Patent Application
20050174592
This invention relates to a scan data transmission apparatus and a scan data transmission system that can generate image data of an original and save a file of the image data in a folder.
In recent years, there have been some commercially available digital multifunction processing machines placed in a state in which scan to mail processing and scan to file processing can be performed as each digital multifunction processing machine is connected to a LAN and a predetermined program, which will be hereinafter referred to as function addition program, is previously installed in a computer on the LAN. (Refer to non-patent document 1.)
The scan to mail processing is processing wherein scan data (image data of an original generated by a scanner of a digital multifunction processing machine) is transmitted from the digital multifunction processing machine to a computer in which the function addition program is installed and the computer transmits e-mail to which a file of data provided by processing the scan data (data whose data format is converted) is attached to several destinations specified by the user, as schematically shown in
The digital multifunction processing machine is an apparatus which requires the user to check the contents of the folder specified to save the file on a regular basis to check completion of the scan to file processing from the computer.
Non-patent document 1: CS-7000 User's Manual produced by Seiko Epson.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a scan data transmission apparatus and a scan data transmission system that can perform processing of saving a file of image data of one original in a folder and enable the user to easily keep track of completion of the processing.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
The processing performed by the information processing apparatus and the auxiliary information processing apparatus of the scan data transmission system is essentially the same as the processing performed by the scan data transmission apparatus of the invention. Therefore, the scan data transmission system of the invention is a system for enabling each user to easily keep track of the termination of the processing started by the user.
In the accompanying drawings:
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be discussed in detail.
To begin with, the hardware configuration of a scan data transmission system according to one embodiment of the invention will be discussed with FIGS. 1 to 4.
As shown in
The Internet router 200 is an apparatus for the computers 220, etc., to the Internet. The file server 210 is a computer in which a shared folder is set. The computer 220 is a computer used by the manager and general users of the scan data transmission system (computer in which a Web browser is installed).
The scan agent computer 50 is a computer installing a scan agent program 40 developed for the scan data transmission system (corresponding to auxiliary information processing program). The function of the scan agent program 40 is described later. The scan agent program 40 is a program requiring the user to set the manager name and a password and set a work folder and a mail server at the installation (setup) time.
The digital multifunction processing machine 10 is an apparatus having the appearance and the hardware configuration shown in
The printer 13 used as a part of the digital multifunction processing machine 10 is an apparatus having an expansion board to form the digital multifunction processing machine 10 (to connect the control unit 11 and the printer 13), the expansion board placed in a printer that can be used as a computer peripheral apparatus. The scanner 12 is an apparatus having an expansion board to form the digital multifunction processing machine 10 (to connect the control unit 11 and the scanner 12), the expansion board placed in a scanner that can be used as a computer peripheral apparatus.
The control unit 11 is a unit made up of a CPU 21, ROM 22, RAM 23, EEPROM 24, a communication control circuit 25, an LCD control circuit 27, an input interface circuit (input I/F) 28, a network interface circuit (NW-I/F) 29, a touch screen 31, a switch section 32, etc., as shown in
The touch screen 31 used as a part of the control unit 11 is a component having a transparent touch position sensor 36 put on a liquid crystal display (LCD) 35. The touch screen 31 is placed on the top of a cabinet of the control unit 11 as shown in
The CPU 21 (
The LCD control circuit 27 is a circuit for displaying an image (screen) as instructed from the CPU 21 on the touch screen 31 (LCD 35). The input interface circuit 28 is a circuit for notifying the CPU 21 how the user (the operator of the digital multifunction processing machine 10) operates the ten-key section 32 or the touch screen 31 (touch position sensor 36). The network interface circuit 29 is a circuit for connecting the control unit 11 to the network.
The EEPROM 24 is nonvolatile rewritable memory installed in the control unit 11 to store various pieces of information which need to be saved if power is turned off (apparatus IP address, agent IP address, etc., described later).
The operation of the scan data transmission system is as follows:
The scan data transmission system is configured so as to operate in a state in which information as schematically shown in
That is, the scan data transmission system is a system operating in a state in which multifunction processing machine management information is stored by digital multifunction processing machine 10 (in the figure, multifunction processing machine A, B) and user management information and several pieces of destination definition information (mail, group, and save destination definition information) by user (in the figure, user α, β, γ) in the HDD of the scan agent computer 50.
