JP6197603B2 - Processing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing system.

  Techniques for performing various processes on data input via an input device such as a scanner are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that an image read by a scanner device is transmitted to an FTP server, and image processing is performed according to a job registered in advance by a user. In addition, a technique for confirming or changing the content of settings related to image processing using another device connected to the image processing device is known. For example, in Patent Document 2, in a system in which document data obtained by reading a document image by an image reading device is transmitted to a service providing device and processing such as printing is performed by the service providing device, the setting contents of the service are specified by the user. The information required for accessing the job stored in the service providing apparatus is transmitted to the information processing apparatus by e-mail so that the information processing apparatus used by the information processing apparatus can check and change the information. Patent Document 3 describes that setting information including an operation condition input to the image processing apparatus is transmitted to the user's e-mail address so that the operation condition of the image processing apparatus can be confirmed and changed at the client terminal. Yes.

JP 2006-165712 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-167585 JP 2003-288182 A

  The present invention is a system for processing data stored in a storage device by processing the data input via the input device and storing the data in the storage device without depending on the user interface function of the input device, It is an object to be able to confirm and change the contents of processing registered in advance in a processing apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 1 includes a processing device, a user terminal, and a relay device, wherein the processing device stores a parameter used for processing registered in advance, and the parameter from the user terminal. In response to the change request, the change unit that changes the parameter stored in the storage unit, and the data that is input via the input device and acquired from the input device is stored in the storage unit. A processing unit that performs processing using a parameter, and the user terminal is acquired by the acquisition unit that acquires the parameter from the storage unit based on the storage location notified from the relay device, and acquired by the acquisition unit In addition, a display control unit for displaying the parameter on the display unit, and a change of the parameter to the processing device in response to an operation for changing the parameter displayed on the display unit. A change request unit for requesting the user, and the relay device determines a storage location corresponding to the parameter stored in the storage unit in response to a display instruction of the parameter input via the input device. A processing system is provided that includes a notification unit that notifies a terminal, and a transfer unit that transfers the processed data acquired from the processing device that has been subjected to the processing by the processing unit to a storage device.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the processing system according to the first aspect, first identification information for identifying a user is input via the input device, and the changing unit includes the changed parameter, and the input device. Stored in the storage unit in association with the first identification information acquired from the storage unit, and the processing unit stored in the storage unit in association with the first identification information acquired from the input device The data is processed using the changed parameters.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the processing system according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit associates the changed parameter with the second identification information for identifying the changed parameter in the storage unit. The change is stored in the storage unit in association with the second identification information acquired from the input device when the second identification information is input from the input device. The data is processed using later parameters.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the processing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, an image reading unit that reads an image and generates image data is provided as the input device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the user interface function of the input device is used when data is input in the system in which the processing device processes the data input via the input device and stores the data in the storage device. The contents of the process registered in advance in the processing apparatus can be confirmed and changed without depending on the above.
According to the invention which concerns on Claim 2, a process content can be changed for every user.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the changed processing content can be shared with other users.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in the system for processing the data input via the input device by the processing device and storing the data in the storage device, the user interface function of the input device is used when performing data input. The contents of the process registered in advance in the processing apparatus can be confirmed and changed without depending on the above.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the processing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of an image processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a relay apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a user database. It is a figure which shows an example of a URL management table. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a 1st process management table. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a user terminal. It is a figure which shows the function structure of a processing system. It is a sequence chart which shows the data storage process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed with an image processing apparatus in a data storage process. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed with a user terminal in a data storage process. It is a figure which shows an example of the 1st process management table after a change. It is a figure which shows an example of the 2nd process management table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a sequence chart which shows the data storage process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the 2nd process management table which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a sequence chart which shows the data storage process which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the process list screen after an update. It is a figure which shows an example of a parameter list screen. It is a figure which shows an example of an edit screen. It is a figure which shows an example of a deletion screen.

[First Embodiment]
1. Configuration (1) Overall Configuration of System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. The processing system 1 includes a plurality of storage devices 10, an image processing device 20, a relay device 30, a processing device 40, and a plurality of user terminals 50. The plurality of storage devices 10, the image processing device 20, the relay device 30, the processing device 40, and the plurality of user terminals 50 are connected via a communication line 2 such as the Internet. Note that the image processing apparatus 20 and the plurality of user terminals 50 may be connected to the communication line 2 via a wired or wireless communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

  The storage device 10 provides a service for storing data. This service is a cloud service provided via the communication line 2. The image processing device 20 has a scanner function and is used for inputting image data stored in the storage device 10. The image processing apparatus 20 may have a copy function, a print function, and a facsimile function in addition to the scanner function. The relay device 30 has a function of relaying data exchange among the image processing device 20, the processing device 40, and the storage device 10. By exchanging data through the relay device 30, use of services provided from the plurality of storage devices 10 can be realized only by receiving user authentication using account information of the relay device 30. The processing device 40 processes the data in response to a request from the relay device 30. In the processing device 40, patterns of processing to be performed on data are registered in advance. The pattern of this process may be composed of a single process or a combination of a plurality of processes. The user terminal 50 is, for example, a tablet computer or a personal computer, and is provided for each user. The user terminal 50 is used when confirming and changing a processing pattern registered in the processing device 40.

(2) Hardware Configuration of Image Processing Device 20 FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image processing device 20. The image processing apparatus 20 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, a storage unit 25, an image reading unit 26, and an image forming unit 27.

  The control unit 21 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory, and controls each unit of the image processing apparatus 20. The CPU executes a program stored in the memory or the storage unit 25. The memory includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM stores programs and data in advance. The RAM temporarily stores programs and data, and is used as a work area when the CPU executes the programs.

  The communication unit 22 is a communication interface connected to the communication line 2. The communication unit 22 communicates with the relay device 30 via the communication line 2. The operation unit 23 includes, for example, various keys, and inputs information according to a user operation to the control unit 21. The display unit 24 includes a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays various types of information. The storage unit 25 includes, for example, a hard disk, and stores various programs and data used by the control unit 21.

