Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

The present application provides an information processing apparatus and an information processing method, etc. that appropriately share address book information stored in a terminal device. The information processing apparatus includes a communication section that communicates with the terminal device and a control section that controls the communication section, the control section transmits a request for acquisition of the address book information to the terminal device via the communication section, in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the request for acquisition, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed since the transmission of the request for acquisition, the control section performs control to retransmit the request for acquisition.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an information device, an information processing method, and the like. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the past, a method in which a device such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) cooperates with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone is known. For example, in Patent Literature 1, an image processing device is disclosed that acquires destination information based on information received from a mobile terminal, and transmits data of an image processing result to an address corresponding to the destination information.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-213087 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] In Patent Literature 1, for example, an image processing device and a mobile terminal are connected by wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and transmission reception of a transmission setting including destination information is performed using the connection. In addition, as one of methods of performing transmission reception of information for establishing a wireless LAN connection, an example of using Bluetooth (registered trademark) is described. However, in Patent Literature 1, communication control for appropriately transmitting and receiving destination information is not disclosed in detail.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and the like that appropriately share address book information stored in a terminal device.

[0009] SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0010] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an information processing device including a communication section that communicates with a terminal device, and a control section that controls the communication section, the control section transmitting, to the terminal device via the communication section, a request for acquisition of address book information, the control section controlling retransmission of the request for acquisition in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the request for acquisition, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed from the start of transmission of the request for acquisition.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an information processing method in an information processing device that acquires address book information from a terminal device, in which an acquisition request for the address book information is transmitted to the terminal device, and in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the acquisition request, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed since the transmission of the acquisition request, the acquisition request is retransmitted.

[0012] Effects of Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, an information processing device and an information processing method and the like that appropriately share address book information stored in a terminal device can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is an example of a system including an information processing device and a terminal device.

[0015] Figure 2 is a configuration example of an information processing device.

[0016] Figure 3 is a configuration example of a terminal device.

[0017] Figure 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of an information processing device.

[0018] Figure 5 is an example of an address book selection screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0019] Figure 6 is an example of a pairing standby screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0020] Figure 7A is an example of a permission standby screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0021] Figure 7B is an example of a permission standby screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0022] Figure 8 is an example of an acquisition failure screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0023] Figure 9 is an example of an address book display screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0024] Figure 10 is an example of a timeout screen displayed on a display section of an information processing device.

[0025] Figure 11 is an example of a processing timing in a case where the OS of a terminal device is a first OS.

[0026] Figure 12A is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0027] Figure 12B is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0028] Figure 12C is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0029] Figure 12D is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0030] Figure 12E is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0031] Figure 13 is an example of a processing timing when the OS of the terminal device is the second OS.

[0032] Figure 14A is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0033] Figure 14B is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0034] Figure 14C is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0035] Figure 14D is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section.

[0036] Figure 14E is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, regarding the drawings, the same reference signs are attached to the same or equivalent elements, and repetitive description is omitted. Furthermore, the present embodiment described below does not unreasonably limit the content described in the technical solution. In addition, not all the configurations described in the present embodiment are essential components of the present disclosure.

[0038] 1. System configuration

[0039] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a system to which the method of the present embodiment is applied. As shown in Figure 1 , the system to which the present embodiment is applied includes an information processing device 100 and a terminal device 200.

[0040] The information processing apparatus 100 is, for example, an apparatus including at least one of a printing function and a scanning function. The information processing apparatus 100 can be a printer having a printing function, can be a scanner having a scanning function, or can be a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having both functions. That is, the information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can also be an image forming apparatus or an image processing apparatus. In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 can also be a device having a facsimile function, a copying function, or other functions.

[0041] The terminal apparatus 200 is, for example, a portable terminal apparatus (mobile device) that can be carried by a user. For example, the terminal apparatus 200 can be a smartphone or a tablet terminal. In addition, the terminal apparatus 200 can also be a watch-type device, a glasses-type device, or the like. In addition, the terminal apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment can also be a PC (Personal Computer), and various modifications can be implemented.

[0042] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 100. The information processing apparatus 100 includes a control section 110, a communication section 120, an operation section 130, a display section 140, and a storage section 150. However, the configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 is not limited to Figure 2 and various modifications such as omission of a part of the configuration, addition of other structures, and the like can be implemented. In addition, the point that modifications such as omission and addition of the configuration can be implemented is the same in Figure 3 and other diagrams.

[0043] The control section 110 controls each section of the information processing apparatus 100. For example, the control section 110 performs communication control of the communication section 120 and display control of the display section 140. The control section 110 according to the present embodiment is configured by hardware described below. The hardware can include at least one of a circuit that processes a digital signal and a circuit that processes an analog signal. For example, the hardware can be configured by one or a plurality of circuit devices and one or a plurality of circuit elements mounted on a circuit board. The one or a plurality of circuit devices are, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or the like. The one or a plurality of circuit elements are, for example, a resistor, a capacitor, or the like.

