Patent Application
20180091687
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-187293 filed Sep. 26, 2016.
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a storage medium.
The functions of a multifunction machine having functions, such as copy, print, and fax, are further expanded, and hence it is requested to efficiently construct the entire system including various applications.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including an application on a framework that is separated into a core logic portion handling basic processing and a user interface frame portion handling rendering processing and operates; and a controller that executes the application and the framework. The core logic portion is implemented with an application programming interface (API) defined by the framework.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the figures.
The terminal apparatus 10 is connected with the image forming apparatus 12 through the communication unit 14, and transmits, for example, a print job including a print command of a document in accordance with an instruction of a user.
The image forming apparatus 12 includes a read-only memory (ROM) 16, a random access memory (RAM) 18, a hard disk drive (HDD) 20, a controller 22 configured of one or plural central processing units (CPUs), an input/output interface (I/F) 24, an operation unit 26 such as a touch panel, and an image forming unit 28.
The controller 22 configured of the one or plural CPUs receives, for example, a print job command from the terminal apparatus 10 through the input/output I/F 24, interprets page-description language (PDL) data and generates intermediate data, and further generates rendering data (raster data) from the generated intermediate data, in accordance with a processing program stored in the ROM 16. Also, the controller 22 executes various commands, such as copy, scan, and fax, received from the operation unit 26.
The image forming unit 28 includes a print module, a scan module, a fax module, a paper feed module, a document feed module, and an image processing accelerator.
The print module has a function of outputting an image on paper. For example, the print module includes a configuration of known inkjet method, and prints rendering data on paper. The print module discharges liquid or molten solid ink from a nozzle or the like, and executes recording on paper, film, or another material. Methods of discharging ink include a drop-on-demand method of discharging ink by using electrostatic attraction force (pressure pulse method), and a thermal inkjet method of discharging ink by using a pressure generated by forming and growing air bubbles with heat at high temperature. A recording head to be used includes, for example, a head that discharges cyan ink, a head that discharges magenta ink, a head that discharges yellow ink, and a head that discharges black ink. Each head uses a line head having at least a width equivalent to the width of paper. Ink droplets of the respective colors are discharged on an intermediate transfer body by the recording head for recording, and then transferred on paper for printing.
The scan module reads an image from paper and converts the image into electronic data.
The fax module includes a modem and a fax image processing module, and executes a fax function.
The paper feed module transports paper from a paper tray to the print module.
The document feed module transports paper from a document tray to the scan module.
The image processing accelerator is a module that executes compression/expansion processing in association with, for example, the scan module. The image processing accelerator is not necessarily provided and may be an additional module.
The image forming apparatus 12 may include, in addition to the aforementioned modules, a finisher that provides, for example, punching and sorting for paper; a universal serial bus (USB); an authentication unit that is configured of an integrated circuit (IC) card reader or the like, and authenticates a user; a billing unit; and/or a human sensor, a face camera, or the like.
Also, the image forming apparatus 12 may be connected with the Internet through the communication unit 14, or may include Ethernet (registered trademark) and/or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).
The presentation layer 30 is a layer in which various applications are implemented, and includes a framework 31 and various applications. The framework 31 is an execution environment software group that allows JavaScript (registered trademark) applications to be operable on a computer system. To be more specific, JavaScript is executed on a web browser, and base frame and UI frame are loaded as iframe of HyperText Markup Language (HTML). Also, such an application is JavaScript software implemented with an application programming interface provided by the framework 31. The framework 31 manages the life cycles of the various applications. That is, for each of the various applications, the framework 31 creates a base frame, reads a core logic of the application, and gives an instruction of initialization to the core logic. Also, at deactivation of the system, the framework 31 gives an instruction of finalization to the core logic of each of the various applications, and deletes the base frame. The core logic and the life cycle management of each of the various applications are described later in more detail.
The device service layer 32 is a layer that manages various hardware devices. The hardware devices include, for example, the print module of the above-described image forming unit 28.
Each application is JavaScript software implemented with the application programming interface provided by the framework 31 as described above, and is a component that provides a function directly to the user. Each application has a common configuration defined by the framework 31. Also, each application is configured to have a low link degree with respect to another application. Applications include an application that operates in cooperation with the user through a user interface (UI) and an application that does not cooperate with the user. The application that cooperates with the user subjectively executes displaying and inputting through the presentation layer 30.
The figure also shows a login button 48 for the user to make login. This button also corresponds to an application.
The core logic 52 is a component that executes basic processing (basic behavior and inter-application association) as an application, and is necessarily present in each application. The core logic provides an application programming interface defined by the framework 31.
The UI frame 54 is a component that provides rendering and displaying as an application, or more specifically, is managed as a display window.