  The image reading unit 26 includes, for example, an image scanner and reads an image of a document to generate image data. The image forming unit 27 includes an electrophotographic print engine, for example, and forms an image corresponding to the image data on a sheet-like medium such as paper.

(3) Hardware Configuration of Relay Device 30 FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the relay device 30. The relay device 30 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

  The control unit 31 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, and controls each unit of the relay device 30. The CPU executes a program stored in the memory or the storage unit 33. The memory includes, for example, a ROM and a RAM. The ROM stores programs and data in advance. The RAM temporarily stores programs and data, and is used as a work area when the CPU executes the programs.

  The communication unit 32 is a communication interface connected to the communication line 2. The communication unit 32 communicates with the image processing device 20, the processing device 40, the user terminal 50, and the storage device 10 via the communication line 2. The storage unit 33 includes a hard disk, for example, and stores various programs and data used by the control unit 31. The storage unit 33 also stores a user database (hereinafter referred to as “user DB”) 331 that manages user information and a URL (Uniform Resource) that manages the storage location of the detailed screen 541 provided by the processing device 40. Locator) management table 332 is stored. The detailed screen 541 is used for confirming the contents of processing patterns registered in the processing apparatus 40 and changing parameters.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user DB 331. The user DB 331 stores a user ID, a password, and an email address in association with each other. The user ID and password are authentication information of an authorized user of the relay device 30. The e-mail address is an e-mail address of the user terminal 50 used by the user.

  For example, when a user with a user ID “User1” sets a password “1234”, the user DB 331 stores a user ID “User1” and a password “1234” in association with each other as shown in FIG. The If the user is using the user terminal 50A and the e-mail address assigned to the user terminal 50A is “111@sample.co.jp”, the user DB 331 stores the information as shown in FIG. The user ID “User1” and the mail address “111@sample.co.jp” are stored in association with each other.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the URL management table 332. The URL management table 332 stores a process ID, a process name, and a URL in association with each other. The process ID is information for identifying a process pattern registered in the processing apparatus 40. The process name is a display name of a process pattern registered in the processing apparatus 40. The URL is a data storage location of the detail screen 541 provided by the processing device 40. The detailed screen 541 is a web page, for example, and is displayed by a web browser.

  For example, when the data of the detailed screen 541 related to the process A with the process ID “1” is stored at the location indicated by the URL “http://www.AAA.example.com”, the URL management table 332 includes: As shown in FIG. 5, the process ID “1”, the process name “process A”, and the URL “http://www.AAA.example.com” are stored in association with each other.

(4) Hardware Configuration of Processing Device 40 FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the processing device 40. The processing device 40 includes a control unit 41, a communication unit 42, and a storage unit 43.

  The control unit 41 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, and controls each unit of the processing device 40. The CPU executes a program stored in the memory or the storage unit 43. The memory includes, for example, a ROM and a RAM. The ROM stores programs and data in advance. The RAM temporarily stores programs and data, and is used as a work area when the CPU executes the programs.

  The communication unit 42 is a communication interface connected to the communication line 2. The communication unit 42 communicates with the relay device 30 and the user terminal 50 via the communication line 2. The storage unit 43 includes a hard disk, for example, and stores various programs and data used by the control unit 41. In addition, the storage unit 43 stores a first process management table 431 that manages process patterns registered in the processing apparatus 40.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the first process management table 431. In the first process management table 431, process IDs, process names, explanation information, and parameters are stored in association with each other. The process ID is information for identifying a process pattern registered in the processing apparatus 40. The process name is a display name of a process pattern registered in the processing apparatus 40. The description information is information for explaining the contents of the process pattern registered in the processing device 40. The parameter is a parameter used for each process included in the process pattern registered in the processing device 40. This parameter includes a rotation process parameter and an OCR (Optical Character Reader) process parameter.

  The rotation process parameter includes an angle. The angle is a rotation angle of the image. The OCR processing parameters include resolution, area designation information, and page number. The resolution is the resolution of an image when performing OCR processing. The area designation information is information that designates an area to be subjected to OCR processing. The area designation information includes coordinate information of the target area. The page number is information indicating a page to be subjected to OCR processing.

  For example, when the process A having the process ID “1” is to perform the OCR process after the rotation process, the process ID “1” is stored in the first process management table 431 as shown in FIG. , Process name “process A”, “process information” describing the contents of process A, rotation process parameters, and OCR process parameters are stored in association with each other.

(5) Hardware Configuration of User Terminal 50 FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the user terminal 50. The user terminal 50 includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 52, an operation unit 53, a display unit 54, and a storage unit 55.

  The control unit 51 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, and controls each unit of the user terminal 50. The CPU executes a program stored in the memory or the storage unit 55. The memory includes, for example, a ROM and a RAM. The ROM stores programs and data in advance. The RAM temporarily stores programs and data, and is used as a work area when the CPU executes the programs.

  The communication unit 52 is a communication interface connected to the communication line 2. The communication unit 52 communicates with the relay device 30 and the processing device 40 via the communication line 2. The operation unit 53 includes, for example, a touch panel and keys, and inputs information corresponding to a user operation to the control unit 51. The display unit 54 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays various types of information. The storage unit 55 includes, for example, a flash memory, and stores various programs and data used by the control unit 51. The storage unit 55 stores a web browser.

(6) Functional Configuration of System FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the processing system 1. The image processing apparatus 20 has a function called a client unit 211. This function is realized, for example, when the CPU of the control unit 21 executes a program. The client unit 211 performs processing necessary to receive a service provided by the storage device 10. For example, when storing data in the storage device 10, the client unit 211 transmits to the relay device 30 information regarding a storage destination and processing input by a user operation, and data to be stored. In the present embodiment, the image processing device 20 functions as an input device.