[0044] In addition, the control section 110 can also be implemented by a processor described below. The information processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes a memory that stores information and a processor that operates based on the information stored in the memory. The information is, for example, a program and various data, and the like. The processor includes hardware. The processor can use various processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and the like. The memory can be a semiconductor memory such as an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a flash memory, or the like, can be a register, can be a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk device (HDD), or can be an optical storage device such as an optical disk device. For example, the memory stores a command that can be read by a computer, and the function of the control section 110 is implemented as processing by executing the command by the processor. The command here can be a command set constituting a program, or can be a command that instructs the hardware circuit of the processor to act.

[0045] The communication section 120 is an interface for performing communication with other apparatuses, and includes, for example, an antenna, an RF (radio frequency) circuit, and a baseband circuit. The communication section 120 acts in accordance with the control of the control section 110. In addition, the communication section 120 can also include a processor for communication control that is different from the control section 110.

[0046] The communication section 120 can also be a communication interface that performs close proximity wireless communication. The close proximity wireless communication here includes, for example, Bluetooth and a specification that extends it. The communication section 120 can also perform communication that complies with a specific profile of Bluetooth. For example, the communication section 120 can also acquire address book information from the terminal apparatus 200 by performing communication that complies with a phone book access profile (PBAP). The address book information will be described later. In addition, the close proximity wireless communication in the present embodiment is not limited to Bluetooth, and can be another method such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or the like.

[0047] In addition, the communication section 120 can also perform communication based on other manners. For example, the communication section 120 can also perform communication based on a manner prescribed in IEEE 802.11. Specifically, the communication section 120 can also perform communication based on WiFi (registered trademark). For example, the communication section 120 can perform communication that combines a plurality of communication manners, such as acquiring address book information from the terminal device 200 using Bluetooth and transmitting image data to a given address or the like included in the address book information using WiFi.

[0048] The operation section 130 is used for the user to perform various operations of the information processing device 100, and can be implemented by various buttons, a GUI (Graphical User Interface), or the like. In addition, the operation section 130 can also be implemented by a touch panel.

[0049] The display section 140 is used for displaying various display screens, and can be implemented by various displays such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display section 140 displays a screen described later using, for example, Figures 5 to 10

[0050] The storage section 150 is a work area of the control section 110, and stores various information. The storage section 150 can be implemented by various memories, which can be either semiconductor memories, registers, magnetic storage devices, or optical storage devices.

[0051] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 includes a terminal control section 210, a terminal communication section 220, a terminal operation section 230, a terminal display section 240, and a terminal storage section 250.

[0052] The terminal control section 210 controls each section of the terminal device 200. The terminal control section 210 of the present embodiment includes hardware that contains at least one of a circuit for processing digital signals and a circuit for processing analog signals. For example, the hardware can be constituted by one or a plurality of circuit devices and one or a plurality of circuit elements mounted on a circuit board.

[0053] In addition, the terminal control section 210 can be implemented by various processors such as a CPU, a GPU, a DSP, or the like. The terminal device 200 includes a memory that stores information and the above-described processor that operates based on the information stored in the memory. The memory stores commands that can be read by a computer, and the functions of the terminal control section 210 are implemented as processing by the processor executing the commands.

[0054] ​The terminal communication section 220 is an interface for performing communication with other devices, and includes, for example, an antenna, an RF circuit, and a baseband circuit. The terminal communication section 220 operates in accordance with the control of the terminal control section 210. In addition, the terminal communication section 220 can also include a processor for communication control that is different from the terminal control section 210.

[0055] The terminal communication section 220 is a communication interface that performs communication in compliance with Bluetooth. In addition, the terminal communication section 220 can also perform communication in compliance with other methods such as mobile communication (5G, LTE, etc.), WiFi, and the like.

[0056] The terminal operation section 230 is a device for performing various operations of the terminal device 200 by a user, and can be implemented by various buttons, a GUI, and the like. In addition, the terminal operation section 230 can also be implemented by a touch panel.

[0057] The terminal display section 240 is for displaying various display screens, and can be implemented by various displays such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and the like. The terminal display section 240 displays the screens described later using, for example, Figures 12A to 12E Figures 14A to 14E

[0058] The terminal storage section 250 is a work area of the terminal control section 210, and stores various information. The terminal storage section 250 can be implemented by various memories, and the memories can be semiconductor memories, registers, magnetic storage devices, or optical storage devices.

[0059] For example, the terminal storage section 250 stores address book information. Here, the address book information refers to information indicating one or more addresses. The address refers to information that specifies a connection destination in communication, and is, for example, an email address. In addition, the address book information can be information that corresponds each address to other information such as a name, an address, a group, and the like. In addition, the address is not limited to an email address, and can be other information that can specify a connection destination.

[0060] In addition, the terminal storage section 250 stores an OS (operating system). The terminal control section 210 controls each part of the terminal device 200 by operating in accordance with the OS and middleware, application software, and the like that operate on the OS. The OS here can be Android (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), or other OSs.