The multifunction processing machine management information stored with respect to each digital multifunction processing machine 10 in the scan agent computer 50 is information made up of the IP address, the MAC address, the management name, etc., of the corresponding digital multifunction processing machine 10. The multifunction processing machine management information is automatically registered in the scan agent computer 50 when the digital multifunction processing machine 10 is initialized.
Specifically, the control unit 11 is a unit which requires the user (operator) to assign the IP address, which will be hereinafter referred to as apparatus IP address, and store the IP address assigned to the scan agent computer 50, which will be hereinafter referred to as agent IP address, when the control unit 11 is installed (is built in the network).
The control unit 11 is configured so as to enable the user (operator) to assign the apparatus IP address and store the agent IP address by operating the ten keys and the touch screen 31 on the control unit 11 and so as to store the setup apparatus IP address and agent IP address in the EEPROM 24.
Further, if power is turned on in a state in which the apparatus IP address and the agent IP address are stored in the EEPROM 24 or if the apparatus IP address or the agent IP address is changed, the control unit 11 is configured so as to transmit an IP address registration and check request made up of the apparatus IP address, the MAC address of the control unit (network interface circuit 29), the model name of the control unit, the model name of the scanner 12, information indicating the attachment state of an optional apparatus (ADF) of the scanner 12, and the like to the apparatus specified by the agent IP address stored in the EEPROM 24 (namely, the scan agent computer 50).
On the other hand, the scan agent program 40 is a program for causing the scan agent computer 50 receiving the IP address registration and check request to execute IP address registration and check processing whose procedure is shown in
That is, the scan agent computer 50 receiving the IP address registration and check request determines whether or not the multifunction processing machine management information corresponding to the IP address registration and check request is stored in the scan agent computer (in a predetermined folder in the HDD included in the scan agent computer) (S101). The multifunction processing machine management information corresponding to the received IP address registration and check request is the multifunction processing machine management information containing the same MAC address as the MAC address contained in the received IP address registration and check request (see
If the multifunction processing machine management information corresponding to the received IP address registration and check request is not stored in the scan agent computer (NO at S101), the scan agent computer 50 combines the model name of the control unit 11 and a part of the MAC address of the control unit 11 contained in the IP address registration and check request to generate a management name (information presented to the user as the identification information of the digital multifunction processing machine 10) (S102). Next, the scan agent computer 50 generates multifunction processing machine management information containing the generated management name and the information contained in the received IP address registration and check request and stores the generated multifunction processing machine management information in the scan agent computer (S103). The processing actually executed at S102 is processing of generating a character string of the model name of the control unit 11 followed by the last four characters of the MAC address as the management name. The processing actually executed at S103 is processing of creating a folder of the same folder name as the MAC address under a predetermined folder created in the HDD and creating a file of the multifunction processing machine management information in the created folder.
Upon completion of generating and storing the multifunction processing machine management information (S103), the scan agent computer 50 returns information indicating that the IP address registration and check request has been normally processed to the apparatus transmitting the IP address registration and check request (digital multifunction processing machine 10, control unit 11) (S106). Then, the scan agent computer 50 completes the IP address registration and check processing.
On the other hand, if the multifunction processing machine management information corresponding to the received IP address registration and check request is stored in the scan agent computer (YES at S101), the scan agent computer 50 determines whether or not the apparatus IP address contained in the multifunction processing machine management information matches the apparatus IP address contained in the received IP address registration and check request (S104). If both the IP addresses match (YES at S104), the scan agent computer 50 executes S106. If the IP addresses do not match (NO at S104), the scan agent computer 50 changes the apparatus IP address in the multifunction processing machine management information with the apparatus IP address not matching that in the received IP address registration and check request although the MAC address matches that in the received IP address registration and check request to the apparatus IP address contained in the IP address registration and check request (S105) and then executes S106.
Referring again to
Various pieces of information stored by user in the scan agent computer 50 are information that can be set by accessing the scan agent computer 50 with the Web browser.