  The relay device 30 has functions of an authentication unit 311, a notification unit 312, a processing request unit 313, and a transfer unit 314. These functions are realized, for example, when the CPU of the control unit 31 executes a program. The authentication unit 311 authenticates the user with reference to the user DB 331 in response to a login request from the image processing apparatus 20. The notification unit 312 refers to the user DB 331 and the URL management table 332 according to the parameter display instruction input via the image processing device 20, and stores the storage location corresponding to the parameter stored in the processing device 40. The user terminal 50 is notified. This parameter display instruction is, for example, a process detail display instruction. The storage location is, for example, a URL. The storage location corresponding to the parameter is, for example, the URL of the data on the detail screen 541 that displays the parameter. The processing request unit 313 requests the processing device 40 to perform processing. The transfer unit 314 transfers data among the image processing device 20, the processing device 40, and the storage device 10. For example, the transfer unit 314 transfers the processed data acquired from the processing device 40 after being processed by the processing device 40 to the storage device 10.

  The processing device 40 has functions of a processing unit 411, a management unit 412, and a changing unit 413. These functions are realized, for example, when the CPU of the control unit 41 executes a program. In response to a processing request from the relay device 30, the processing unit 411 receives parameters input via the image processing device 20 and acquired from the image processing device 20, and stores the parameters stored in the first processing management table 431. The process is performed using. The management unit 412 manages the processing pattern registered in the processing device 40 using the first processing management table 431. The changing unit 413 changes the parameters stored in the first process management table 431 in response to a parameter change request from the user terminal 50.

  The user terminal 50 has functions of an acquisition unit 511, a display control unit 512, and a change request unit 513. These functions are realized, for example, when the CPU of the control unit 51 executes a program. In particular, the acquisition unit 511 and the display control unit 512 are realized by the CPU of the control unit 51 executing a web browser. The acquisition unit 511 acquires data of various screens provided from the processing device 40. For example, the acquisition unit 511 acquires, from the processing device 40, data of the detail screen 541 that displays parameters based on the storage location notified from the relay device 30. The display control unit 512 causes the display unit 54 to display a screen provided by the processing device 40 based on the data acquired by the acquisition unit 511. For example, the display control unit 512 displays the detailed screen 541 on the display unit 54 based on the data acquired by the acquisition unit 511. The details screen 541 displays parameters. The change request unit 513 requests the processing device 40 to change a parameter in response to an operation for changing the parameter displayed on the display unit 54.

2. Operation The processing system 1 performs data storage processing for storing data input via the image processing device 20 in the storage device 10. In this data storage processing, data input via the image processing device 20 may be processed by the processing device 40 and the processed data may be stored in the storage device 10. Further, the user may check the contents of the processing pattern registered in the processing device 40 on the user terminal 50 and change the processing parameters as necessary.

  FIG. 10 is a sequence chart showing data storage processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the image processing apparatus 20 in the data storage process. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 50 in the data storage process.

  In the initial state, a login screen 241 is displayed on the display unit 24 of the image processing apparatus 20. FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating an example of the login screen 241. The login screen 241 displays an input field 61 used for inputting the user ID and password of the relay device 30 and a login button 62. The user uses the operation unit 23 to input his / her user ID “User1” and password “1234” in the input field 61 and then presses the login button 62.

  In step S <b> 101, the client unit 211 of the image processing apparatus 20 transmits a login request including the user ID and password input on the login screen 241 to the relay apparatus 30 via the communication unit 22. The relay device 30 receives this login request via the communication unit 32.

  In step S <b> 102, the authentication unit 311 of the relay apparatus 30 performs user authentication in response to the login request received from the image processing apparatus 20. Specifically, the authentication unit 311 performs user authentication based on whether or not a set of user ID and password included in the login request is stored in the user DB 331. As in the example illustrated in FIG. 4, when the combination of the user ID “User1” and the password “1234” included in the login request is stored in the user DB 331, the user authentication is successful. In this case, the authentication unit 311 stores this user ID in the storage unit 33. On the other hand, when the combination of the user ID and password included in the login request is not stored in the user DB 331, user authentication fails.

  In step S <b> 103, the authentication unit 311 transmits the authentication result of user authentication to the image processing apparatus 20 via the communication unit 32. The image processing apparatus 20 receives this authentication result via the communication unit 22. Here, when the authentication result indicating that the user authentication has failed is received, the image processing apparatus 20 ends the data storage process without performing the subsequent processes. On the other hand, when the authentication result indicating that the user authentication is successful is received, the image processing apparatus 20 proceeds to step S104.

  In step S <b> 104, the client unit 211 of the image processing apparatus 20 causes the display unit 24 to display a selection screen 242 used for selecting a data storage destination. FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating an example of the selection screen 242. On the selection screen 242, the display name of each storage device 10 is displayed. In addition, the selection screen 242 is provided with a selection field 63 used for selecting the storage device 10, a selection field 64 used for selecting whether or not to perform processing cooperation, and a decision button 65. This processing cooperation refers to storing the processed data in the storage device 10 after processing the data by the processing device 40. For example, when processing the data in the processing device 40 and then storing the processed data in the storage device 10A, the user uses the operation unit 23 to select processing cooperation with the storage device 10A. After that, the enter button 65 is pressed.

  In step S <b> 105, the client unit 211 transmits selection information indicating the content selected on the selection screen 242 to the relay device 30 via the communication unit 22. For example, when the selection screen 242 is selected to perform processing cooperation with the storage device 10A, the selection information includes storage destination information indicating the storage device 10A and an execution instruction for processing cooperation. When receiving the selection information via the communication unit 32, the relay device 30 stores the storage destination information included in the received selection information in the storage unit 33. If the selection information received from the image processing apparatus 20 includes an execution instruction for processing cooperation, the relay apparatus 30 proceeds to step S106.

  In step S <b> 106, the transfer unit 314 of the relay device 30 reads all the process names stored in the URL management table 332 and transmits them to the image processing device 20 via the communication unit 32. The image processing apparatus 20 receives this processing name via the communication unit 22.