[0061] 2. Flow of processing

[0062] ​​For example, assume that a first user who is a user of the terminal device 200 performs scanning of a document by the information processing apparatus 100, and transmits the scanning result to a second user. At this time, in a case where the address of the second user is stored in the terminal device 200 of the first user, by sharing the address book information of the terminal device 200 with the information processing apparatus 100, it is possible to reduce the trouble of address input. Note that the sharing of the address book information held by the terminal device 200 with the information processing apparatus 100 is useful not only in the above example.

[0063] At this time, the control section 110 of the information processing apparatus 100 in the present embodiment transmits a request for acquisition of the address book information to the terminal device 200 via the communication section 120, and in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the request for acquisition, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed from the transmission of the request for acquisition, the control section 110 performs control to resend the request for acquisition.

[0064] In order to acquire the address book information by the information processing apparatus 100, the user needs to permit the sharing of the address book information with the information processing apparatus 100 in the terminal device 200. In the method of the present embodiment, it is possible to resend the request for acquisition before a given time elapses, and thus it is possible to increase the probability that the user performs the permission operation in the terminal device 200.

[0065] Depending on the OS of the terminal device 200, the behavior of the transmission and reception of the address book information can be different. For example, if the above permission does not exist, there is also an OS (hereinafter, denoted as a first OS) in which the information processing apparatus 100 does not enter the step of transmitting the request for acquisition as it is, and there is also an OS (hereinafter, denoted as a second OS) in which the request for acquisition can be transmitted without permission. The first OS is, for example, Android, and the second OS is, for example, iOS, but the specific OS is not limited thereto. In a case where the OS of the terminal device 200 is the second OS, the request for acquisition can be transmitted from the information processing apparatus 100 regardless of the permission, and thus it is not easy to determine the presence or absence of the permission.

[0066] The terminal device 200 that operates in accordance with the second OS, in a case where the request for acquisition is received without the permission, replies that the number of addresses held by the terminal device 200 is 0 regardless of the actual number of addresses. In this case, it is possible that the information processing apparatus 100 cannot distinguish between (1) the case where the number of addresses held by the terminal device 200 is 0 although there is the permission, and (2) the case where there is no permission.

[0067] With respect to this aspect, in the method of the present embodiment, since the user is given a sufficient delay to perform the permission operation, it can be inferred that the probability of (1) above is higher than that of (2) above. That is, if the address is 0 even if the acquisition request is continued for a given time, it can be presumed that the terminal device 200 did not hold one or more addresses at all. From a different perspective, it can be expected that the permission operation will be performed within the given time, and thus, if the terminal device 200 holds one or more addresses, the information processing device 100 can appropriately acquire the address book information indicating the one or more addresses.

[0068] Hereinafter, the processing flow of the information processing device 100 will be described using Figures 4 to 10 , and the specific processing flow corresponding to the OS of the terminal device 200 will be described using Figures 11 to 14E

[0069] 2.1 Flow of processing in information processing device

[0070] Figure 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing in the information processing device 100. First, in step S101, pairing of the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 200 is performed. Further, in Figure 4 , an example is shown in which the information processing device 100 is an MFP and the terminal device 200 is a mobile device.

[0071] Figure 5 is an example of a screen displayed on the display section 140 of the information processing device 100 in order to perform the pairing shown in step S101. Figure 5 is an example of a selection screen of address book information in which a selection object OB1 for performing address acquisition from the terminal device 200 is displayed. With a user operation of selecting the object OB1 as a trigger, the information processing device 100 starts processing for acquiring address book information from the terminal device 200.

[0072] Specifically, in a case where the selection operation of the object OB1 is performed, the control section 110 performs advertising of Bluetooth using the communication section 120. At the same time, the control section 110 displays information for pairing of Bluetooth on the display section 140.

[0073] Figure 6 is an example of a pairing standby screen displayed on the display section 140 in a case where the selection operation of the object OB1 is performed. As Figure 6 ​As shown, the pairing information displayed on the pairing standby screen includes the device name of the information processing apparatus 100. A device that can perform Bluetooth communication existing in the vicinity of the information processing apparatus 100 can detect the presence of the information processing apparatus 100 in the vicinity by scanning the advertisement. For example, in a case where the terminal device 200 exists in the vicinity of the information processing apparatus 100 and Bluetooth is on, the terminal device 200 acquires information including the device name of the information processing apparatus 100 as a scanning result. If the device name is "AAAA" in the example of Figure 6 , the device name is "AAAA". In the terminal device 200, the user performs pairing of the information processing apparatus 100 and the terminal device 200 by performing an operation of selecting the information processing apparatus 100.

[0074] Next, in step S102, the control section 110 performs a connection request of PBAP of a profile used for acquisition of address book information from the information processing apparatus 100 to the terminal device 200. Specifically, the control section 110 performs control to instruct the communication section 120 to transmit the connection request to the terminal device 200.

