JP7119463B2 - Information processing device, terminal device and information processing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, a terminal device, and an information processing system.

In Patent Document 1, the host terminal station and the terminals of all the group members participating in the conference have a conference group member list file that describes the names and fractional address information of all the conference participants including the host of the conference. , the conference organizer decides the unique key code in the conference to be held and communicates it to the conference members, and the data transmission terminal attaches the key code to the tip of the data packet when transmitting data in the conference and transmits the data. The data receiving terminal confirms the key code when receiving the data, and the data identification means for identifying whether it is the data of the conference. A communication control method is disclosed that has means for changing the conference key code each time it is called and transmitting it to the conference members.

Patent Document 2 discloses a communication system that performs network communication by forming a mesh network with a plurality of communication nodes that communicate with each other on a one-to-one basis. Means for holding files, Means for acquiring from the administrator node a network setting file containing setting information related to mesh network communication based on the grouping file, and Means for transferring received data to other communication nodes according to the setting information. A communication system is disclosed comprising:

JP-A-10-257064 JP 2008-301185 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device, a terminal device, and an information processing device capable of changing settings only for a selected device whose settings are to be changed without pre-holding information on the devices whose settings are to be changed. It is to provide an information processing system.

[Information processing device]
The present invention according to claim 1 is a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing settings of a device from a first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device storing identification information used to identify a device whose settings are to be changed is attached to the main body of the device, and is used to identify the device whose settings are to be changed stored in the storage device. When the identification information and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means match, the setting change means is controlled to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means. and a control means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the control means controls the reception means when the identification information stored in the storage device and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the reception means do not match. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus performs control so as not to change the setting of the own apparatus according to the setting change information received in.

The present invention according to claim 3 is a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from a first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device is attached to the device main body, and identification information for identifying the device to be changed in settings stored in the storage device and identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means for controlling the setting change means to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means when the two match;
with
When the setting change information received by the receiving means contains identification information and the storage device is not attached to the device main body, the control means controls the setting change information received by the receiving means. It is an information processing device that controls so as not to change the settings of its own device according to information.

The present invention according to claim 4 is a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from a first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device is attached to the device main body, and identification information for identifying the device to be changed in settings stored in the storage device and identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means for controlling the setting change means to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means when the two match;
with
If the storage device contains restriction information for preventing transmission of the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second device, the control means controls the settings received by the receiving means. The information processing apparatus controls not to transmit change information to the second other apparatus.

[Terminal device]
The present invention according to claim 5 provides a display means for displaying information,
receiving means for receiving input of setting change information of another device;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means, including identification information for identifying each device, to another device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
Receive a notification transmitted by BLE communication from a device whose identification information included in the setting change information transmitted by the transmitting means matches the identification information stored in the storage device, indicating that the device is a target device for setting change. receiving means for
a control means for controlling to display on the display means that the apparatus is a setting change target, based on the notification that the setting change target apparatus is received by the receiving means. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving unit for receiving a setting change completion notification transmitted by BLE communication from a device whose setting has been changed according to the setting change information, and a setting change received by the receiving unit. 6. The terminal device according to claim 5, further comprising control means for controlling to display a completion state of the setting change of the other device on the display means based on the notification of the completion.

[Information processing system]
The present invention according to claim 7 is composed of a plurality of devices interconnected by a mesh network via BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance,
Each of the devices comprises:
a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device storing identification information used to identify a device whose settings are to be changed is attached to the main body of the device, and is used to identify the device whose settings are to be changed stored in the storage device . When the identification information and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means match, the setting change means is controlled to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means. and a control means.

The present invention according to claim 8 is composed of a plurality of devices interconnected by a mesh network via BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance,
Each of the devices comprises:
a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
When a detachable storage device is attached to the device main body, and identification information for identifying each device stored in the storage device matches identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means for controlling the setting change means to change the settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
with
If the storage device contains restriction information for preventing transmission of the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second device, the control means controls the settings received by the receiving means. The information processing system controls not to transmit change information to the second other device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, information processing capable of changing settings only for a selected device whose settings are to be changed without pre-holding information about the devices whose settings are to be changed. Equipment can be provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus capable of not changing the settings of a selected apparatus other than the setting change target apparatus even when setting change information is received. can do.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus capable of not changing the settings of a selected apparatus other than the setting change target apparatus even when setting change information is received. can do.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus capable of limiting the range in which setting change information is transmitted.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device capable of selecting a device whose setting is to be changed and changing the setting without pre-holding information on the device whose setting is to be changed. be able to.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a terminal device capable of confirming the completion state of setting change of the device.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, information processing capable of changing settings only for a selected device whose settings are to be changed without pre-holding information about the devices whose settings are to be changed. system can be provided.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system capable of limiting the range in which setting change information is transmitted.