  In step S <b> 107, the client unit 211 of the image processing apparatus 20 causes the display unit 24 to display a process list screen 243 based on the process name received from the relay apparatus 30. FIG. 11C is a diagram illustrating an example of the process list screen 243. The process list screen 243 displays the process name received from the relay device 30. Further, the process list screen 243 is provided with a selection field 66 used for selecting a process pattern, a detail button 67, and an OK button 68. Here, since only the process name of each process pattern is displayed on the process list screen 243, the contents of each process pattern cannot be grasped. For example, when confirming the contents of the process A, the user selects the process A using the operation unit 23 and then presses the detail button 67 corresponding to the process A. Thereby, the detailed display instruction of the process A is input.

  In step S <b> 108, the client unit 211 transmits a detail display request including the process ID of the process pattern selected on the process list screen 243 to the relay device 30 via the communication unit 22. For example, when the process A is selected on the process list screen 243, a detailed display request including the process ID “1” of the process A is transmitted to the relay device 30. The relay device 30 receives this detail display request via the communication unit 32.

  In step S109, the notification unit 312 of the relay device 30 creates an e-mail in which the URL corresponding to the process that is the target of the detailed display request is described, and the user uses the created e-mail via the communication unit 32. To the user terminal 50.

  Specifically, the notification unit 312 first reads a URL stored in association with the process ID included in the detailed display request from the URL management table 332, and creates an e-mail describing this URL. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the URL “http://www.AAA.example.com” is stored in the management table in association with the process ID “1” included in the detail display request. An e-mail with is written.

  Subsequently, the notification unit 312 identifies an email address stored in the user DB 331 in association with the user ID of the logged-in user. This user ID is stored in the storage unit 33 in step S102 described above. In the example shown in FIG. 4, since the mail address “111@sample.co.jp” is stored in association with the user ID “User1” of the logged-in user, this mail address is specified.

  Subsequently, the notification unit 312 transmits the created electronic mail to the mail address via the communication unit 32. This electronic mail is transmitted to the user terminal 50 via a mail server (not shown). In this example, an e-mail with a URL “http://www.AAA.example.com” is transmitted to an e-mail address “111@sample.co.jp”. As described above, since this mail address is assigned to the user terminal 50 </ b> A, the user terminal 50 </ b> A receives this electronic mail via the communication unit 52. Thereby, the URL corresponding to the process that is the target of the detailed display instruction is notified to the user terminal 50A.

  In step S110, the acquisition unit 511 of the user terminal 50A accesses the URL described in the e-mail via the communication unit 52, and acquires the data on the detailed screen 541 regarding the process that is the target of the detailed display request. Specifically, the acquisition unit 511 accesses the URL described in the e-mail via the communication unit 52 and transmits a data acquisition request for the detailed screen 541. When receiving the acquisition request via the communication unit 42, the processing device 40 transmits the data on the detailed screen 541 stored at the location accessed by the user terminal 50A to the user terminal 50A via the communication unit 42. In this example, since the data on the detailed screen 541 related to the process A is stored in the URL described in the e-mail, the data on the detailed screen 541 is transmitted to the user terminal 50A. The data of the detailed screen 541 includes the description information and parameters of the process A stored in the first process management table 431. The user terminal 50A receives this data via the communication unit 52.

  In step S111, the display control unit 512 of the user terminal 50A causes the display unit 54 to display the detailed screen 541 based on the data received from the processing device 40. FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating an example of the detail screen 541. The detailed screen 541 displays the explanation information and parameters of the process A. Further, the detail screen 541 is provided with an input field 71 used for inputting parameters and an OK button 72. The parameters are displayed in the input state in the input field. The value of this parameter may be changed by a user operation. For example, when changing the resolution from 600 dpi to 200 dpi, the user uses the operation unit 53 to change the resolution value from “600” to “200”, and then presses the OK button 72.

  Alternatively, an edit button may be provided on the detail screen 541 so that the edit screen 542 is displayed when the user presses the edit button. FIG. 12B is a diagram illustrating an example of the edit screen 542. The edit screen 542 is provided with a selection field 73 used for parameter selection and an OK button 74. However, for the area designation information and the page number, an input field used for direct input of values is provided instead of the selection field. For example, when changing the resolution from 600 dpi to 200 dpi, the user uses the operation unit 53 to select a resolution of “200” and then presses an OK button 74. When the parameter is changed on the detail screen 541 or the edit screen 542, the user terminal 50 proceeds to step S112.

  In step S <b> 112, the change request unit 513 transmits a change request including the parameter changed on the detail screen 541 or the edit screen 542 to the processing device 40 via the communication unit 52. This change request includes not only parameters changed by the user but also preset parameters. For example, when the parameters shown in FIG. 12A are set in advance and the resolution value is changed from “600” to “200” by the user's operation, the angle “90”, the resolution “200”, Change request including parameters of area designation information “upper left X: 10, upper left Y:..., Lower right X:..., Lower right Y:. Transmitted to the device 40. Thereby, the processing device 40 is requested to change the parameter. The processing device 40 receives this change request via the communication unit 42.

  In step S <b> 113, the changing unit 413 of the processing device 40 changes the parameters stored in the first process management table 431 according to the change request received from the user terminal 50. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the first process management table 431 after the change. In this example, as shown in FIG. 13, the resolution value included in the parameter of the OCR process of process A is changed from “600” to “200”.

  In step S <b> 114, the change unit 413 transmits a notification indicating that the parameter change is reflected to the relay device 30 via the communication unit 42. The relay device 30 receives this notification via the communication unit 32.

  In step S <b> 115, the transfer unit 314 of the relay device 30 transfers a notification indicating that the parameter change has been reflected to the image processing device 20 via the communication unit 32. The image processing apparatus 20 receives this notification via the communication unit 22.