[0075] In addition, in step S103, the control section 110 performs control to display, on the display section 140, information that prompts the user to perform a permission operation on the terminal device 200. The permission operation refers to a user operation for permitting sharing of address book information with the information processing apparatus 100.

[0076] Figure 7A is an example of a screen displayed on the display section 140 by the control of step S103. The screen that prompts permission may, for example, include text such as "Please permit sharing of address book by mobile device". However, the screen displayed in step S103 is not limited to Figure 7A , and can be a screen that displays an image or icon expressing the meaning of prompting permission, or a screen of another form.

[0077] Next, in step S104, the control section 110 judges whether the connection of the PBAP was successful or failed. As described above, the behavior in the connection of the PBAP differs depending on the OS of the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 acting in accordance with, for example, the first OS makes a reply to the connection request of step S102 with or without permission. For example, the terminal device 200 acting in accordance with the first OS makes a response permitting the connection request of the PBAP if permission is made, and makes a response denying the connection request of the PBAP if permission is not made. In addition, the terminal device 200 acting in accordance with, for example, the second OS makes a response permitting the connection request of the PBAP regardless of permission to the connection request of step S102. In the above example, even if the OS of the terminal device 200 is any kind of OS, it can be judged that permission is not made in the case where the connection request of the profile is denied.

[0078] Therefore, in the case where the connection based on the connection request has failed ( "failure" in step S104), in step S105, control is made to display on the display section 140 information expressing the meaning that the sharing of the address book information is not permitted. The connection request here is the connection request following the communication of the profile (for example, the PBAP) for sharing the address book information, which is sent by the control section 110 to the terminal device 200 via the communication section 120 as shown in step S102.

[0079] Figure 8 This is an example of the screen displayed on the display section 140 in step S105. The screen here can also include, for example, the text "Failed to acquire mobile device address book." Or, information expressing the meaning that the main reason for the acquisition failure is that permission is not made can be displayed, such as "Sharing of the address book in the mobile device is not permitted." Further, the specific information displayed in step S105 can be implemented in various variations.

[0080] On the other hand, in the case where the connection based on the connection request following the communication of the profile is successful ( "success" in step S104) with the terminal device 200, in step S106, the control section 110 makes control to send an acquisition request of the address book information. As described above, the acquisition request in step S106 is a request sent following the prescribed profile (the PBAP).

[0081] Next, in step S107, the control section 110 makes control to display on the display section 140 information prompting the user to perform an operation permitting the sharing of the address book information on the terminal device 200, similarly to step S103.

[0082] However, in step S107, the control unit 110 may also perform control to display information showing the relationship between the elapsed time since the start of sending the request and a given time. The start of sending the request refers, for example, to the start of a single address book information retrieval process (…). Figure 4 In the process shown, the first time a request for acquisition is sent (step S106 is performed for the first time) is the point in time when the acquisition request is first sent. However, in the method of this embodiment, it is assumed that the successful connection of the configuration file is the trigger for sending the initial acquisition request. Figure 4 Steps S104 and S106), and the time difference between the successful connection determination and the initial acquisition request sending is not extremely large. Therefore, the time point at which the "sending request begins" in step S104 is determined to be "successful" can also be used as the "start of sending the sending request" in this embodiment. In addition, the "start of sending the sending request" in this embodiment can be the time point at which the "success" is determined in step S104, or other time points that can be determined based on the time point at which step S106 was initially performed, and various modifications can be made for the specific time point.

[0083] Figure 7B This is an example of the screen displayed on the display unit 140 in step S107. The screen prompting permission may include text such as "Please grant permission to share the address book via mobile device," and may also include information indicating the remaining time. The remaining time here refers to the value obtained by subtracting the elapsed time from the start of the request from the given time, and is expressed as a numerical value in minutes or seconds. For example, if the given time is 60 seconds and the elapsed time from the start of the request is 20 seconds, the remaining time is 40 seconds. That is, the remaining time here represents the remaining time for continuing the request to obtain address book information; in other words, it represents the remaining time waiting for the user to grant permission to share the address book. In this way, by indicating the delay before the permission operation can be performed, the user can be encouraged to perform the permission operation quickly. Furthermore, the information displayed in step S107 can be any information indicating the relationship between the elapsed time and the given time, and is not limited to the remaining time. For example, the control unit 110 may simultaneously display the time when the given time has elapsed and the current time; various variations are possible.

[0084] In step S108, the control unit 110 receives a response from the terminal device 200 to the acquisition request in step S106, and determines whether the number of address items is 0 based on the response. If the number of address items is determined to be 0, the control unit 110 proceeds to step S109.

[0085] A zero address count refers to the following situations: the sharing of address book information in terminal device 200 is permitted, but terminal device 200 does not save even one valid address (first OS and second OS), or the sharing of address book information in terminal device 200 is not permitted (second OS). However, as mentioned above, these are not easily distinguished in information processing device 100; therefore, control unit 110 performs appropriate control in either case.