Specifically, the user management information is information made up of the user name, the mail address, the password, processing completion notification required/not required information, etc., and is also information that can be set using a scan user setting page 60 and an option setting page 65 shown in
The destination definition information stored with respect to each user in the scan agent computer 50 is information set by the user whose user management information has been set (whose user registration is complete) using a folder setting page 75, a destination setting page 80, and a destination group setting page 85 shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 respectively. The setting pages are Web pages that can be displayed after login requiring the user name and the password (if no password is set, only the user name) is performed, and the information entered in the setting pages is stored in the HDD of the scan agent computer 50 as the information concerning the user logging in to the system (save, mail, and group destination definition information).
The scan data transmission system is configured as a system in which the information stored in the scan agent computer 50 is used as follows:
The control unit 11 has an operation mode for causing the digital multifunction processing machine 10 to operate as a copier, which will be hereinafter referred to as the copy mode, and an operation mode for causing a system made up of the digital multifunction processing machine 10 and the scan agent computer 50 to operate as a system (scan data transmission system actually functioning) that can execute scan data transmission processing (processing made up of data transmission processing performed by the scan agent computer 50 and processing performed by the digital multifunction processing machine 10; described later in detail), which will be hereinafter referred to as the scan mode.
When the control unit 11 operates in the copy mode, usually the control unit 11 displays a copy basic screen 100 shown in
If the user wants to start the scan mode operation of the control unit 11 (if the user wants to cause the scan data transmission system to perform scan data transmission processing), the user presses a mode change button 101 on the copy basic screen 100.
As the user presses the mode change button 101, the control unit 11 starts the scan mode operation. The control unit 11 first transmits a user name list request to the scan agent computer 50 (apparatus having the agent IP address stored in the EEPROM 24) (S201), as shown in
Upon reception of the user name list request, the scan agent computer 50 creates a user name list from the user management information group stored in the scan agent computer and returns the created user name list to the digital multifunction processing machine 10 (S301). The user name list provides information containing the user names of the users and information indicating whether or not each of the users is a person who sets the password.
Upon reception of the user name list, the control unit 11 displays a user name selection screen 105 as shown in
If the user presses one user name button 106 on the user name selection screen 105, the control unit 11 transmits a login request containing the user name corresponding to the pressed user name button 106 to the scan agent computer 50 (S203). If the pressed user name button 106 corresponds to the user setting the password (see
Upon reception of the login request, the scan agent computer 50 checks that user management information containing the same information as the information contained in the login request (user name or user name and password) exists, and then starts processing of handling the request from the control unit 11 transmitting the login request as the request from the user identified by the user name contained in the login request, which will be hereinafter referred to as the current user, (session management in the figure) (S302). The scan agent computer 50 returns information indicating acceptance of the login request (OK in the figure) to the digital multifunction processing machine 10.
Upon reception of the information, the control unit 11 displays a scan basic screen 110 in the format shown in
A mode change button 111 on the scan basic screen 110 is a button for causing the control unit 11 to start the copy mode operation as the user presses the button.
A setup value area 112 on the scan basic screen 110 is an area indicating the setup values concerning the original size, the resolution, the color type, and the file format at the current point in time. ORIGINAL SIZE button, RESOLUTION button, COLOR TYPE button, and FILE FORMAT button 113 are buttons for changing the setup values concerning the original size, the resolution, the color type, and the file format respectively.
An ORIGINAL TYPE button 114 is a button for specifying the type of original (which of printed matter, photo, and almost all text the original is). The ORIGINAL TYPE button 114 is a button for indicating the setup value at the point in time (in the figure, text) inside the button. A single side/double side change button 115 is a button for specifying which of double sides and single side of the original to read. The single side/double side change button 115 is also a button for indicating the setup value at the point in time (in the figure, single side) inside the button.
Each of these buttons is a button for displaying another screen on the touch screen 31 as the user presses the button. For example, the FILE FORMAT button 113 is a button for displaying a file format selection screen as shown in
On the other hand, a LIGHT button and a DARK button provided on the scan basic screen 110 (buttons for adjusting the scan density) are buttons not displaying another screen as the user presses the button (if the user presses either button, the display position of a density cursor 117 moves) A scan destination button 116 is a button for specifying the destination (final destination) of scan data (image data generated by the scanner 12).