The manifest file 56 is a list of passive information on each application. The passive information may include an identifier (ID), a display name, an icon image, a version, a creation date, and so forth, of the application. The manifest file 56 includes a core logic manifest file 56-1 and a UI frame manifest file 56-2. A piece of information to be written by the manifest file 56 is isLaunchable attribute. With this attribute, it is determined whether or not the application is displayed as an icon (button) on the home screen. The attributes are as follows:
display is selected if isLaunchable=true; and
non-display is selected if isLaunchable=false.
With this configuration, communication rules between the core logic 52 and the UI frame 54 are as follows:
(1) the core logic 52 communicates with another core logic 52; and
(2) the UI frame 54 communicates with only the core logic 52.
Therefore, the UI frame 54 does not communicate with another UI frame 54.
In contrast,
For example, exemplarily describing a copy application, the copy application is separated into a core logic 52, a UI frame 54, and a manifest file 56. The core logic 52 is connected with the framework 31. The UI frame 54 is connected with the core logic 52. Link among respective applications is limited without dependence unlike related art, and hence association among the applications is executed by the framework 31 through the core logics 52. The core logic 52 of each application provides an application programming interface defined by the framework 31. Hence, when an application is newly added, the addition may be easily executed by providing the application programming interface defined by the framework 31. Also, since the link among the applications is limited, an application may be easily deleted.
In particular, applications include four types.
STD: an application preinstalled
OT: a shortcut of the application preinstalled (STD)
EXT: an application that may be added (type I application)
CS: an application that may be added (type II application)
Applications preinstalled are applications corresponding to copy, scan, fax, and so forth, shown in
Also, “isLaunchable” in the manifest file 56-2 is attribute information that determines whether or not an icon is displayed on the home screen as described above. In the figure, the display is as follows.
isLaunchable=true
This represents that the copy button is displayed.
Since the application is separated into the core logic 52 and the UI frame 54, the application list describes the correspondence therebetween.
The manifest file 56 is created for each application. Hence, it is desirable to set an identifier representing the type of each application and a unique identifier in the type. For example, the manifest file of the copy application has identifiers as follows.
type:STD
ID:copy
In these identifiers, type is an identifier representing a type (an application preinstalled), and ID is a unique identifier.
Further, the manifest file 56 includes information required at activation and information required for rendering the home screen as static information. The information required at activation is storage location information on the core logic 52 and storage location information on the UI frame 54. The framework 31 loads the core logic 52 with reference to the storage location information on the core logic 52. Also, the core logic 52 loads the UI frame 54 if required with reference to the storage location information on the UI frame 54.
The information required for rendering the home screen is storage location information on icon buttons and the display order of the buttons.
The manifest file 56 is referenced by an application management component in the device service layer and is used for creating an application list (described later).
Part (a) in
Part (b) in
In contrast, part (c) in
A specific example of a manifest file 56-2 is, for example, as follows.
Another example is as follows.
In part (b) in
As an execution structure of an application, a core logic 52 is separated from a UI frame 54. Hence, only the UI frame 54 may be changed without changing the core logic 52, and the display style on the screen of an application may be easily customized.
In contrast,
In an application implementation structure of related art, a core logic 52 and a UI frame 54 are not separated from one another unlike the aforementioned structure, and processing and screen rendering are mixed, resulting in a complicated structure. Also, a common programming interface of applications is not present, and each application freely publicizes a programming interface and freely references the programming interface. In contrast, in this exemplary embodiment, the framework 31 defines an application programming interface, and the core logic 52 of each application is necessarily implemented with the application programming interface. Hence, the direction of the application programming interface in this exemplary embodiment differs from that of related art. Also, in addition to communication between the framework 31 and each of applications, a communication programming interface among the applications may be realized by a programming interface publicization function and an application programming interface reference function provided by the framework 31.
In theory, plural applications may share a common UI frame 54 and may respectively have individual core logics 52. However, in this case, the structure may be complicated in the viewpoint of the framework 31, and hence this case is not particularly described in this exemplary embodiment. Of course, it is not necessarily intended to exclude this pattern.
A framework 31 and various applications 50, and in addition, a booter 60 and a starter application 64 are present in the presentation layer. Also, an application management component 62 is present in the device service layer.
The booter 60 is a component that executes activation/deactivation management of the entire presentation layer. The framework 31 is initialized and activated by the booter 60.
The application management component 62 provides an application list to the framework 31 on the basis of manifest files 56 of the various applications 50.
The starter application 64 is an application that is implemented with a starter programming interface 70 defined by the framework 31. The starter application 64 is only one application present in the system, and is called from the framework 31 when initialization of all the applications 50 is completed.
The various applications 50 include the copy application, ID copy application, fax application, and so forth, and include core logics 52 as described above. The core logics 52 of the various applications 50 each are implemented with an application programming interface 72 defined by the framework 31.
Specifically, the application programming interface implemented in each application 50 is as follows.
