Patent Application
20180316823
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a control method.
An information processing apparatus is known in which connection to an external apparatus and the Internet is established and communication is performed. In such an information processing apparatus, a communication destination needs to be changed in accordance with situations.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-207650 proposes a technology in which, when a predetermined application is activated, a connection to the Internet is cut and a connection to an external apparatus is established, and when communication with the external apparatus has terminated, the connection to the external apparatus is cut and a connection to the Internet is established.
However, in order to switch a communication destination by cutting/establishing a connection, the information processing apparatus needs to store information about connection setting content and register the set information. Hence, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-207650, there is an issue in that a load for performing the processing described above is generated every time a predetermined application is activated or communication with the external apparatus has terminated.
The present disclosure has been completed in view of the issues described above, and a communication destination is switched while reducing a load regarding processing for cutting/establishing a connection.
A control method of the present invention for solving the issues described above is a control method for an information processing apparatus including: receiving a selection of data to be transmitted to an external apparatus, in a first state in which communication with the Internet based on a first communication method is possible and communication with the external apparatus based on a second communication method is not performed; receiving a print instruction for making the external apparatus perform printing on a basis of the selected data; switching, in accordance with receipt of the print instruction, from the first state to a second state in which communication with the external apparatus based on the second communication method is possible and communication with the Internet based on the first communication method is not performed, while connection to the Internet based on the first communication method and connection to the external apparatus based on the second communication method are maintained established in parallel; and transmitting the selected data to the external apparatus, when switched to the second state.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be illustratively described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that regarding the present disclosure, embodiments realized by appropriately applying modifications or improvements within the scope of the present disclosure to the embodiments described below on the basis of usual knowledge of those skilled in the art are within the scope of the present disclosure.
An information processing apparatus to which the present disclosure is applied will be described. Note that a smart phone will be illustrated as the information processing apparatus in the present embodiment. However, an apparatus that can be used as the information processing apparatus is not limited this, and may be any apparatus that can perform communication using a plurality of communication lines. In other words the information apparatus may be a mobile terminal, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital camera, or the like. In the present embodiment, an inkjet-type multifunction peripheral (MFP) is illustrated as an external apparatus. Note that an apparatus that can be used as the external apparatus is not limited to this, and may be any apparatus that can communicate with the information processing apparatus. In other words, the external apparatus may be a full-color printer, a monochrome printer, a copy machine, a facsimile machine, a scanner, a portable terminal, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, or the like. Further, the external apparatus may be a single-function peripheral (SFP) rather than an MFP. Further, when the external apparatus has a printer function, the recording method of the external apparatus is not limited to an inkjet method and may be another recording method, such as an electrophotographic method.
The CPU 101 is a system control unit and is a processor controlling the whole smart phone 100.
The operation unit 102 is an operation unit for a user to give instructions to the smart phone 100, and is formed of, for example, buttons, a touch panel, and the like.
The memory 105 is a random access memory (RAM) as a work area for the CPU 101 and is formed of a memory such as a static RAM (SRAM). The memory 105 is used, for example, to store program control variables, various kinds of setting data, management data for the smart phone 100, and the like, and is used as a temporary storage area for various kinds of received data.
The display unit 106, which is formed of, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs), a liquid crystal display (LCD), or the like, displays predetermined screens based on instructions from the CPU 101.
The storage device 107, which is formed of, for example, a flash memory, stores various programs executed by the CPU 101, such as control programs, application programs, the operating system (OS), and the like. In the present embodiment, the control program stored in the storage device 107 performs software control such as scheduling, task switching, and the like under the management of an embedded OS stored in the storage device 107.
The network I/F 103 and the network I/F 104 are interfaces utilized by the smart phone 100 for communication using different communication lines. In the present embodiment, the network I/F 103 is an I/F for the smart phone 100 to perform communication through connection to the Internet, by using a mobile communication line of a 3G or 4G system, for example. For example, the smart phone 100 establishes connection to the Internet using a mobile communication line by setting an APN (access point name, i.e., connection destination), a password, and the like. The network I/F 104 is an I/F for communication through connection to an external apparatus by using a communication line of a wireless LAN, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). For example, the smart phone 100 establishes connection to the Internet using a communication line of a wireless LAN by detecting an access point corresponding to an external apparatus and by performing connection setting, such as input of a password. Note that, in the present embodiment, the number of network I/Fs provided in the smart phone 100 is not limited to two. The smart phone 100 needs only to include at least an I/F that enables communication using a communication line that can be connected to the Internet, and an I/F that enables communication using a communication line that can be connected to an external apparatus. The number of I/Fs may be one if communication using a communication line that can be connected to the Internet and communication using a communication line that can be connected to an external apparatus can be realized by a single I/F. Further, the communication lines utilized for the I/Fs are not limited to those described above, and may instead be another communication line based on, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or may be a communication line based on a wired communication method rather than a wireless communication method. In addition, the smart phone 100 need not be directly connected to the Internet or an external apparatus by using a corresponding I/F, and may be connected to them through an apparatus like a router or the like.