1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. (A) is a diagram showing the image forming apparatus 10A, and (B) is a diagram showing how the USB memory 100 is attached to the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of mobile terminal 50 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobile terminal 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing functional configurations of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a situation when trying to change the same settings for specific image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E arranged in an office; 5 is a diagram showing a display example displayed on the mobile terminal 50. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example displayed on the mobile terminal 50. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an operation when there are multiple types of setting change targets; 10A to 10K installed in a range S among a large number of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10K arranged in an office are to be changed to the same settings. It is a diagram.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D, terminal devices 20 and 30 such as personal computers (hereinafter abbreviated as personal computers), and printers. 40 and a mobile terminal 50 such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal are connected to each other by BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication, which is a low power consumption communication mode of Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is a short-range wireless communication standard.

Here, the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D are so-called multifunctional machines having multiple functions such as a print function, a scan function, a copy function, and a facsimile function.

In the information processing system shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D, terminal devices 20 and 30, printer 40, and mobile terminal 50 are connected to each other through BLE communication to form a mesh. ) network is configured.

This mesh network technology is a data routing technology between multiple nodes, and even if a failure such as a failure occurs in some nodes and part of the route becomes unusable, other data is transferred between nodes using the route of

In order to build such a mesh network, it is not necessary for each device to hold information about other cooperating devices. Simply by moving a device with a BLE communication function to a range where BLE communication is possible with any device that builds a mesh network, that device will also be included in the mesh network. A mesh network will be configured with this device.

In other words, the information processing system of the present invention includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D and terminal devices 20 and 30 interconnected by a mesh network via BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance. , a printer 40, a mobile terminal 50, and the like.

BLE communication includes a communication method using an advertising function and a communication method using a profile such as GATT (Generic Attribute).

Both communication methods are communication methods that do not require the communication partner to be specified in advance. This is a communication method that simply transmits data to the surroundings like beacon communication. On the other hand, a communication method using a profile such as GATT confirms the presence of other devices existing in the vicinity, acquires the profile of the other device, and communicates with the device that acquired the profile. This is a communication method for one-to-one data transmission/reception.

In this way, BLE communication using the advertising function simplifies processing because it is sufficient to simply transfer data received from other devices regardless of the existence of other devices. On the other hand, in a communication method using a profile such as GATT, communication is performed after confirming the presence of another device, so processing becomes complicated. However, although a certain amount of data can be transmitted and received in a communication method using a profile such as GATT, the amount of data that can be transmitted and received is small in BLE communication using an advertising function.

In the following description, in the information processing system of the present embodiment, the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D are assumed to be the apparatuses whose settings are to be changed, and the user directly operates the mobile terminal 50 as a parent apparatus to change the settings. A case will be described in which the content is transmitted to another apparatus as setting change information including identification information to be described later, and the setting of the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D to be changed is executed.

For example, among the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D, the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D can perform various settings such as the initial setting of the resolution for the image reading process, the time setting for shifting to the power saving mode, and the density setting for the printing process. will be described using the case of trying to set with the same setting contents for

In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D whose settings are to be changed are loaded with a USB memory 100 as an external storage device, which is a detachable storage device. can do.

All of the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D have the same configuration. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the USB memory 100 is not attached to the image forming apparatus 10A that is not subject to setting change. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, a USB memory 100 is attached to each of the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D whose settings are to be changed. The USB memory 100 stores identification information 102 and the like for identifying the device whose settings are to be changed.

First, FIG. 3 shows the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 50 of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 50 includes a CPU 61, a memory 62, a storage device 63 such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and a communication interface (IF) 64 for transmitting and receiving data to and from external devices. , a user interface (UI) device 65 such as a touch panel or liquid crystal display. These components are connected to each other via a control bus 66 .