  In step S <b> 116, the client unit 211 of the image processing apparatus 20 updates the processing list screen 243 displayed on the display unit 24 and causes the display unit 24 to display a message indicating that the parameter change has been reflected. For example, on the processing section screen 243 shown in FIG. 11C, the message “I reflected” is displayed in a pop-up on the display unit 24. When this message is displayed, the user uses the operation unit 23 to select a process to be performed on the data from the processes displayed on the process list screen 243. For example, when the process A is performed on the data, the user selects the process A using the operation unit 23 and then presses the OK button 68.

  Subsequently, the user sets a document on the image reading unit 26 and inputs a scan execution instruction via the operation unit 23. In step S117, the image reading unit 26 reads an image of a document according to the input execution instruction and generates image data.

  In step S <b> 118, the client unit 211 transmits the image data generated by the image reading unit 26 and the process ID of the process selected on the process list screen 243 to the relay device 30 via the communication unit 22. For example, when the process A is selected, the process ID “1” of the process A and the image data are transmitted to the relay device 30. The relay device 30 receives this processing ID and image data via the communication unit 32.

  In step S <b> 119, the processing request unit 313 of the relay device 30 transmits a processing request including the processing ID and image data received from the image processing device 20 to the processing device 40 via the communication unit 32. In this example, a processing request including the processing ID “1” and image data is transmitted to the processing device 40. Thereby, the processing device 40 is requested to perform processing A on the image data. The processing device 40 receives this processing request via the communication unit 42.

  In step S <b> 120, the processing unit 411 of the processing device 40 performs processing on the image data in response to the processing request received from the relay device 30. Specifically, the processing unit 411 first reads from the first process management table 431 the parameters stored in association with the process ID included in the process request. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the parameter stored in association with the process ID “1” included in the process request is read. This parameter includes an angle “90” that is a parameter for rotation processing, a resolution “200” that is a parameter for OCR processing, area designation information “upper left X: 10, upper left Y:..., Lower right X:. .., lower right Y:... And page numbers “1, 5, 22”.

  Subsequently, the processing unit 411 performs processing on the image data included in the processing request using the parameters read from the first processing management table 431. In this example, first, processing for rotating the image 90 degrees to the right is performed. Subsequently, the resolution of the image is changed to 200 dpi, and the OCR process is performed on the areas designated by the area designation information for the first, fifth, and twenty-second pages of the image data. Thereby, the image data is converted into text data.

  In step S <b> 121, the processing unit 411 transmits the processed data to the relay device 30 via the communication unit 42. The relay device 30 receives this data via the communication unit 32.

  In step S122, the transfer unit 314 of the relay device 30 transfers the data received from the processing device 40 to the storage device 10 selected by the user via the communication unit 32. The storage device 10 selected by the user is specified by the storage location information stored in the storage unit 33 in step S105 described above. In this example, since the storage device 10A is selected by the user, the data received from the processing device 40 is transmitted to the storage device 10A. Thereby, data is stored in the storage device 10A.

  According to the first embodiment described above, the parameters of the process registered in the processing device 40 are displayed on the user terminal 50, and the parameters are changed according to the operation using the operation unit 53. Accordingly, when inputting data, the contents of the processing registered in the processing device 40 are confirmed and changed by the user without depending on the user interface function of the image processing device 20. This is particularly effective when the user interface of the image processing device 20 is poor, such as when the size of the display unit 24 of the image processing device 20 is small, or when the operation unit 23 is configured with only keys instead of a touch panel. .

  Further, since the detail screen 541 and the edit screen 542 are provided by the processing device 40, the relay device 30 does not need to provide these screens. Furthermore, since the parameter after the change is stored in the processing device 40, when a process cooperation for performing this process again is selected after the parameter of a certain process is changed, the parameter after the change is used. The data is processed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the parameter is changed for each user. The configuration of the processing system 1 according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the configuration described in the first embodiment. However, in addition to the first process management table 431 described in the first embodiment, the storage unit 43 of the processing apparatus 40 according to the second embodiment has a second process management table that manages process parameters changed by the user. 432 is stored. Hereinafter, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the second processing management table 432 according to the second embodiment. The second process management table 432 stores a user ID, a process ID, a process name, and a parameter in association with each other. The process ID, process name, and parameter are the same as the process ID, process name, and parameter stored in the first process management table 431. However, the second process management table 432 stores only parameters that have been changed by user operations. In FIG. 14, the region designation information and the page number are not shown in the OCR processing parameters. The user ID is information for identifying the user who has changed the parameter. In the second embodiment, the user ID is used as first identification information for identifying the user.

  FIG. 15 is a sequence chart showing a data storage process according to the second embodiment. The processing of steps S201 to S208 is the same as the processing of steps S101 to S108 described in the first embodiment.

  In step S <b> 209, the notification unit 312 of the relay device 30 transmits a URL generation request dedicated to the logged-in user to the processing device 40 via the communication unit 32. This generation request includes the user ID of the logged-in user and the processing ID included in the detail display request received from the image processing apparatus 20 in step S208. The user ID used in step S202 is stored in the storage unit 33. For example, when the user ID of the logged-in user is “User1” and the process ID included in the detail display request is “1”, a generation request including the user ID “User1” and the process ID “1” is processed. Transmitted to the device 40. When receiving the generation request via the communication unit 42, the processing device 40 stores the user ID and the processing ID included in the generation request in the storage unit 43.

  In step S210, the management unit 412 of the processing device 40 generates a URL dedicated to the logged-in user in response to the generation request received from the relay device 30. In this example, a URL dedicated to the user whose user ID is “User1” is generated. In the place indicated by the URL, the data of the detailed screen 541 regarding the process of the process ID included in the generation request is stored. In this example, the data of the detailed screen 541 related to the process A having the process ID “1” is stored in the generated URL. The data of the detailed screen 541 includes the description information and parameters of the process A stored in the first process management table 431.