The application 109 is an application program for making the smart phone 100 perform various functions. In the present embodiment, the application 109 has a function of controlling communication between an external apparatus such as a printer and the smart phone 100, and causing the external apparatus such as a printer to print an image represented by image data stored in the smart phone 100. Note that the application 109 is installed in the smart phone 100 through the Internet, for example.
The software described above, which has been stored in a memory such as the storage device 107, is developed in the memory 105 and executed by the CPU 101. Hence, in the description of the present embodiment, processing performed by the OS 108 or the application 109 is actually realized as a result of the CPU 101 executing programs corresponding to the OS 108 or the application 109.
The “Cloud” object is an object for making the smart phone 100 obtain content from a server in the cloud and transmit the obtained content to an external apparatus, thereby making the external apparatus print the content in the Internet. In the “External apparatus name” portion, the name of the external apparatus to which the smart phone 100 is connected is displayed.
Note that in displaying the screen of
In a state in which connections are established in parallel by using two or more communication lines, the smart phone 100 is in a state of being capable of communication using a communication line specified by the OS 108, among the communication lines with established connections. Note that in the present embodiment, when connections using the communication line 704 and the communication line 705 have been established in parallel as described above, the OS 108 makes the smart phone 100 preferentially utilize the communication line 704. Note that although, in the present embodiment, the smart phone 100, regarding connection to the MFP 700 using the communication line 705, is connected directly to the MFP 700 without passing through an external access point such as a router or a base station, the smart phone 100 may be connected through an external access point. Note that, at this time, if the external access point is connected to the Internet 702, the smart phone 100 can be connected to the Internet 702 even in a state of performing communication through the communication line 705. Hence, in that state, the application 109 need not perform the processing described below.
First, the application 109 displays a display screen for identifying image data to be transmitted to the MFP 700 on the display unit 106 (step S201). Here, it is assumed that the application 109 displays the display screen illustrated in
The OS 108, upon receipt of an instruction, switches a utilized line to the communication line 704, thereby making the smart phone 100 enter a state in which communication is performed using the communication line 704. As a result of employing an approach like this, the application 109 can allow the smart phone 100 to utilize information in the Internet 702 at a timing at which communication with the MFP 700 is not needed. Note that the application 109 need not perform the processing of step S202 in the case where the OS 108 has already made the utilized line be the communication line 704.
Then, the application 109 identifies image data to be used for printing performed by the MFP 700 (step S203). At this time, specifically, the application 109 identifies image data to be transmitted to the MFP 700 by receiving a selection of image data from the user through the display screen of
After that, the application 109, upon receipt of a data transmission instruction, determines that the MFP 700 perform printing by using the image data identified in step S203 (step S204). At this time, specifically, after detecting that an operation on an object for causing the MFP 700 to perform printing is performed through the display screen of
In step S205, when it is determined that a connection between the smart phone 100 and the MFP 700 using the communication line 705 has been established, the smart phone 100 has established connections using the communication line 704 and the communication line 705 in parallel. However, at this time, as described above, a state has been entered in which the communication line 704 is to be utilized in accordance with the instruction from the OS 108. The communication line 704 is not a communication line that can communicate with the MFP 700 and, hence, the smart phone 100 cannot transmit image data to the MFP 700 in this state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the application 109 instructs the OS 108 to make the communication line 705 be a utilized line (step S207). The OS 108, upon receipt of the instruction, switches the utilized line to the communication line 705 and causes the smart phone 100 to enter a state in which communication is performed by utilizing the communication line 705. At this time, the connection using the communication line 704 continues without being cut. Hence, the smart phone 100 need not perform processing for establishing a connection even in the case where the communication line 704 is used again as a utilized line, for example, to identify again the image data to be transmitted. After that, the application 109 causes the smart phone 100 to transmit the image data identified in step S203 to the MFP 700, thereby causing the MFP 700 to perform printing (step S208). Note that, at this time, the application 109 may cause the smart phone 100 to transmit not only the image data but also other information such as, for example, print setting information.