CPU 61 executes predetermined processing based on a control program stored in memory 62 or storage device 63 to control the operation of mobile terminal 50 . In this embodiment, the CPU 61 reads and executes a control program stored in the memory 62 or storage device 63, but it is also possible to store the program in a storage medium and provide it to the CPU 61. is.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of mobile terminal 50 realized by executing the above control program.

The mobile terminal 50 of this embodiment includes a display unit 71, a control unit 72, a BLE transmission/reception unit 73, and an operation reception unit 74, as shown in FIG.

The display unit 71 is controlled by the control unit 72 and displays various information to the user. The operation reception unit 74 receives information on various operations performed by the user. The display unit 71 and the operation reception unit 74 constitute a so-called touch panel.

The operation accepting unit 74 also accepts input of setting change information for changing settings of the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D. Further, the operation accepting unit 74 can include identification information for identifying the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D whose settings are to be changed in the setting change information accepted by the operation accepting unit 74. FIG.

The BLE transmission/reception unit 73 transmits/receives data to/from another device via the BLE communication described above.

Specifically, the BLE transmission/reception unit 73 transmits the setting change information received by the operation reception unit 74 to the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D and the like by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require the communication partner to be specified in advance. In addition, the BLE transmission/reception unit 73 includes identification information for identifying the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D whose settings are to be changed in the setting change information received by the operation receiving unit 74, and sets the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D through BLE communication. 10D, etc.

Further, the BLE transmission/reception unit 73 selects the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10B whose identification information included in the setting change information transmitted by BLE communication matches the identification information 102 stored in the USB memory 100 attached to the apparatus main body. 10D to notify that it is the device whose settings are to be changed.

Then, the control unit 72 displays on the display unit 71 that the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D are the targets of the setting change, based on the notification received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 73 that the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D are the target of the setting change. to control. Further, based on the notification received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 73, the control unit 72 controls the display unit 71 to display that the image forming apparatus 10A is not subject to setting change.

The BLE transmission/reception unit 73 also receives a setting change completion notification transmitted from the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D through BLE communication.

Based on the setting change completion notification received by the BLE transmitting/receiving unit 73, the control unit 72 controls the display unit 71 to display the completion state of the setting change of the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10D to be changed. do.

Next, FIG. 5 shows the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D have a CPU 11, a memory 12, a storage device 13 such as a hard disk drive (HDD), and a communication interface ( 14, a user interface (UI) device 15 including a touch panel or liquid crystal display and a keyboard, a scanner 16, a print engine 17, and a USB interface (IF) 18 to which a USB memory 100 is attached (connected). These components are connected to each other via a control bus 19 .

The print engine 17 prints an image on a recording medium such as printing paper through processes such as charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing.

CPU 11 executes predetermined processing based on control programs stored in memory 12, storage device 13, or USB memory 100 to control operations of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D. In this embodiment, the CPU 11 reads and executes a control program stored in the memory 12, the storage device 13, or the USB memory 100, but the program can be stored in an external storage medium such as a CD-ROM. It is also possible to store it and provide it to the CPU 11 .

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D realized by executing the above control program. In addition, in the block diagram shown in FIG. 6, various functions such as an image reading function, which are not directly related to the operation of the present embodiment, are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10D of the present embodiment each include a display unit 31, a control unit 32, a BLE transmission/reception unit 33, an operation reception unit 34, an image output unit 35, A data storage unit 36 and a connection unit 37 are provided.

The image output unit 35 outputs an image onto a recording medium such as printing paper under the control of the control unit 32 .

The control unit 32 controls the image output unit 35 to execute print processing based on an instruction from the user.

The display unit 31 is controlled by the control unit 32 and displays various information to the user. The operation reception unit 34 receives information on various operations performed by the user. The display unit 31 and the operation reception unit 34 constitute a so-called touch panel type operation panel.

The BLE transmission/reception unit 33 transmits/receives data to/from another device via the BLE communication described above.

In addition, the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 receives setting change information including identification information received from the mobile terminal 50 and other devices by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require the communication partner to be specified in advance. In addition, the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 further transmits the setting change information including the received identification information to another device through BLE communication.

