator SM1 of the image forming apparatus to which the application 70 is incorporated includes a printer 51, a scanner 52, a FAX 53, a finisher 54, a communication unit 55, an operation panel 56, and a controller 57. Each of these components 51 to 57 corresponds to a function of an actual machine, and is configured by a function and variable pair or object (a property and method pair), and without performing an actual physical operation, the variable or property or function or The output status is expressed by the return value of the method. However, the operation log of the operation panel 56 is output from the operation panel 56 as in the actual case, and the operation steps of the operation panel 56 are counted as in the actual case. Each of the components 51 to 56 is controlled via a controller API included in the controller 57.

  The simulator SM2 of the log collection / analysis server 30 used in the application 70 includes an auxiliary storage unit 60, a log collection unit 61, a log analysis unit 62, a communication unit 63, and a control unit 64. Each of these components 60 to 64 corresponds to the function of the actual machine, and is composed of a function and variable pair or an object (property and method pair). In the simulator SM2, the processing in the communication unit 63 and the control unit 64 is simplified as compared with the case of an actual machine, but the log collection unit 61 and the log analysis unit 62 respectively perform log collection and log analysis in the same manner as actual. Each of the components 60 to 63 is controlled via a control API included in the control unit 64.

  The controller 57 and the control unit 64 also perform resource management, job execution order, exclusive control, and the like.

  The auxiliary storage unit 60 stores a log database 601 in which logs collected by the log collection unit 61 are stored, and a log analysis logic 602 by the log analysis unit 62.

  Since the application 70 is for changing the UI of the operation panel 56 so that the operability of the operation panel 56 is improved based on the log analysis result by the log analysis unit 62, the application 70 greatly affects the analysis logic.

  Here, for example, when the A4 size recycled paper is used most frequently, the UI is changed to “A4” and “recycled paper” as the default values of the paper size and paper type as the paper feed parameters, When the number of selections is relatively large, the display is changed so that the setting screen is displayed with a smaller number of operations.

  Because of the above effects, it is possible to develop a better application 70, that is, an application 70 that further improves the operability of the UI, without fixing the analysis logic 602 in the development stage of the application 70 so that it can be easily changed. preferable.

  The analysis logic 602 is described in an XML file, for example, as shown in FIG. The analysis logic 602 describes an analysis method for each function such as scanning and printing. Each of these functions includes a query part (query tag) for selectively acquiring and sorting logs from the log database 601 and executing a query. A logic (analyze tag) for analyzing the result data and a setting (result tag) corresponding to the analysis result to be reflected in the image forming apparatus are described.

  The log analysis unit 62 may be provided with a plurality of analysis programs and selectively used, or even a single analysis program may change the analysis method by changing parameters.

  In order to change the analysis logic 602 more easily and quickly, the application development support apparatus 10 includes a log / analysis logic operation unit 71.

  The log / analysis logic operation unit 71 creates, edits, and registers the analysis logic 602 in the auxiliary storage unit 60 via the control unit 64 according to the operation of the input device 161 by the user.

  The programs of the application 70 and the log / analysis logic operation unit 71 are efficiently created using the library 72. This library 72 is the same as that provided in the actual machine.

  In the first embodiment, the application 70, the log / analysis logic operation unit 71, and the library 72 are all Java programs (intermediate language programs), and are converted into the native code of the CPU 11 by the Java virtual machine 73.

  The application development support apparatus 10 also includes a text editor 80, a designer 81, a debugger 82, a builder 83, and an application development integrated management unit 84 as an existing SDK. The designer 81 is for supporting the application development of the screen design of the operation panel 46, and automatically generates a program based on the visual design.

  FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a cooperative relationship among the developer, the image forming apparatus simulator SM1, the application 70, and the log server simulator SM2 when the application 70 is debugged. In the following, the step identification codes in the figure are shown in parentheses.

  (S0) When the developer operates the input device 161 to start the simulator SM1 via the input driver and the OS 50, the simulator SM1 starts the application 70 and makes it resident on the DRAM 14.

  (S1) When the developer operates the operation panel 56 of the simulator SM1 by operating the input device 161, a log of the operation is supplied to the application 70 via the controller 57 and the communication unit 55. In response to this, the application 70 transmits this log to the control unit 64 via the controller 57 of the simulator SM1, the communication unit 55, and the communication unit 63 of the simulator SM2.

  (S2) In response to this, the control unit 64 counts the log, and causes the log collection unit 61 to store this log in the log database 601.

  Such log collection operation is repeated. In FIG. 2, one log collection is described for simplicity.

  (S3) When the log count value reaches the set value, the control unit 64 instructs the log analysis unit 62 to perform log analysis. In response to this, the log analysis unit 62 analyzes the log database 601 based on the contents of the analysis logic 602 and stores the result in the auxiliary storage unit 60.

  (S4) When the developer operates the input device 161 and gives the UI update instruction of the operation panel 56 to the application 70 via the input driver and the OS 50, the application 70 responds to this and the control unit via the communication unit 63 responds. 64 requests the log analysis result. In response to this, the control unit 64 reads the log analysis result stored in the auxiliary storage unit 60 and transmits it to the application 70 via the communication unit 63.

  (S5) In response to this, the application 70 changes the UI of the operation panel 56 based on the analysis result so that the user can perform a desired operation with a smaller number of operations.