[0086] Specifically, in step S109, the control unit 110 acquires the elapsed time since the address book information retrieval request began. For example, the control unit 110 may start incrementing the counter at the time when the processing in step S106 is first performed, and in step S109, acquire the count value at that moment. Furthermore, the information processing device 100 may have an internal counter, or it may acquire information such as the count value from other devices via the communication unit 120.

[0087] In step S110, the control unit 110 determines whether a given time has elapsed since the request to obtain address book information was initiated. Here, the given time represents the maximum time for continuing the request, and any length of time can be set.

[0088] If the given time has not been reached, the control unit 110 returns to step S106 to continue processing. That is, the control unit 110 sends another request to retrieve address book information, displaying a prompt to... Figure 7B The corresponding permission screen determines the response to the resend request. At this time, due to repeated looping processing, the elapsed time increases, and the information displayed in step S107 (e.g., remaining time) also changes accordingly. Then, if the response to the resend request also indicates that the number of address items is 0, the control unit 110 executes steps S109 to S110 again; if a given time has elapsed, it returns to step S106.

[0089] As shown in step S107, the control unit 110 may also perform the following control: During the period from the start of sending the acquisition request until a given time has elapsed, information prompting the user to perform an operation on the terminal device 200 to grant permission for sharing address book information is displayed on the display unit 140. Since continuing... Figure 7B The information displayed prompts the user to appropriately grant permission.

[0090] Thus, the control section 110 performs control to resend the acquisition request in a case where the acquisition request for the address book information cannot acquire the address book information (0 pieces in step S108) and in a case where a given time has not elapsed from the start of transmission of the acquisition request (NO in step S110). As a result, it is possible to give a delay of the given time before the user permits sharing.

[0091] Further, as is clear from the above description, the "case where the acquisition of the address book information cannot be performed" in the present embodiment can also include a case where a reply expressing that the number of addresses is 0 pieces is acquired in response to the acquisition request. In this way, even in a case where an OS that replies expressing that the number of addresses is 0 pieces is targeted in a case where permission is not given like the second OS, it is possible to prompt the user to give permission without immediately adopting the result of 0 pieces. In other words, it is possible to prevent confusion between a case where no pieces are actually present in the terminal device 200 after permission is given and a case where permission is not given.

[0092] In the method of the present embodiment, the user who operates the information processing device 100 intends to acquire the address book information from the terminal device 200, and it is assumed that the terminal device 200 is a device that the same user or a related person can manage. This is because, if the terminal device 200 is not related to the user, it is not clear whether the terminal device 200 holds any address book information, and it is difficult to consider sharing the address book information of such a terminal device 200. That is, it is assumed that the user has a high probability of intending to give a permission operation by the terminal device 200 in a case where the user operates the object OB1 in the screen shown in FIG. 9. Figure 5 That is, in the method of the present embodiment, even in a case where the connection of the profile is successful and the acquisition request for the address book information is transmitted in a case where permission is not given like the second OS, for example, the probability that the user gives a permission operation is high during the loop processing of steps S106 to S110.

[0093] If the permission operation is given, the terminal device 200 appropriately responds to the number of addresses held by itself regardless of whether the OS of the terminal device 200 is the first OS or the second OS. For example, in a case where one or more addresses are held in the terminal device 200, the control section 110 receives a response including the number of addresses in step S108, and thus determines that "one or more pieces" are present.

[0094] In this case, in step S111, the control section 110 acquires the address book information via the communication section 120. In step S112, the control section 110 cuts off the connection of PBAP following the communication section 120.

[0095] In a case where the address book information is acquired from the terminal device 200 via the communication section 120 in response to the request for acquiring the address book information, the display section 140 can also display the address book information in step S113. Specifically, the control section 110 performs control to display the acquired address book information on the display section 140.

[0096] Figure 9 is an example of the screen displayed in step S113. As shown in Figure 9 , the control section 110 can list display one or more addresses included in the acquired address book information. In the example of Figure 9 , the address book information includes information that associates a user name with an e-mail address, the control section 110 performs control to display a list of the user name and the e-mail address.

[0097] By so doing, the address book information acquired from the terminal device 200 can be appropriately presented to the user. For example, all of the acquired address book information can be stored in the storage section 150 of the information processing device 100. Alternatively, in the screen of Figure 9 , the user can perform a selection operation of one or more addresses, and the selected address can be stored in the storage section 150.

[0098] The address book information acquired in the present embodiment can also be used when a transmission destination address of transmission target data is decided. The transmission target data here can also be, for example, data related to an image acquired in a scan function or a facsimile function. For example, the information processing device 100 further includes an image reading section that reads a document and acquires an image as a reading result. The image reading section includes, for example, a conveyance section that conveys a document as a reading target, a light source section that irradiates light to the document on a conveyance path, and a light receiving section that receives light reflected by the document. The conveyance section includes, for example, a conveyance roller. The light source section is, for example, a light emitting element such as an LED (light emitting diode). The light receiving section is, for example, a photoelectric conversion element such as a PD (Photodiode). Note that the image reading section is not limited to a case where a document is conveyed, and can include a mechanism that drives the light source section and the light receiving section. The image reading section acquires an image based on a detection result in the light receiving section.

