INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AN INFORMATION APPARATUS, MACRO EXECUTING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

An information processing system in which a warning is generated in advance when a macro including unsupported functions is executed, realizing improved usability for users. A multi-function apparatus and a server holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network. A macro referring section provided in the multi-function apparatus acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus. An unsupported function checking section provided in the server detects functions that cannot be realized by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro. A warning information providing section provided in the second information apparatus creates warning information relating to the detected unsupported functions and transmits the warning information to the multi-function apparatus. A warning section provided in the multi-function apparatus notifies a user of the transmitted warning information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of an information apparatus constituting a part of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the entire image forming system including a multi-function apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the CPU of the multi-function apparatus executing predetermined software and functions realized by the CPU of a server executing predetermined software;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a warning screen displayed on a touch panel display by a warning section of the multi-function apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart (1/2) showing a procedure for carrying out a sequence of processes carried out by the multi-function apparatus and the server when the multi-function apparatus acquires macro information registered in the server and executes a macro;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart (2/2) showing a procedure for carrying out a sequence of processes carried out by the multi-function apparatus and the server when the multi-function apparatus acquires macro information registered in the server and executes a macro;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the construction of an image forming system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the CPU of a first multi-function apparatus executing predetermined software and functions realized by the CPU of a second multi-function apparatus executing predetermined software;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart (1/2) showing a procedure for carrying out a sequence of processes carried out by the first multi-function apparatus and the second multi-function apparatus when the first multi-function apparatus acquires macro information registered in the second multi-function apparatus and executes a macro;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart (2/2) showing a procedure for carrying out a sequence of processes carried out by the first multi-function apparatus and the second multi-function apparatus when the first multi-function apparatus acquires macro information registered in the second multi-function apparatus and executes a macro;

FIG. 11 is a macro described in XML;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing functions realized by a CPU of a multi-function apparatus executing predetermined software and functions realized by the CPU of a server executing predetermined software in an information processing system according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a view showing a warning screen displayed on a touch panel display by a warning section of the multi-function apparatus; and

FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of an alternative macro created by an alternative macro creating section when the multi-function apparatus executes the macro illustrated in FIG. 11.

Claims

1. An information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising: a macro acquiring unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and that detects functions that cannot be realized by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;a warning information transmitting unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and that creates warning information relating to the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus; anda notifying unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that notifies a user of the warning information transmitted by said warning information transmitting unit.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said warning information transmitting unit adds information relating to an information apparatus capable of realizing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit from among a plurality of information apparatuses connected to the network and transmits the information to the first information apparatus.

3. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first information apparatus further comprises a function notifying unit that notifies the second information apparatus of functions that can be realized by the first information apparatus, and wherein said unsupported function detecting unit that regards the functions notified from said function notifying unit as functions that can be realized by the first information apparatus.

4. An information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and wherein the first information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

5. An information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: an alternative macro creating unit that is provided in the second information apparatus, for creating an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting means with alternative functions,wherein said warning information transmitting unit further transmits information on the alternative macro to the first information apparatus, andwherein said notifying unit notifies the user of information on the alternative macro transmitted from said warning information transmitting unit.

6. An information processing system according to claim 5, wherein said alternative macro creating unit is capable of creating a plurality of alternative macros, and wherein said notifying unit notifies the user of information on the plurality of alternative macros and a message that prompts the user to select an alternative macro.

7. An information apparatus that holds at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function and is connected to another information apparatus via a network, comprising: a macro information providing unit that provides the other information apparatus with a macro designated by the other information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting unit that detects functions that cannot be realized by the other information apparatus from among functions included in the designated macro; anda warning information transmitting unit that creates warning information on the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit and transmits the warning information to the other information apparatus.

8. An information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising: a macro acquiring unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that detects functions that cannot be realized by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;a warning information transmitting unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and that creates warning information relating to the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus; anda notifying unit provided in the first information apparatus and that notifies a user of the warning information transmitted by said warning information transmitting means.

9. An information processing system according to claim 8, wherein said notifying unit adds information relating to an information apparatus capable of realizing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit from among a plurality of information apparatuses connected to the network and notifies the information to the user.

10. An information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, andwherein the first information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

11. An information apparatus that is connected to another information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function via a network, comprising: a macro acquiring that acquires a macro held by the other information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting unit that detects functions that cannot be realized by the information apparatus from among functions included in the macro; anda notifying unit that receives warning information relating to the functions, detected in said unsupported function detecting means, from the other information apparatus and notifies a user of the warning information.

12. A macro executing method applied to an information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising: a macro acquiring step in which the first information apparatus acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting step in which the second information apparatus detects functions that cannot be realized by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;a warning information transmitting step in which the second information apparatus creates warning information relating to the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus; anda notifying step in which the first information apparatus notifies a user of the warning information transmitted in said warning information transmitting step.

13. A macro executing method applied to an information apparatus that holds at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function and is connected to another information apparatus via a network, comprising: a macro providing step of providing the other information apparatus with a macro designated by the other information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that cannot be realized by the other information apparatus from among functions included in the designated macro; anda warning information transmitting step of creating warning information on the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmitting the warning information to the other information apparatus.

14. A macro executing method applied to an information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising: a macro acquiring step in which the first information apparatus acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting step in which the first information apparatus detects functions that cannot be realized by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;a warning information transmitting step in which the second information apparatus creates warning information relating to the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus; anda notifying step in which the first information apparatus notifies a user of the warning information transmitted in said warning information transmitting step.

15. A macro executing method applied to an information apparatus that is connected to another information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function via a network, comprising: a macro acquiring step of acquiring a macro held by the other information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that cannot be realized by the information apparatus from among functions included in the macro; anda notifying step of receiving warning information relating to the functions, detected in said unsupported function detecting step, from the other information apparatus and notifying a user of the warning information.

16. A storage medium storing a program for causing an information apparatus to execute a macro executing method applied to the information apparatus that holds at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one macro indicative of a procedure of executing at least one function and connected to another information apparatus via a network, said method comprising: a macro providing step of providing the other information apparatus with a macro designated by the other information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that cannot be realized by the other information apparatus from among functions included in the designated macro; anda warning information transmitting step of creating warning information on the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmitting the warning information to the other information apparatus.

17. A storage medium storing a program for causing an information apparatus to execute a macro executing method applied to the information apparatus that is connected to another information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function via a network, said method comprising: a macro acquiring step of acquiring a macro held by the other information apparatus;an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that cannot be realized by the information apparatus from among functions included in the macro; anda notifying step of receiving warning information relating to the functions, detected in said unsupported function detecting step, from the other information apparatus and notifying a user of the warning information.