That is, the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 receives the setting change information including the identification information from the other device through BLE communication even if the own device is not the target of the setting change. In addition, the BLE transmitting/receiving unit 33 transmits setting change information including identification information to other devices through BLE communication even when the own device is not the target of the setting change.

Further, when the setting change information includes a plurality of setting change items, the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 sequentially transmits the setting change information to the other device for each setting change item.

The data storage unit 36 stores various data such as various setting information used when the control unit 32 controls the image output unit 35 .

A USB memory 100 storing identification information 102 and restriction information 104 for preventing the received setting change information from being transmitted to other devices is attached to the connection unit 37 .

Then, when the control unit 32 receives the setting change information including the identification information from the BLE transmission/reception unit 33, the identification information 102 stored in the USB memory 100 attached to the connection unit 37 and the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 It is determined whether or not the identification information included in the setting change information received in .

Then, when the identification information 102 stored in the USB memory 100 attached to the connection unit 37 matches the identification information included in the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33, the control unit 32 automatically Control is performed to transmit a notification that the device is a target device for setting change to the mobile terminal 50 by BLE communication.

Further, when the identification information 102 stored in the USB memory 100 attached to the connection unit 37 matches the identification information included in the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33, the control unit 32 Based on the setting change information received by the transmitting/receiving unit 33, control is performed to change the setting of the own device.

Further, the BLE transmitting/receiving unit 33 may transmit the setting change information to the other device after the setting change of the own device in the control unit 32 is completed. A change completion notice may be sent.

Further, when the identification information 102 stored in the USB memory 100 attached to the connection unit 37 does not match the identification information included in the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33, the control unit 32 moves The terminal 50 is controlled to transmit a notification that its own device is not a target device for setting change.

Further, when the identification information 102 stored in the USB memory 100 attached to the connection unit 37 does not match the identification information included in the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33, the control unit 32 The setting change information received by the transmitting/receiving unit 33 is controlled so as not to change the setting of the own device.

Further, when the USB memory 100 is not attached to the connection unit 37 , the control unit 32 performs control so as not to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 .

Further, when the USB memory 100 attached to the connection unit 37 contains the restriction information 104, the control unit 32 prevents the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 from being transmitted to other devices. Control.

Next, the operation of the information processing system of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a situation when trying to change the same settings for specific image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E out of a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10F arranged in an office. In the following description, the mobile terminal 50 is used as a parent device, and the user directly operates to perform various settings, and the settings are set for the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E, which are the target of setting changes. do.

For example, the user inputs setting change information for changing setting contents in the mobile terminal 50, and the setting change information includes the identification information 102 for identifying the device whose setting is to be changed. Then, setting change information including the identification information 102 is transmitted from the mobile terminal 50 via BLE communication.

Then, the setting change information including the identification information 102 transmitted from the mobile terminal 50 is transferred to the image forming apparatuses 10B to 10F via the image forming apparatus 10A. Then, the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E, to which the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 is attached, transmit to the mobile terminal 50 through BLE communication a notification to the effect that the own apparatus is the apparatus whose settings are to be changed.

Then, the mobile terminal 50 receives, via the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10F, the notification to the effect that the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E have sent the notification to the effect that the apparatus is a setting change target apparatus. Then, upon receiving the notification that the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E are the target apparatuses for the setting change, the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E are recognized as the target apparatuses for the setting change. display. In the display example shown in FIG. 8, a display is displayed on the UI device 65 to the effect that the devices C to E (image forming devices 10C to 10E) are devices whose settings are to be changed.

Then, in the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E, which are the target of the setting change, the setting contents of each apparatus are changed based on the received setting change information.

Then, when the setting change processing in the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E is completed, the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E transmit a setting change completion notification to the mobile terminal 50 by BLE communication.

Then, mobile terminal 50 receives, via image forming apparatuses 10A to 10F, the setting change completion notifications transmitted by image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E, which are the target of setting changes. By receiving the setting change completion notice, the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E recognize that the setting change has been successfully completed, and display on the UI device 65, for example, as shown in FIG. In the display example shown in FIG. 9, the UI device 65 displays a display indicating that the setting change has been completed in the apparatuses C and D (image forming apparatuses 10C and 10D), and the setting in the apparatus E (image forming apparatus 10E) is completed. A display indicating that the change is being made is displayed on the UI device 65 .

