IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, AND CONTROL METHOD OF IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE

Abstract

An image processing device, having plural functions and executing at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, includes: a storage to store, from among plural setting information selectable to one of the plural functions, simultaneous use possible/impossible information being information concerning a combination of settings usable simultaneously or a combination of settings non-usable simultaneously; a selector to select any one of the plural setting information to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program; a discriminator to discriminate, by referring to the simultaneous use possible/impossible information, whether or not competitive setting information being the setting information non-usable simultaneously with the setting information selected by the selector exists; and a notification unit to notify the application program of information concerning the competitive setting information, when the discriminator discriminates that the competitive setting information exists.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective diagrams illustrating outward appearances of an image processing device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for describing functions of the image processing device illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the control constitution of each unit included in the image processing device illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware constitution of the control device illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the software module configuration of a digital copying machine controller which is a concrete example of the image processing device illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the details of the sub modules of an application platform according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display example of an operation screen to be displayed on an operation unit.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the operation screen to be displayed on the operation unit.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the operation screen to be displayed on the operation unit.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for describing the process to be executed by a UAP (User Application) and an APF (Application PlatForm) sub module according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for describing the process to be executed by the UAP and the APF sub module according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for describing a memory map of a storage medium which stores therein various data processing programs capable of being read by the image processing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating the details of the sub modules of an application platform according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting competitive table.

Claims

1. An image processing device which has plural functions and executes at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, comprising: a storage unit configured to store, from among plural setting information capable of being selected to one of the plural functions, use possible/impossible information which is information concerning a combination of settings capable of being used or a combination of settings incapable of being used;a selection unit configured to select any one of the plural setting information with respect to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program;a discrimination unit configured to discriminate, by referring to the use possible/impossible information, whether or not competitive setting information which is the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected by the selection unit exists; anda notification unit configured to notify the application program of information concerning the competitive setting information, in a case where the discrimination unit discriminates that the competitive setting information exists.

2. An image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: an operating system; andan application platform configured to execute an operation on the operating system,wherein the application program is a program module which is executed on the application platform, andthe discrimination unit discriminates whether or not the competitive setting information exists, by executing the program module included in the application platform.

3. An image processing device according to claim 2, wherein there are the plural application programs which can be executed on the application platform, andthe discrimination unit discriminates whether or not the competitive setting information exists, in response to the requests of any of the plural application programs.

4. An image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation display unit configured to be able to display the plural setting information, and to accept a selection of the setting information from a user, wherein the application program changes a display content of the operation display unit based on the information concerning the competitive setting information notified by the notification unit.

5. An image processing device according to claim 4, wherein the operation display unit discriminably displays, to the user, that a selection of the competitive setting information cannot be accepted, based on the information concerning the competitive setting information notified by the notification unit.

6. An image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores the plural use possible/impossible information respectively corresponding to the plural functions, andthe discrimination unit specifies one or more of the plural functions concerning the request from the application, and discriminates whether or not the competitive setting information exists, by referring to the use possible/impossible information corresponding to the specified function.

7. An image processing device which has plural functions and executes at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, comprising: a storage unit configured to store, from among plural setting information capable of being selected to one of the plural functions, use possible/impossible information which is information concerning a combination of settings capable of being used or a combination of settings incapable of being used;a selection unit configured to select any one of the plural setting information with respect to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program; anda reset unit configured to reset the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected by the selection unit to a predetermined attribute value, by referring to the use possible/impossible information.

8. An image processing device according to claim 7, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify the application of the attribute value reset by the reset unit.

9. An image processing device according to claim 8, further comprising a display unit configured to display the plural setting information, wherein the application updates the display on the display unit concerning the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected by the selection unit, based on the attribute value notified by the notification unit.

10. An image processing device according to claim 7, wherein the reset unit sets the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected by the selection unit, to be in a non-selectable state.

11. A control method for an image processing device which has plural functions and executes at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, the control method comprising the steps of: selecting any one of plural setting information with respect to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program;discriminating whether or not competitive setting information which is the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected in the selection step exists, by referring to a storage unit which stores, from among the plural setting information capable of being selected to one of the plural functions, use possible/impossible information which is information concerning a combination of settings capable of being used or a combination of settings incapable of being used; andnotifying the application program of information concerning the competitive setting information, in a case where it is discriminated in the discriminating step that the competitive setting information exists.

12. A control method for an image processing device which has plural functions and executes at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, the control method comprising the steps of: selecting any one of plural setting information with respect to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program; andresetting the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected in the selection step to a predetermined attribute value, by referring to a storage unit which stores, from among the plural setting information capable of being selected to one of the plural functions, use possible/impossible information which is information concerning a combination of settings capable of being used or a combination of settings incapable of being used.

13. A storage medium which stores a control program for causing an image processing device, which has plural functions and executes at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, to execute a control method for the image processing device, the control method comprising the steps of: selecting any one of plural setting information with respect to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program;discriminating whether or not competitive setting information which is the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected in the selection step exists, by referring to a storage unit which stores, from among the plural setting information capable of being selected to one of the plural functions, use possible/impossible information which is information concerning a combination of settings capable of being used or a combination of settings incapable of being used; andnotifying the application program of information concerning the competitive setting information, in a case where it is discriminated in the discriminating step that the competitive setting information exists.

14. A storage medium which stores a control program for causing an image processing device, which has plural functions and executes at least any one of the plural functions based on a request from an application program, to execute a control method for the image processing device, the control method comprising the steps of: selecting any one of plural setting information with respect to at least any one of the plural functions based on the request from the application program; andresetting the setting information incapable of being used with the setting information selected in the selection step to a predetermined attribute value, by referring to a storage unit which stores, from among the plural setting information capable of being selected to one of the plural functions, use possible/impossible information which is information concerning a combination of settings capable of being used or a combination of settings incapable of being used.