If the user presses the scan destination button 116, the control unit 11 transmits a scan destination list request to the scan agent computer 50 (S205 in
Upon reception of the scan destination list request, the scan agent computer 50 creates a scan destination list containing the name of the destination definition information and information indicating which of save destination definition information, mail destination definition information, and group destination definition information the destination definition information is for each destination definition information stored in the scan agent computer in association with the current user, and returns the created scan destination list to the control unit 11 (S303).
Upon reception of the scan destination list, the control unit 11 displays a scan destination selection screen 120 in the format shown in
A list area 121 included in the scan destination selection screen 120 is an area indicating the names of destination definition information previously registered by the user (FOLDER_1, USER_1, etc., hereinafter also referred to as the destination definition information names). As seen in
The scan destination selection screen 120 is a screen for enabling the user to select any number of pieces of destination definition information as the user operates the screen as follows:
If the user wants to select one destination definition information (save destination definition information, mail destination definition information, or group destination definition information), the user forms a state in which a selection frame 126 is displayed in the portion in which the destination definition information name to be selected is displayed by operating a button 122u and a button 122d. Then, the user presses an ADD TO SCAN DESTINATIONS button 123.
When the user presses the ADD TO SCAN DESTINATIONS button 123, the control unit 11 stores selection of the destination definition information identified by the destination definition information name enclosed in the selection frame 126. The control unit 11 increments the numeric value in a number-of-selections display field 124 by one and erases the destination definition information name enclosed in the selection frame 126 from the list area 121.
To select two or more pieces of destination definition information (to specify two or more destinations of scan data), the user performs operation as described above for each destination definition information and then presses a DETERMINE button 125. A scan destination button 127 on the scan destination selection screen 120 is a button for displaying a scan destination check/deletion screen shown in
When the user presses the DETERMINE button 125 (or the DETERMINE button on the scan destination check/deletion screen), a scan basic screen 110 indicating information concerning the destination definition information selected by the user (a list of the destination definition information names) in the scan destination button 116 is displayed on the touch screen 31.
If the start button 32s is pressed in a state in which the scan destination is set, the control unit 11 transmits a processing start request containing the processing description definition information at the point in time (a set of the setup values of the items displayed on the scan basic screen 110) to the scan agent computer 50 (S211) as shown in
Upon reception of the processing start request, the scan agent computer 50 creates scanner control information based on the processing description definition information contained in the processing start request and returns the created scanner control information to the control unit 11 (S312). The scanner control information is information provided by converting the items in the processing description definition information (only the information involved in control of the scanner 12) into information to control the scanner 12 (commands).
Upon reception of the scanner control information, the control unit 11 performs control processing as defined in the scanner control information for the scanner 12 (S212). In short, the control unit 11 causes the scanner 12 to start the operation.
The control unit 11 enters a mode of transferring the scan data transmitted by the scanner 12 to the scan agent computer 50.
On the other hand, the scan agent computer 50 returning the scanner control information to the control unit 11 starts processing of receiving the scan data transmitted from the control unit 11 and storing the scan data in the HDD (S313) When information indicating completion of transmission of all scan data (in the figure, scan completion) is transmitted from the control unit 11, the scan agent computer 50 performs data transmission processing (S314).
At the data transmission processing time, the scan agent computer 50 first determines whether or not it is necessary to execute file save processing (processing of saving the file of the received scan data in a shared folder) (S401) as shown in
If it is necessary to execute file save processing (YES at S401), the scan agent computer 50 creates a file in the file format specified in the current processing description definition information from the already received scan data (S402). Next, the scan agent computer 50 performs processing of saving the created file in each folder specified in the current processing description definition information (S403) by referencing the destination definition information concerning the current user in the HDD.
At S402, if the specified file format and color type are TIFF and MONOCHROME respectively, a TIFF file compressed in MMR (G4) is created; if the specified file format and color type are TIFF and COLOR or GRAY SCALE respectively, a TIFF file not compressed is created. At S403 (and S402), a file having the name generated from the current date and time is saved (created).