By referring to such a display, the user can know that the contents of the setting change performed in the mobile terminal 50 are also reflected in the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E.

Next, the operation when there are multiple types of setting change targets will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10 shows that setting change 1 of certain change content is executed for specific image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E (setting change target 1) among a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10F arranged in an office, and a specified FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a situation when trying to execute setting change 2 of another change content for the image forming apparatuses 10B and 10E (setting change target 2).

Specifically, for the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E, for example, the density setting is changed as the setting change 1, and for the image forming apparatuses 10B and 10E, for example, the power saving mode is changed as the setting change 2. A case of changing the time for the purpose will be described as an example.

In this case, mobile terminal 50 generates setting change information including identification information 102 for identifying image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E, which are the target 1 of setting change, in setting change information for changing the density setting. Also, the setting change information for changing the time for shifting to the power saving mode is generated including the identification information 202 for identifying the image forming apparatuses 10B and 10E that are the setting change targets 2 . The USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 is attached to the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E whose density settings are to be changed, and the image forming apparatuses 10B and 10E to be changed to the power saving mode are , the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 202 is attached. In other words, the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 and the identification information 202 is attached to the image forming apparatus 10E, which is the setting change target for changing both the density setting and the time for shifting to the power saving mode. do.

In other words, it is not limited to executing the same setting change for the selected image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E included in the mesh network. You may want to. For example, there are cases where it is desired to change settings only for a specific device, such as when it is desired to change settings only for a device with a certain model name, or when it is desired to change settings differently for each user who delivers them.

In such a case, the USB memory 100 stores in advance the identification information of the setting change information regarding each setting change. Then, in the device that receives the setting change information, the identification information for identifying the setting change target device stored in the USB memory 100 and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the BLE communication unit 33 are stored. If they match, the setting of the device itself is changed according to the setting change information received by the BLE communication unit 33 .

In other words, the image forming apparatuses 10C to 10E to which the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 is attached change the density setting, and the image forming apparatus 10B to which the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 202 is attached. , 10E, the time for transitioning to the power saving mode is changed, and the setting contents in each device are changed based on the setting change information with matching identification information stored in the USB memory 100 attached to each device. changes are made.

Next, an information processing system in which the restriction information 104 is stored in the USB memory 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

In the display example shown in FIG. 11, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses 10A to 10K installed in the office, the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10G are set change targets.

In this case, the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 is attached to the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10G whose settings are to be changed. Restriction information 104 is stored in the USB memory 100 of each of the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10F installed at the end of the range S where the setting change information is desired to be transmitted.

That is, the mobile terminal 50 transmits setting change information including the identification information 102 through BLE communication, and the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10G transmit/receive the setting change information including the identification information 102 to each other through BLE communication. .

Image forming apparatuses 10A to 10G, to which USB memory 100 storing identification information 102 is attached, change settings based on the setting change information transmitted from mobile terminal 50 (parent device).

Further, the image forming apparatuses 10A to 10F to which the USB memory 100 storing the restriction information 104 is attached do not transmit the setting change information received by the BLE transmitting/receiving section 33 to other apparatuses. In other words, the range in which the setting change information is transmitted is limited to the range S, the diffusion of the information is prevented, and the information is not transmitted to the image forming apparatuses 10H to 10K installed outside the range S.

That is, even if a device having a BLE communication function is installed within a range where BLE communication is possible, the image forming devices 10H to 10K installed outside the range S are not included in the mesh network. , does not constitute a mesh network together with the other image forming apparatuses 10A to 10G.

[Variation]
In the above-described embodiment, the device whose settings are to be changed is mainly an image forming device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be similarly applied to various information processing devices such as terminal devices and televisions. In addition, although the case where the parent device is a mobile terminal has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the parent device whose settings are to be changed may be an image forming device, a personal computer, a television, or any other type of information processing device. Even if there is, the present invention can be applied in the same way.