[0099] The control section 110 acquires, as the transmission target data, information based on the image as the reading result of the image reading section, in the case where the acquisition request for the address book information acquires the address book information containing one or more addresses, and determines the transmission destination address of the transmission target data based on the address book information. For example, the control section 110 displays, on the display section 140, an address list containing the address acquired from the terminal device 200, and transmits data representing the image with the address selected by the user from the address list as the destination. In this way, it is possible to easily perform the output destination designation of the image in the information processing device 100 (image forming device, image processing device).

[0100] However, the data that becomes the target of the transmission processing using the address book information is not limited to the image acquired by the scanning function, and can be extended to various information that the MFP can access. For example, as shown in Figure 2 The information processing device 100 includes the storage section 150. In the case where the address book information is acquired, the control section 110 can determine the transmission destination address of the transmission target data stored in the storage section 150 based on the address book information. For example, the display section 140 can display a list or the like of the data stored in the storage section 150, and the transmission target data can also be data selected by the user based on the list or the like.

[0101] Alternatively, the information processing device 100 can also read the data of an external storage device. The external storage device can be a flash memory, an HDD, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or another storage device. For example, the information processing device 100 includes an interface section connected to the external storage device. For example, the external storage device can be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and the interface section can be a USB port. Alternatively, the external storage device is a card-type storage device such as an SD card, and the interface section can be an SD card slot or the like. Alternatively, the external storage device can also be a storage device connected via the communication section 120. In the case where the address book information is acquired, the control section 110 can also determine the transmission destination address of the transmission target data stored in the external storage device based on the address book information.

[0102] In addition, in the case where the above address book information containing one or more addresses cannot be acquired even after a given time elapses, it is determined to be YES in step S110. Figure 4 At this time, in step S114, the control section 110 performs control to display, on the display section 140, information expressing the meaning that the number of addresses acquired from the terminal device 200 is zero.

[0103] Figure 10is an example of the screen displayed on the display section 140 in step S114. The information expressing the meaning that the number of addresses is 0 can also be, for example, a text such as "Address book not registered in mobile device". Note that the specific information is not limited to this, and other text can be displayed, or an image or icon expressing the meaning that no address is registered can be displayed.

[0104] In a case where the processing of step S105 or the processing of step S114 is performed, the control section 110 determines that it is not possible to acquire the address book information of the mobile device. In this case, for example, the control section 110 ends the processing of acquiring the address book information. Since the notification to the user is performed in step S105 or step S114, the control section 110 can also perform the control of returning to the home screen or the like without performing the notification other than the above.

[0105] As described above, according to the method of the present embodiment, the information processing apparatus 100 can perform appropriate actions regardless of the OS of the terminal apparatus 200. For example, if the OS is an OS that rejects the connection of the profile in a case where the sharing of the address book information is not permitted, by performing the processing of step S105, the user can be appropriately notified. Further, in a case where the connection of the profile is successful, the loop processing of steps S106 to S110 can be performed in consideration of the second OS. Thus, if one or more addresses are acquired, this can be displayed (step S113), and in a case where the number of addresses is 0 even if a given time elapses, it can be determined that the probability that the number of addresses saved in the terminal apparatus 200 is 0 is high (step S114).

[0106] 2.2 Specific example of processing of terminal apparatus corresponding to OS

[0107] Next, the specific action flow is described for a case where the OS of the terminal apparatus 200 is the first OS and a case where the OS is the second OS.

[0108] Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining the processing timing in a case where the OS of the terminal apparatus 200 is the first OS. First, in step S201, the information processing apparatus 100 shifts to the selection screen of the address book information using Bluetooth, and is in a standby state for pairing. Specifically, in the information processing apparatus 100, the selection operation of the object OB1 shown in Figure 5 is performed, the advertisement of Bluetooth is started, and the screen of Figure 6 is shifted to. The user performs the pairing operation, and pairing is completed (step S101 of Figure 4 ), and the information processing apparatus 100 starts the processing for sharing the address book information.

[0109] Figures 12A to 12Eis an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section 240 of the terminal device 200 that is acting in accordance with the first OS. Figure 12A is an example of a screen in which Bluetooth settings are made in the terminal device 200. In the column of "Devices that have been paired set", devices for which pairing has been completed are displayed. In addition, the terminal name indicates the device name of the terminal device 200 in Bluetooth connection. In Figure 12A , for example, in the case where a user operation of selecting "Pairing set with a new device" is made, the terminal display section 240 shifts to Figure 12B .