After that, the application 109 determines whether or not the utilized line is to be switched (step S209). At this time, specifically, the application 109 obtains from the MFP 700 information about the status of the processing of a job, and determines whether or not printing is finished by the MFP 700. When it is determined that printing has not been finished, it is determined that the utilized line is not to be switched, and when it is determined that printing has finished, it is determined that the utilized line is to be switched. This is because the smart phone 100 needs to maintain a state enabling communication with the MFP 700 to obtain information about printing statuses, such as a status change in time, with or without an error, and the like. Note that in step S209, the application 109 may determine whether or not the transmission of image data has been finished. In that case, when it is determined that the transmission of image data has not been finished, the application 109 determines that the utilized line is not to be switched, and when it is determined that the transmission of image data has been finished, the application 109 determines that the utilized line is to be switched. Even when the transmission of image data has been finished or printing performed by the MFP 700 has been finished, the application 109 may determine that the utilized line is not to be finished when communication with the MFP 700 needs to be continued. The cases where communication with the MFP 700 is continuously needed include a case where the status information of the MFP 700 needs to be continuously obtained, and a case where transferring of image data (image data that can be obtained without the Internet 702) within the smart phone 100 is continued.
The application 109, when determining in step S209 that the utilized line is not to be switched, repeats the processing of step S209 until it determines that the utilized line is to be switched. On the other hand, the application 109, when determining that the utilized line is to be switched, instructs the OS 108 to make the communication line 704 be a utilized line (step S210). The OS 108, upon receipt of the instruction, switches the utilized line, and makes the smart phone 100 enter a state in which communication is performed by utilizing the communication line 704. At this time, the smart phone 100, since the utilized line has been switched without cutting a connection to the communication line 704 in step S207, need not perform processing for establishing a connection in step S210. Further, at this time, since a connection using the communication line 705 continues without being cut, the smart phone 100 need not perform processing for establishing a connection even when the utilized line is made to be the communication line 705 again, for example, when the job is transmitted again. After that, the application 109 repeats the processing described above until the operation of the application terminates.
As has been described above, in the present embodiment, the smart phone 100 switches a utilized line in such a manner as to utilize a communication line which is suitable for the case where the Internet communication is necessary or the case where communication with the MFP 700 is necessary. With this configuration, the smart phone 100 can utilize an appropriate communication line in accordance with the situation.
Further, in the present embodiment, the smart phone 100, when data needs to be transmitted to the MFP 700, switches a utilized communication line without cutting an established connection. As a result, the smart phone 100 need not perform processing for storing and resetting connection setting information every time the utilized communication line is switched and, hence, compared with a configuration in which a communication destination is switched by establishing and cutting a connection, time for switching of a communication destination can be reduced.
Example methods of switching a utilized communication line without cutting an established connection include a method of switching between valid and invalid data communication settings of the smart phone 100. However, this method needs a configuration in which the smart phone 100 displays a screen for switching between valid and invalid mobile data communication settings provided by the OS and receives an input form a user through the screen. In the present embodiment, in a situation in which a utilized communication is to be switched, the application 109 automatically switches the utilized line by instructing the OS 108. Hence, in the present embodiment, the communication line utilized by the smart phone 100 can be switched without making the user perform mobile data communication setting (without displaying a screen for switching between valid and invalid mobile data communication settings).
In the embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which the smart phone 100 establishes connections using the communication line 704 and the communication line 705 in parallel, and the utilized line is switched in accordance with situations. However, the smart phone 100 may not support a multi-network function, depending on the type of installed OS, for example, and there is a case in which the connections using the communication line 704 and the communication line 705 cannot be established in parallel. Hence, in the present embodiment a configuration will be described in which processing is switched in consideration of the type of OS. Note that the basic configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment and, hence, only configurations specific to the present embodiment will be described.
The processing illustrated in steps S801 to S810 is similar to the processing illustrated in steps S201 to S210 and, hence, the description thereof is omitted.
First, in step S811, the application 109 determines whether or not the OS 108 supports the multi-network function in the smart phone 100. Specifically, at this time, the application 109 recognizes versions that support the multi-network function and identifies the version of the OS 108. When it is determined that the multi-network function is supported, the application 109 performs the processing illustrated in steps S801 to S810. When it is determined that the multi-network function is not supported, the application 109 performs the processing illustrated in steps S812 to S817.
First, in step S812, the application 109 displays a display screen for identifying image data to be transmitted to the MFP 700 on the display unit 106, similarly to step S201. At this time, when connection using the communication line 704 has been established, the application 109 can display content in the Internet. After that, since the smart phone 100 cannot perform the multi-network function, the application 109 identifies image data to be used for printing performed by the MFP 700 without performing the processing of step S802 (step S813). Then the application 109 determines that the MFP 700 print an image represented by the identified image data, similarly to the processing of step S804 (step S814).