The framework 31 includes a JavaScript component (referred to as communication control component) for enabling publicization/call of a method, and publicization/purchase/issue of an event among the core logics 52 of the various applications 50. A method may be defined to take a desirable parameter and to return a desirable return value. The publicized method is independently managed on an application basis. The application that calls the method may check completion of processing of the method by callback. Also, an event may be defined by each application with desirable data. The publicized event is independently managed on an application basis. To be more specific, the communication control component enables publicization and call of a method by the core logic 52, enables definition and issue of an event and registration of a listener, publicizes the method by “ON,” and stops the publicization of the method by “OFF.” The publicized method is able to be called by call. For example, the first application sets a certain application programming interface “on” for publicization to the framework 31, and the second application makes “call” for the publicized programming interface of the first application to the framework 31.
When the booter 60 activates the framework 31, the framework 31 requests an application list from the application management component 62 in the device service layer, and acquires the application list from the application management component 62.
When the framework 31 acquires the application list, the framework 31 creates a base frame on an application basis according to the list, and loads the various applications 50 including the starter application 64 (load phase). That is, the framework 31 reads the core logic 52 of each application. To be specific, the framework 31 loads the core logic 52 with reference to storage location information on the core logic 52 defined in the manifest file 56. The base frame is a frame for executing the core logic 52 of each application, and this frame is not displayed. The load order of the core logics 52 of the respective applications is desirably determined and the order is not particularly limited. This phase goes to the next phase at a time point at which all the applications have completed registration of application programming interface implementation.
It is to be noted that the method and event of each application are publicized before the registration processing of the application programming interface implementation.
Next, the framework 31 gives an instruction of initialization to each application through the application programming interface (initialize phase). To be specific, the framework 31 issues “app” event and “initialize” method to each application. At a time point at which all the applications callback after the process completion in response to the initialization instruction, the framework 31 notifies the booter 60 about the completion of the initialization processing, and the phase goes to the next phase. The order of initialization of the respective applications may be also desirably determined. In this initialization processing, each application executes data acquisition from the device service layer.
Then, the booter 60 gives a start instruction for provision of a function by an application to the framework 31, and the framework 31 gives a start instruction to the starter application 64 in response to the given instruction (start phase). The starter application 64 acquires information on an initial activation application managed in the device service layer, and displays an initial screen. This phase is completed at a time point at which the starter application 64 callbacks after the process completion in response to the start instruction.
At deactivation of the system, the framework 31 gives an instruction of finalization to the core logic 52 of each application. Also, the framework 31 deletes the base frame of each application.
In the load phase, the core logics 52 of the respective applications are read without a particularly limited order. Hence, even when an application is added, the load phase does not have to be changed. Also, in the initialize phase, all the applications are initialized. Hence, the other applications are assuredly called, and individual synchronization is not required. As described above, since the synchronization among the applications is no longer required and only the core logics 52 with relatively small sizes are loaded, the system activation time and the application activation time are reduced.
If each application independently publicizes an application programming interface, activation, pre-initialization processing, initialization processing, post-initialization processing, stop, temporary stop, and so forth, are different on an application basis. A difference is generated in initialization level of each application, and the timing at which the application is able to be called also varies. In particular, it is required to check whether or not a subject application is able to be called before the application is called. The control may be complicated. In contrast, in the exemplary embodiment, the initialization time may be reduced as described above, and the activation time of the home screen after the initialization may be reduced.
In related art, the application initialization time requires synchronization in addition to pure initialization time, and the activation time of the home screen requires synchronization in addition to pure activation time similarly. In contrast, in this exemplary embodiment, the pure initialization time may be reduced, and the synchronization may be eliminated. Also, for the home activation time, similar effect may be provided. In related art, if applications depend on one another, adjustment is required to prevent deadlock from being generated. However, in this exemplary embodiment, such dependence is not present, and hence deadlock adjustment is no longer required.
As described above, in this exemplary embodiment, an application is separated into a core logic 52 and a UI frame 54, an application programming interface defined by a framework 31 is implemented in the core logic 52, the core logic 52 communicates with a core logic 52 of another application through the framework 31, and the UI frame 54 communicates with only the core logic 52 of the application. Accordingly, each application has a common configuration defined by the framework 31, and may be configured to have a low link degree with another application. An application may be easily added or deleted.
A “component” in this exemplary embodiment represents a component of software that may be logically separated. A component may be executed by one or plural processors. In this exemplary embodiment, JavaScript is used. However, of course, any one of other programming languages may be used.
Also, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiment, and may be modified in various ways. Modifications are described below.
In the exemplary embodiment, the controller (processor) 22 of the image forming apparatus 12 executes the framework 31 and the various applications 50 in the presentation layer 30. However, since the presentation layer 30 and the device service layer 32 are separated from one another as shown in
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-187293 | Sep 2016 | JP | national |