  In step S <b> 211, the management unit 412 transmits the URL generated in step S <b> 210 to the relay device 30 via the communication unit 42. The relay device 30 receives this URL via the communication unit 32.

  In step S212, the notification unit 312 of the relay device 30 creates an e-mail in which the URL received from the processing device 40 is described, and sends the created e-mail to the user terminal 50 used by the user via the communication unit 32. Send. Specifically, the notification unit 312 creates an e-mail describing the URL received from the processing device 40. Subsequently, the notification unit 312 identifies the email address of the user terminal 50 used by the user, and then sends the created email to the email via the communication unit 32, as in step S109 described in the first embodiment. Send to Adobe. For example, if an email address “111@sample.co.jp” is specified, an email containing a user-specific URL is sent to the email address “111@sample.co.jp”. The As described above, since this mail address is assigned to the user terminal 50 </ b> A, the user terminal 50 </ b> A receives this electronic mail via the communication unit 52.

  The processing of steps S213 to S215 is the same as the processing of steps S110 to S112 described in the first embodiment. In step S <b> 216, the changing unit 413 of the processing device 40 adds the parameter included in the change request received from the user terminal 50 and information related to the parameter to the second processing management table 432. Specifically, the change unit 413 corresponds to the parameter included in the change request, the user ID and the process ID stored in the storage unit 43 in step S209, and the process ID stored in the first process management table 431. The process name to be added is added to the second process management table 432. In this example, in the second process management table 432, as shown in FIG. 14, the user ID “User1” and process ID “1”, the process name “process A”, the angle “90”, and the resolution “200”. ", ... parameters are added. The resolution value is changed from “600” to “200” by the user's operation. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the parameters stored in the first process management table 431 are not changed.

  The processing in steps S217 to S221 is the same as the processing in steps S114 to S118 described in the first embodiment. In step S222, the processing request unit 313 of the relay device 30 sends a processing request including the processing ID and image data received from the image processing device 20 and the user ID of the logged-in user via the communication unit 32. Send to. As this user ID, the one stored in the storage unit 33 in step S202 described above is used. In this example, a processing request including the processing ID “1”, the image data, and the user ID “User1” is transmitted to the processing device 40. The processing device 40 receives this processing request via the communication unit 42.

  In step S223, the processing unit 411 of the processing device 40 processes the image data in response to the processing request received from the relay device 30. Specifically, the processing unit 411 reads out from the second process management table 432 the parameters stored in association with the user ID and the process ID included in the process request. In the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the parameters stored in association with the user ID “User1” and the process ID “1” included in the process request are read. The processing unit 411 performs processing on the image data included in the processing request using the parameters read from the second processing management table 432. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in steps S121 and S122 described in the first embodiment.

  The parameter stored in the second process management table 432 may be deleted when the corresponding process is executed. For example, as described above, when the process A is executed using the parameters stored in the second process management table 432 in association with the ID “User1” and the process ID “1”, the record including the parameter May be deleted from the second process management table 432. Alternatively, after a predetermined time elapses from the time when the parameter is stored in the second process management table 432 or the process is executed using the parameter stored in the second process management table 432, the parameter is set. The included record may be deleted from the second process management table 432.

  According to the second embodiment described above, since the parameter is changed for each user, for example, the parameter changed by the user is prevented from being further changed by another user.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The processing system 1 according to the third embodiment has a mechanism for sharing the changed parameter with other users after the user has changed the parameter. The configuration of the processing system 1 according to the third embodiment is basically the same as the configuration described in the first embodiment. However, in addition to the first process management table 431 described in the first embodiment, the storage unit 43 of the processing apparatus 40 according to the third embodiment has a second process management table 433 that manages parameters changed by the user. Remember. Hereinafter, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the second processing management table 433 according to the third embodiment. In the second process management table 433, identification information, process IDs, and parameters are stored in association with each other. The process ID and parameter are the same as the process ID and parameter stored in the first process management table 431. However, the second process management table 433 stores only the parameters changed by the user operation. In FIG. 16, the region designation information and the page number are not shown in the OCR processing parameters. The identification information is information for identifying a parameter changed by a user operation. This identification information is composed of, for example, numbers and character strings. In the third embodiment, the identification information is used as second identification information for identifying the changed parameter.

  FIG. 17 is a sequence chart showing data storage processing according to the third embodiment. The processing of steps S301 to S312 is the same as the processing of steps S101 to S112 described in the first embodiment. However, the processing device 40 stores the processing ID of the processing corresponding to the detailed screen 541 provided to the user terminal 50 in the storage unit 43 in step S310. For example, when the user terminal 50 is provided with the detailed screen 541 regarding the process A, the process ID “1” of the process A is stored in the storage unit 43.

  In step S <b> 313, the changing unit 413 of the processing device 40 adds the parameter included in the change request received from the user terminal 50, identification information of the parameter, and information related to the parameter to the second processing management table 433. Specifically, the changing unit 413 assigns unique identification information to the parameter included in the change request, and then the parameter, the identification information given to the parameter, and the process stored in the storage unit 43 in step S310. The ID is added to the second process management table 433. For example, when the identification information “0006” is given, the second processing management table 433 has the identification information “0006”, the processing ID “1”, the angle “180”, the resolution, as shown in FIG. Parameters “600”,... Are added. The value of this angle is changed from “90” to “180” by the user's operation. In the third embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the parameters stored in the first process management table 431 are not changed.

  In step S314, the management unit 412 transmits the identification information given to the parameter in step S313 to the user terminal 50 used by the user via the communication unit 42. In this example, the identification information “6” is transmitted to the user terminal 50A. The user terminal 50A receives this identification information via the communication unit 52.

  In step S315, the display control unit 512 of the user terminal 50A causes the display unit 54 to display the identification information received from the processing device 40. Thereby, the user recognizes the identification information given to the parameter changed by the user.