After that, similarly to the processing of step S805, the application 109 determines whether or not connection between the smart phone 100 and the MFP 700 using the communication line 705 has been established (step S815). When it is determined that the connection has not been established, the application 109, similarly to the processing of step S806, displays a screen for prompting the user to establish connection between the smart phone 100 and the MFP 700 using the communication line 705 (step S816). In this manner, the smart phone 100 detects that operations for detection of the SSID of the MFP 700, input of a password, and the like have been performed by the user and can obtain connection setting information and can establish a connection to the MFP 700 using the communication line 705. Note that, at this time, since the smart phone 100 cannot perform a multi-network function, the smart phone 100 cuts a connection using the communication line 704. Further, the application 109, after displaying a screen prompting the user to establish a connection, detects again an operation on the object for causing the MFP 700 to perform printing, and performs again the processing of step S814. Further, for example, there may be a case where the smart phone 100 has stored the connection setting information in the memory 105 or the like because the smart phone 100 has previously detected an operation performed by the user. In this case, the application 109 may perform the processing of step S817 without performing the processing of step S816, by instructing the OS 108 to establish a connection to the MFP 700 using the communication line 705, by utilizing the connection setting information which has been stored.
When a connection between the smart phone 100 and the MFP 700 using the communication line 705 has been established, the application 109 identifies image data to be used for printing performed by the MFP 700, and causes the MFP 700 to print an image represented by the image data (step S817). At this time, since the smart phone 100 cannot establish multiple connections, the application 109 does not perform processing which is performed in step S807. After that, the application 109 repeats the processing described above until the operation of the application terminates.
By employing the approach described above, the application 109 can perform processing in accordance with the type of OS installed in the smart phone 100.
In the embodiments described above, the example has been described in which a job for causing an external apparatus to perform print processing is transmitted to the external apparatus, as an example of data communication processing with an external apparatus, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In other words, in the present disclosure, for example, a command may be transmitted to cause scan processing to be performed for reading a document set in an external apparatus. Further, the present disclosure can be similarly applied at the time of execution of data communication for performing setting of an external apparatus, data communication for obtaining the state of an external apparatus, processing for transferring predetermined data to an external apparatus, and the like.
In the embodiments described above, a configuration was employed in which switching of a utilized line is performed at the start and end of data communication; however, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. For example, in the case where the application 109 does not utilize the content in the cloud server 703, the smart phone 100 need not be connected to the Internet 702 in a state in which the application 109 is operating. Hence, a configuration may be employed in which a utilized line is switched in the case where the application 109 has been activated or the operation thereof has terminated. Further, the application 109 need only switch the utilized line at least one timing among the timing of the start of data communication, the timing of the end of the data communication, the timing at which the application 109 has been activated, and the timing at which the operation of the application 109 has terminated. For example, in the configuration in which the utilized line is switched at the four timings described above, even in the case where the communication line 705 is made to be a utilized line after activation and the communication line 704 is made to be a utilized line at the time when data communication has terminated, the communication line 705 can again be made to be a utilized line at the time of starting data communication. Further, for example, there may be a case in which there are a screen in which content in the cloud server 703 is utilized and a screen in which content in the cloud server 703 is not utilized, as screens for selecting data to be transmitted. In this case, the application 109 may switch the utilized line in accordance with the start and end of a screen for utilizing the content in the cloud server 703.
In the embodiments described above, the application 109 which is an application program performs the control of the present disclosure. However, for example, the OS may perform the control of the present disclosure. In other words, the OS may identify the start of data communication, the end of data communication, and the timings of activation of the application 109 and the end of the operation of the application 109, and switch a utilized line.
As far as the effects of the embodiments described above can be realized, the sequence of processing steps of the flowchart of the embodiments described above may be changed, it is not necessary to perform all of the processing steps, and the content of the processing steps may be modified. For example, the application 109 may perform the processing of step S202 when the application 109 has been activated, i.e., before the processing of step S201.
The embodiments described above can also be realized by processing obtained by providing a program that realizes one or more functions of the embodiments described above to a system or an apparatus via a network or a storage medium and as a result of one or more processors in a computer of the system or the apparatus executing the program. Further, the embodiments described above can be realized by a circuit (for example, an ASIC) realizing one or more functions.
According to the present disclosure, switching of a communication destination can be realized while reducing the load of processing pertaining to cutting and establishment of a connection.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments, and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments. The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-214961 | Oct 2015 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation, and claims the benefit, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/335,959, presently pending and filed on Oct. 27, 2016, and claims the benefit of, and priority to, Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-214961, filed Oct. 30, 2015, which applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15335959 | Oct 2016 | US |
| Child | 16028833 | US |