[0110] Figure 12B is a device selection screen for selecting a device that is to be a pairing target. For example, the terminal control section 210 displays the scanning result of the terminal communication section 220 as a connection candidate device. Since advertising was made in step S201, the information processing device 100 is included in the scanning result. Here, an example is considered in which the device name of the information processing device 100 is "AAAA". As shown in Figure 6 , since the device name of the information processing device 100 is displayed on the display section 140, a user who browses it can appropriately select the information processing device 100 from the scanning result.

[0111] In step S202, the terminal device 200 receives a user operation of selecting the device name corresponding to the information processing device 100, and performs pairing. First, when "AAAA" that indicates the information processing device 100 is selected in Figure 12B , the terminal control section 210 performs control to shift to Figure 12C .

[0112] Figure 12C is a connection-in-progress screen that indicates connection in progress. The screen shown in Figure 12C is displayed, and in step S203, the terminal device 200 transmits a pairing connection request of Bluetooth to the information processing device 100. In step S204, the information processing device 100 transmits a pairing completion notification to the terminal device 200. As a result of this, pairing of the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 200 is completed.

[0113] Next, in step S205, the information processing device 100 transmits a connection request (PBAP) to the profile to the terminal device 200. In addition, as shown in step S103 of Figure 4 , the information processing device 100 can also display the permission standby screen shown in Figure 7A .

[0114] The terminal device 200 following the first OS action can also display a permission dialog related to whether or not to permit sharing of address book information in the case of receiving a connection request of the profile.

[0115] Figure 12D is an example of a screen displaying the permission dialog. For example, the permission dialog includes a text asking whether or not the device corresponding to the device name "AAAA" permits access to the address book information, and a text for selecting "Yes" and "No" for the user. "Yes" and "No" are objects that can be selected arbitrarily. In step S206, the terminal device 200 accepts user input. In the case where the user selects "Yes" in the permission dialog, the terminal device 200 permits access to the address book information from the information processing device 100. Figure 11

[0116] In step S207, the terminal device 200 permits access and sends a connection completion notification of the profile to the information processing device 100. Thereby, the connection of the profile is completed, and thus the terminal display section 240 displays the screen shown in Figure 12E As shown in Figure 12E , the device name "AAAA" indicating the information processing device 100 is displayed in the column of "Devices set by pairing". In addition, since sharing of the address book information is permitted in the permission dialog, the information processing device 100 is in a state where it can acquire the address book information.

[0117] Here, since the connection of the profile is successful at the time of permission, the information processing device 100 performs the process after step S106 of Figure 4 . Specifically, in step S208, the information processing device 100 sends an acquisition request of the address book information to the terminal device 200. In the first OS, at the time when the connection of the profile is successful, sharing of the address book information is permitted. Therefore, in step S209, the terminal device 200 sends the address held by itself to the information processing device 100. If the terminal device 200 holds one or more addresses, the valid address book information is sent to the information processing device 100.

[0118] In step S210, the information processing device 100 acquires the address book information using Figure 9 The process of displaying the acquired address book information is performed as described above. In step S211, the information processing device 100 disconnects the connection of the profile.

[0119] Further, in the case where "No" is selected in the permission dialog of Figure 12D , since the connection of the profile is not successful, the process after step S106 of Figure 4 ​When the determination in step S104 is "failure", the process of step S105 is executed. That is, the user can be appropriately notified of the case where the permission is not performed on the terminal device 200 side. In this case, since the user explicitly performs the operation of not permitting, it is considered that the necessity of prompting the permission operation by repeated acquisition request is low.

[0120] In addition, when there is no address saved in the terminal device 200, since the determination of "0" is repeated in step S108 and the elapsed time exceeds the given time, the process of step S114 is executed. That is, the user can be appropriately notified that the addresses saved in the terminal device 200 are 0.

[0121] As described above, in the case of using the first OS, a plurality of (for example, 4) states can be considered according to the conditions of whether or not the permission, the number of addresses saved in the terminal device 200 is 0 or 1 or more, and the like. According to the method of the present embodiment, as shown in Figures 11 to 12E , the information processing apparatus 100 can perform appropriate control in any of the plurality of states.

[0122] Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining the processing timing in the case where the OS of the terminal device 200 is the second OS. First, in step S301, the information processing apparatus 100 shifts to the selection screen of the address book information via Bluetooth, and is in the standby state of pairing.

[0123] Figures 14A to 14E is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display portion 240 of the terminal device 200 that operates according to the second OS. Figure 14A is an example of a screen in which the setting of Bluetooth is performed in the terminal device 200. In Figure 14A , the devices having the pairing history are listed and displayed in the column of "My Device".

[0124] In addition, in the case where the device that is not paired and performs the advertisement is located in the periphery, the terminal device 200 displays the information of the device in the column of "Other Device" as shown in Figure 14B .