  (S6) When the user operates the input device 161 to stop the operation of the simulator SM1 via the input driver and the OS 50, the controller 57 terminates the application 70 in response thereto.

  If the developer wants to view the contents of the log database 601 during the process as described above, the developer operates the input device 161 to instruct the log / analysis logic operation unit 71 via the input driver and the OS 50 to view the log. give. In response to this, the log / analysis logic operation unit 71 reads out and acquires a log from the log database 601 via the control unit 64, and causes the display device 162 to display the contents via the OS 50 and the output driver.

  According to the first embodiment, not only the image forming apparatus simulator SM1 but also the log server simulator SM2 is included in the image forming apparatus application development support apparatus, and the latter simulator SM2 cooperates with the development target application 70 of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, the application 70 that automatically changes the user interface of the image forming apparatus using the log analysis result can be efficiently developed without using a real machine.

  Further, since the log analysis logic can be easily created and edited in the development of the application 70, there is an effect that the application 70 using the log analysis result can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the log contents can be displayed as a list during the development of the application 70, the application 70 can be developed more efficiently without using a real machine.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic functional block diagram showing a software configuration of the application development support apparatus 10A according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  In the second embodiment, the actual machine of the log server includes an analysis logic creation / editing unit. Correspondingly, the application development support apparatus 10A includes the log / analysis logic operation unit 71 of FIG. The analysis logic creation / editing unit that has been provided is included in the simulator SM2 as a component 71a, and the remaining functions of the log / analysis logic operation unit 71 are used as add-ons (function addition software) 71b of the application development integrated management unit 84.

  FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a cooperative relationship between the add-on 71b and the log server simulator SM2.

  (S10) When the developer operates the input device 161 to start the add-on 71b via the input driver, the OS 50, and the application development integrated management unit 84, the add-on 71b is controlled according to the operation of the developer's input device 161. The analysis logic is created or edited on the DRAM 14 via the unit 64 and the analysis logic creation / editing unit 71a. At this point, no data is entered in the analysis logic, eg, an XML document.

  (S11) When the developer gives an analysis logic registration instruction to the add-on 71b in the same way via the input device 161, the add-on 71b responds to this and initializes the generated analysis logic (in FIG. 3 in the XML document). Enter the initial data as shown).

  (S12) Next, the add-on 71b registers (stores) the analysis logic on the DRAM 14 in the auxiliary storage unit 60.

  According to the second embodiment, since the log analysis logic creation / editing function is included in the simulator SM2, the application using the log analysis result is better for each image forming apparatus even in the actual machine corresponding to the simulator. There is an effect that it becomes possible to make things.

  In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention includes various modifications, and other combinations of the components described in the above-described embodiments, and functions of the components. Those using other configurations for realizing the above, and other configurations that would be conceived by those skilled in the art from these configurations or functions are also included in the present invention.

  For example, the present invention can be applied even when the function of the log collection / analysis server is included in the image forming apparatus. In this case, the function of the simulator is linked with the development target application of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, an application for automatically changing the user interface of the image forming apparatus using the log analysis result can be efficiently developed without using a real machine.

10, 10A Application development support device 11 CPU
12 Interface 13 PROM
14 DRAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Hard disk drive 16 Interactive display apparatus 161 Input apparatus 162 Display apparatus 20-22 Image forming apparatus 30 Log collection and analysis server 40 Network SM1, SM2 Simulator 50 OS
51 Printer 52 Scanner 53 FAX
54 finisher 55 communication unit 56 operation panel 57 controller 60 auxiliary storage unit 601 log database 602 analysis logic 61 log collection unit 62 log analysis unit 63 communication unit 64 control unit 70 application 71 log / analysis logic operation unit 71a analysis logic creation / editing unit 71b add-on 72 library 73 Java virtual machine 80 text editor 81 designer 82 debugger 83 builder 84 application development integrated management unit

Claims (5)

A processor, storage means, and input means;
In the application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus, wherein the storage means stores an application development kit and a first simulator that causes the processor to perform simulation of the image forming apparatus.
The storage means further stores a second simulator for causing the processor to perform a log collection / analysis server simulation. This simulation collects a log received from an application to be developed and responds to occurrence of a predetermined event. A function of analyzing the log and returning the analysis result of the log in response to a request from the application;
An application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus. A processor, storage means, and input means;
In the application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus, wherein the storage means stores an application development kit and a first simulator that causes the processor to perform simulation of the image forming apparatus.
A second simulator is further stored in the storage means;
The second simulator causes the processor to collect a log received from an application to be developed, analyze the log in response to occurrence of a predetermined event, and analyze the log in response to a request from the application Get the result back,
An application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus. The storage means further stores an auxiliary program,
The auxiliary program causes the processor to create, edit, and register the log analysis logic in response to an input from the input means,
The second simulator causes the processor to analyze the log based on the registered analysis logic.
The application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A display means,
The auxiliary program further causes the display unit to display a list of the logs in response to an input from the input unit.
The application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus according to claim 3.   A part of the auxiliary program that causes the processor to create and edit the log analysis logic in response to an input from the input means is included in the second simulator. The application development support apparatus for an image forming apparatus according to claim 3 or 4.

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