  The processing in steps S316 and S317 is the same as the processing in steps S114 and S115 described in the first embodiment. In step S318, the client unit 211 of the image processing apparatus 20 updates the processing list screen 243 displayed on the display unit 24, and causes the display unit 24 to display an input field used for inputting identification information.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of updating the process list screen 243. In the example illustrated in FIG. 18A, the processing list screen 244 provided with an input field 93 used for inputting identification information is displayed on the display unit 24. For example, when instructing the execution of the process A using the parameter to which the identification information “0006” is given, the user selects the process A using the operation unit 23 and inputs the identification information “0006” in the input field 93. Then, the OK button 94 is pressed.

  On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 18B, when an OK button 68 is pressed after a process is selected on the process list screen 243 displayed on the display unit 24, a transition is made to the input screen 245. Yes. This input screen 245 is provided with an input field 95 used for inputting identification information. For example, when the process A using the parameter to which the identification information “0006” is given is applied to the data, the user selects the process A on the process list screen 243 using the operation unit 23 and presses the OK button 68. After pressing, identification information “0006” is input to the input field 95 on the input screen 245.

  The process of step S319 is the same as the process of step S117 described in the first embodiment. In step S320, the client unit 211 relays the image data generated by the image reading unit 26, the process ID of the process selected by the user, and the identification information input by the user via the communication unit 22. 30. For example, when the process A is selected and the identification information “0006” is input, the process ID “1”, the image data, and the identification information “0006” of the process A are transmitted to the relay device 30. The relay device 30 receives this processing ID, image data, and identification information via the communication unit 32.

  In step S <b> 321, the processing request unit 313 of the relay device 30 transmits a processing request including the processing ID, image data, and identification information received from the image processing device 20 to the processing device 40 via the communication unit 32. In this example, a processing request including a processing ID “1”, image data, and identification information “0006” is transmitted to the processing device 40. The processing device 40 receives this processing request via the communication unit 42.

  In step S322, the processing unit 411 of the processing device 40 performs processing on the image data in response to the processing request received from the relay device 30. Specifically, the processing unit 411 first reads out the processing parameters stored in association with the processing ID and the identification information included in the processing request from the second processing management table 433. In the example illustrated in FIG. 16, the parameters stored in association with the process ID “1” and the identification information “0006” included in the process request are read. Subsequently, the processing unit 411 performs processing on the image data included in the processing request using the parameters read from the second processing management table 433. The subsequent processing is the same as steps S121 and S122 described in the first embodiment.

  If the parameter included in the change request received from the user terminal 50 is already stored in the second process management table 433 in step S313 described above, the parameter included in the change request is stored in the second process management table 433. It is not necessary to add to. In this case, in step S314 described above, the identification information given to the parameters already stored in the second process management table 433 is transmitted to the user terminal 50.

  If the user presses the OK button 94 without inputting identification information on the process list screen 244 shown in FIG. 18A in step S318 described above, the information is stored in the first process management table 431. Processing may be performed based on the parameters. For example, it is assumed that the user selects the process A using the operation unit 23 and then presses the OK button 94 without inputting identification information. In this case, in step S320 described above, only the process ID and image data are transmitted to the relay device 30. In step S321 described above, a processing request including only the processing ID and image data is transmitted to the processing device 40. In this case, in step S322 described above, the parameter stored in association with the process ID included in this process request is read from the first process management table 431, and the image data is processed using this parameter. .

  In addition, the processing device 40 according to the third embodiment allows the parameter list screen 543, the editing screen 544, and the deletion screen 545 to realize confirmation and change of all parameters stored in the second processing management table 433. And provide. When confirming or changing all parameters stored in the second process management table 433, the user inputs the URL of data on the parameter list screen 543 using the operation unit 53 of the user terminal 50, and enters this URL. Directing access. The user terminal 50 accesses the input URL through the communication unit 52 according to this instruction. Thereby, the data of the parameter list screen 543 is transmitted from the processing device 40 to the user terminal 50, and the parameter list screen 543 is displayed on the display unit 54 of the user terminal 50.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the parameter list screen 543. On the parameter list screen 543, all identification information, process IDs and parameters stored in the second process management table 433 are displayed. The parameter list screen 543 includes an edit button 81 and a delete button 82.

  For example, when changing the parameter to which the identification information “0006” is assigned among the parameters displayed on the parameter list screen 543, the user uses the operation unit 53 to press the edit button 81 corresponding to this parameter. When the edit button 81 is pressed, a data acquisition request for the edit screen 544 related to the parameter to which the identification information “0006” is assigned is transmitted from the user terminal 50 to the processing device 40. As a result, the data of the editing screen 544 is transmitted from the processing device 40 to the user terminal 50, and the editing screen 544 is displayed on the display unit 54 of the user terminal 50.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of the edit screen 544. The editing screen 544 includes a selection field 83 used for parameter selection, an OK button 84, and a cancel button 85. However, for the area designation information and page number, an input field used for direct input of values is provided instead of the selection field.

  For example, when changing the resolution from 600 dpi to 200 dpi, the user uses the operation unit 53 to select a resolution of “200” and then presses an OK button 84. When the parameters are changed on the editing screen 544 as described above, a change request including the changed parameters is transmitted to the processing device 40 as in step S312 described above. The changing unit 413 of the processing device 40 changes the parameter in accordance with the change request. At this time, the changing unit 413 may add new identification information to the changed parameter and add it to the second processing management table 433, similarly to step S313 described above, or without changing the identification information. Only the parameter value may be changed.