In the above embodiment, the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 and the restriction information 104 is attached to the image forming apparatus 10 whose setting is to be changed, and the mobile terminal 50 is used to change the setting. However, the identification information 102 and the restriction information 104 are registered in advance in the data storage unit 36 of the image forming apparatus 10 whose settings are to be changed. If the identification information included in the received setting change information matches, the setting of the own device may be changed according to the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 .

In the above embodiment, the USB memory 100 storing the identification information 102 is attached to the image forming apparatus 10 whose settings are to be changed, and the mobile terminal 50 is used to change the settings. The USB memory 100 storing the information 102 is attached to the image forming apparatus 10 whose setting is not to be changed, and the identification information stored in the USB memory 100 and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 are combined. If they match, the setting change information received by the BLE transmission/reception unit 33 may not be used to change the setting of the own device.

10A to 10K Image forming apparatus 11 CPU
12 memory 13 storage device 14 communication interface (IF)
15 User Interface (UI) Device 16 Scanner 17 Print Engine 18 USB Interface (IF)
19 control bus 20 terminal device 30 terminal device 31 display unit 32 control unit 33 BLE transmission/reception unit 34 operation reception unit 35 image output unit 36 data storage unit 37 connection unit 40 printer 50 mobile terminal 61 CPU
62 memory 63 storage device 64 communication interface (IF)
65 user interface (UI) device 66 control bus 71 display unit 72 control unit 73 BLE transmission/reception unit 74 operation reception unit 100 USB memory

Claims (8)

a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device storing identification information used to identify a device whose settings are to be changed is attached to the main body of the device, and is used to identify the device whose settings are to be changed stored in the storage device. When the identification information and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means match, the setting change means is controlled to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means;
Information processing device with If the identification information stored in the storage device and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means do not match, the control means controls the own device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed so that the setting of is not changed. a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device is attached to the device main body, and identification information for identifying the device to be changed in settings stored in the storage device and identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means for controlling the setting change means to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means when the two match;
with
When the setting change information received by the receiving means contains identification information and the storage device is not attached to the device main body, the control means controls the setting change information received by the receiving means. An information processing device that controls so as not to change the settings of its own device according to information. a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device is attached to the device main body, and identification information for identifying the device to be changed in settings stored in the storage device and identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means for controlling the setting change means to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means when the two match;
with
If the storage device contains restriction information for preventing transmission of the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second device, the control means controls the settings received by the receiving means. An information processing device that controls not to transmit change information to the second other device. display means for displaying information;
receiving means for receiving input of setting change information of another device;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means, including identification information for identifying each device, to another device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
Receive a notification transmitted by BLE communication from a device whose identification information included in the setting change information transmitted by the transmitting means matches the identification information stored in the storage device, indicating that the device is a target device for setting change. receiving means for
control means for controlling to display on the display means that the apparatus is a setting change target, based on the notification received by the receiving means that the apparatus is a setting change target;
A terminal device with receiving means for receiving a setting change completion notification transmitted by BLE communication from a device whose setting has been changed according to the setting change information;
control means for controlling to display a setting change completion state of another device on the display means based on the setting change completion notification received by the receiving means;
6. The terminal device according to claim 5, comprising: Composed of a plurality of devices interconnected by a mesh network via BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require the communication partner to be specified in advance,
Each of the devices comprises:
a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
A detachable storage device storing identification information used to identify a device whose settings are to be changed is attached to the main body of the device, and is used to identify the device whose settings are to be changed stored in the storage device . When the identification information and the identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means match, the setting change means is controlled to change the setting of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means;
Information processing system with Composed of a plurality of devices interconnected by a mesh network via BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require the communication partner to be specified in advance,
Each of the devices comprises:
a receiving means for receiving setting change information for changing the setting of the device from the first other device by BLE communication, which is a communication method that does not require a communication partner to be specified in advance;
setting change means for changing settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
a transmitting means for transmitting the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second other device via BLE communication;
When a detachable storage device is attached to the device main body, and identification information for identifying each device stored in the storage device matches identification information included in the setting change information received by the receiving means. a control means for controlling the setting change means to change the settings of the device according to the setting change information received by the receiving means;
with
If the storage device contains restriction information for preventing transmission of the setting change information received by the receiving means to a second device, the control means controls the settings received by the receiving means. An information processing system that controls not to transmit change information to the second other device.

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