The scan agent computer 50 completing S403 or recognizing that it is not necessary to execute file save processing (NO at S401) determines whether or not it is necessary to execute mail transmission processing (processing of transmitting e-mail to which the file of the received scan data is attached) (S404). That is, the scan agent computer 50 determines whether or not the current processing description definition information contains any mail destination definition information name or group destination definition information name.
If it is necessary to execute mail transmission processing (YES at S404), the scan agent computer 50 determines whether or not a scan data file is already created (S405). If a scan data file is not yet created (NO at S405), the scan agent computer 50 creates a file in the file format specified in the current processing description definition information from the already received scan data (S406). At S406, if the specified file format and color type are TIFF and MONOCHROME respectively, a TIFF file compressed in MMR (G4) is created; if the specified file format and color type are TIFF and COLOR or GRAY SCALE respectively, a TIFF file compressed in JPEG is created.
The scan agent computer 50 performs processing of transmitting e-mail to which the created file is attached to each destination specified in the current processing description definition information (S409) by referencing the destination definition information concerning the current user in the HDD.
On the other hand, if a scan data file is already created (YES at S405), the scan agent computer 50 determines whether or not the condition that the specified file format and color type are TIFF and COLOR or GRAY SCALE respectively is satisfied (S407).
If the condition is not satisfied (NO at S407), the scan agent computer 50 performs processing of transmitting e-mail to which the created file is attached to each destination specified in the current processing description definition information (S409).
On the other hand, if the condition is satisfied (YES at S407), the scan agent computer 50 creates a TIFF file compressed in JPEG from the already created file (in this case, TIFF file not compressed) (S408) and then performs processing of transmitting e-mail to which the created file is attached to each destination specified in the current processing description definition information (S409).
The scan agent computer 50 completing S409 or recognizing that it is not necessary to execute mail transmission processing (NO at S404) determines whether or not the current user is a person to whom processing completion notification mail needs to be transmitted (S410). That is, the scan agent computer 50 determines whether or not the processing completion notification required/not required information concerning the current user (see
If the current user is a person to whom processing completion notification mail needs to be transmitted (YES at S410), the scan agent computer 50 creates and transmits processing completion notification mail setting information representing the description and the result of the executed processing in the subject and the main body with the mail address of the current user as the destination mail address (see
More specifically, at S411, the scan agent computer 50 transmits processing completion notification mail containing a character string made up of the destination definition information name for each destination (“folderA,” “UserA”) and information indicating the type of processing performed for each destination (“ScanImage,” “SendData”) as the subject and text indicating the description and the result of each executed processing by destination as the main body, as shown in
The scan agent computer 50 completing S411 completes the data transmission processing. If the current user is not a person to whom processing completion notification mail needs to be transmitted (NO at S410), the scan agent computer 50 completes the data transmission processing without transmitting processing completion notification mail.
If a state in which information is not transmitted from the control unit 11 continues for a previously specified time or more or if information indicating occurrence of an error is transmitted from the control unit 11, the scan agent computer 50 executes the data transmission processing by skipping S404 to S404. That is, the scan agent computer 50 performs processing of saving a file of the scan data received at the point in time (a part of the image data of the original) in the specified folder and processing of transmitting processing completion notification mail.
As described above in detail, if one user enters a processing start command, the scan data transmission system according to the embodiment transmits processing completion notification mail to the user upon completion of the processing. Therefore, the user of the scan data transmission system can easily keep track of the termination of the processing started by the user.
The processing completion notification mail transmitted by the scan data transmission system is mail in which a character string indicating the description of the destination specified by the user (see
Modifications
Various modifications of the scan data transmission system according to the embodiment can be made. For example, the scan data transmission system is a system made up of one or more digital multifunction processing machines 10 and the scan agent computer 50, but may be implemented as one apparatus having the same function as the scan data transmission system based on the technology used with the scan data transmission system.
The digital multifunction processing machine 10 is an apparatus for requesting the user to select the user name on the user name selection screen 105 provided with a plurality of user name buttons 106 (
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P. 2004-011857 | Jan 2004 | JP | national |