  Further, when deleting a parameter to which the identification information “0001” is given from among the parameters displayed on the parameter list screen 543, the user presses the delete button 82 corresponding to the parameter using the operation unit 53. When the delete button 82 is pressed, a data acquisition request for the delete screen 545 regarding the parameter to which the identification information “0001” is assigned is transmitted from the user terminal 50 to the processing device 40. Thereby, the data of the deletion screen 545 is transmitted from the processing device 40 to the user terminal 50, and the deletion screen 545 is displayed on the display unit 54 of the user terminal 50. The data of the deletion screen 545 includes a parameter stored in association with the identification information “0001” in the second process management table 433.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the deletion screen 545. On this deletion screen 545, a parameter to which identification information “0001” is assigned is displayed. Further, the delete screen 545 is provided with an OK button 86 and a cancel button 87. When deleting this parameter, the user presses the OK button 86 using the operation unit 53. When the OK button 86 is pressed, a parameter deletion request with identification information “0001” is transmitted from the user terminal 50 to the processing device 40. The changing unit 413 of the processing device 40 deletes the parameter in accordance with this deletion request. In this example, the record including the parameter to which the identification information “0001” is assigned is deleted from the second process management table 433.

  According to the third embodiment described above, the identification information is given to the parameter changed by the user's operation, and when this identification information is input, the data is processed using the changed parameter. The Therefore, after changing the parameter, the changed parameter is shared with other users by teaching other users the identification information given to the changed parameter.

[Modification]
The first to third embodiments described above are examples of the present invention. These embodiments may be modified as follows. The following modifications may be combined with each other.

(1) In the first to third embodiments described above, an example in which the process list screen 243 is updated when a notification indicating that a parameter change is reflected from the relay device 30 is received will be described. did. However, for example, an update button may be provided on the process list screen 243, and the process list screen 243 may be updated when the update button is pressed by a user operation. In this case, when the update button is pressed, an update request is transmitted from the image processing device 20 to the relay device 30. When the relay apparatus 30 has already received a notification indicating that the parameter change has been reflected from the processing apparatus 40, the relay apparatus 30 transmits an update permission to the image processing apparatus 20. When receiving the update permission from the relay device 30, the image processing device 20 updates the processing list screen 243.

(2) In the first embodiment and the third embodiment described above, the example in which the relay device 30 manages the URL of the data on the detailed screen 541 using the URL management table 332 has been described. However, the relay device 30 does not necessarily have to manage the URL of the data on the detail screen 541. For example, the relay device 30 may obtain the URL of the data on the detail screen 541 by inquiring the processing device 40 before performing the process of step S109 or S309 described above.

  Further, in the first to third embodiments described above, the example in which the relay device 30 manages the process names of the process patterns registered in the processing device 40 using the URL management table 332 has been described. However, the relay apparatus 30 does not necessarily have to manage the process name of the process pattern registered in the processing apparatus 40. For example, the relay device 30 may inquire the processing device 40 for the processing name of the processing pattern registered in the processing device 40 before performing the processing of step S106, S206, or S306 described above.

(3) In the first to third embodiments described above, the example in which the processing device 40 performs the OCR process or the rotation process has been described. However, the processing device 40 may perform processes other than the OCR process and the rotation process. For example, the processing device 40 may perform processing for converting the data format.

  Moreover, the parameters of the processes described in the first to third embodiments are examples. The processing parameter may be any information as long as it indicates conditions for processing performed by the processing device 40. For example, the parameter may be information indicating the order of the processes constituting the process pattern. In this case, the processing order may be changed by a user operation. Further, the parameter may be information indicating a process constituting a process pattern. In this case, a process constituting a process pattern may be added or deleted by a user operation.

(4) In the first to third embodiments described above, some or all of the functions shown in FIG. 9 may be realized by hardware. For example, the processing unit 411 of the processing device 40 may be realized by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

(5) The number of storage devices 10 and the number of user terminals 50 shown in FIG. 1 are examples. For example, the number of storage devices 10 may be one, or two or four or more. Further, the number of user terminals 50 may be determined by the number of users. For example, when the number of users is 100, 100 user terminals 50 may be provided.

(6) In the first to third embodiments described above, a program executed by the control unit 21 of the image processing device 20, a program executed by the control unit 31 of the relay device 30, and a control unit 41 of the processing device 40. And the program executed by the control unit 51 of the user terminal 50 may be downloaded via a communication line such as the Internet. The program is provided in a state of being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. May be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Processing system, 10 ... Storage device, 20 ... Image processing device, 30 ... Relay device, 40 ... Processing device, 50 ... User terminal, 211 ... Client part, 311 ... Authentication part, 312 ... Notification part, 313 ... Processing request Reference numeral 314, Transfer unit, 411, Processing unit, 412 ... Management unit, 413 ... Change unit, 511 ... Acquisition unit, 512 ... Display control unit, 513 ... Change request unit.

Claims (4)

A processing device, a user terminal, and a relay device;
The processor is
A storage unit for storing parameters used for pre-registered processing;
In response to a request for changing the parameter from the user terminal, a changing unit that changes the parameter stored in the storage unit;
A processing unit that performs processing using the parameters stored in the storage unit for data input through the input device and acquired from the input device;
The user terminal is
An acquisition unit that acquires the parameter from the storage unit based on the storage location notified from the relay device;
A display control unit that causes the display unit to display the parameter acquired by the acquisition unit;
In accordance with an operation for changing the parameter displayed on the display unit, a change request unit that requests the processing device to change the parameter, and
The relay device is
A notification unit for notifying the user terminal of a storage location corresponding to the parameter stored in the storage unit, in response to a display instruction for the parameter input via the input device;
A processing system, comprising: a transfer unit that transfers the processed data acquired from the processing device that has been subjected to the processing by the processing unit to a storage device. First identification information for identifying a user is input via the input device,
The changing unit associates the parameter after the change with the first identification information acquired from the input device, and stores it in the storage unit,
The process according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit performs processing on the data using the changed parameter stored in the storage unit in association with the first identification information acquired from the input device. system. The changing unit stores the changed parameter and the second identification information for identifying the changed parameter in the storage unit in association with each other,
When the second identification information is input from the input device, the processing unit associates the second identification information acquired from the input device with the changed parameter stored in the storage unit. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein processing is performed on the data by using a computer. The processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an image reading unit that reads an image and generates image data as the input device.

Images