[0125] Figure 14B is a device selection screen for selecting a device to be paired. For example, the terminal control portion 210 displays the scanning result of the terminal communication portion 220 as the connection candidate device in the column of "Other Device". Since the advertisement is performed in step S301, the information processing apparatus 100 is included in the scanning result. Here, an example is considered in which the device name of the information processing apparatus 100 is "AAAA". As shown in Figure 6As the device name of the information processing apparatus 100 is displayed on the display section 140, the user can appropriately select the information processing apparatus from the scan result.

[0126] In Figure 14B which the information processing apparatus 100 is selected (step S302), the terminal apparatus 200 transmits a connection request of pairing to the information processing apparatus 100 in step S303. The information processing apparatus 100 transmits a completion notification of pairing to the terminal apparatus 200 in step S304. Further, after the pairing is completed, the information processing apparatus 100 transmits a connection request of a configuration file to the terminal apparatus 200 in step S305. The terminal apparatus 200 transmits a connection completion notification of the configuration file to the information processing apparatus 100 in step S306.

[0127] Figure 14C is a screen displayed on the terminal display section 240 after the user operation of selecting the information processing apparatus 100 in step S302. It is understood that the pairing is completed since the device name "AAAA" of the information processing apparatus 100 is moved to the column of "own device". Further, if the process up to step S306 is completed, it is in a state that not only the pairing is completed but also the connection of the configuration file is completed.

[0128] As Figure 13 and Figures 14A to 14C shown in the second OS, the connection completion notification of the configuration file is transmitted without the input of the permission / non-permission by the user. In other words, the connection completion notification of the configuration file does not accompany the information on the permission of the address book information, and the connection of the configuration file is successful regardless of the permission / non-permission.

[0129] Since the connection of the configuration file is successful, the information processing apparatus 100 executes the process after step S106 of Figure 4 . Specifically, the information processing apparatus 100 transmits an acquisition request of the address book information to the terminal apparatus 200 in step S307. The terminal apparatus 200 transmits the information on the address to the information processing apparatus 100 in step S308. However, in the stage corresponding to Figures 14A to 14C , the permission is not made, and the information processing apparatus 100 cannot access the address book information of the terminal apparatus 200. As a result, the terminal apparatus 200 notifies that the address is 0 in step S308. Therefore, the process of step S307 and step S308 is repeated until a given time elapses as described above using Figure 4 .

[0130] During this period, the display section 140 of the information processing apparatus 100 displays, for example, Figure 7BThe permission standby screen is displayed. The user who has viewed the permission standby screen can recognize that the permission operation needs to be performed in the terminal device 200. Therefore, in step S309, the terminal device 200 receives the permission operation by the user.

[0131] Specifically, in the screen of Figure 14C , the user performs an operation of selecting the object OB2 for performing the detailed setting of the device. The object OB2 is displayed in correspondence with the device name "AAAA" of the information processing device 100, for example. In a case where the selection operation of the object OB2 is performed, the terminal display section 240 displays the screen of Figure 14D .

[0132] Figure 14D is a screen for performing the detailed setting of the given device. Here, since the PBAP is selected as the profile, the screen for the detailed setting is a screen in which whether to permit the access to the address book information can be selected as shown in Figure 14D . In the example of Figure 14D , by turning on the item of "Synchronize contact destination", the access to the address book information is permitted. The user can select to permit / not to permit the sharing of the address book information by performing the selection or the slide operation of the object OB3 included in Figure 14D .

[0133] Figure 14E is an example of a screen displayed on the terminal display section 240 in a case where the sharing of the address book information has been permitted. Figure 14E In Figure 14E , the specific category of the shared information or the like can also be displayed. Figure 14E is a state in which the information processing device 100 is in a state in which the address book information can be acquired in a state in which the screen of

[0134] Thus, in step S310, the terminal device 200 transmits the address book information in which the acquisition request for the address book information is valid to the information processing device 100. In step S311, the information processing device 100 acquires the address book information by using Figure 9 the process of displaying the acquired address book information is performed as described above. In step S312, the information processing device 100 disconnects the connection of the profile.

[0135] Further, in a case where the user has not performed the permission even though a prescribed time has elapsed from the acquisition request for the address book information, the process of step S114 of Figure 4 is executed. However, as described above, in the present embodiment, since the user voluntarily performs the sharing operation of the address book information Figure 5 , there is a high possibility that the user has an intention to permit. That is, by delaying the given time, the screen of Figure 7BThe permission standby screen is shown, and it is assumed that the user performs the permission operation as shown in Figures 14C to 14E In the present embodiment, it is possible to inhibit the start of the process for sharing the address book information while the user does not permit.

[0136] In addition, even in the case where the sharing of the address book information is permitted, in the case where there are no address book items saved in the terminal device 200, since the determination of "0 items" is repeated in step S108 and the elapsed time exceeds the given time, the process of step S114 is executed. That is, the user can be appropriately notified that there are 0 items of addresses saved in the terminal device 200.

[0137] As described above, in the case of using the second OS, it is also possible to consider a plurality of states according to the conditions of whether or not permission is given, whether there are 0 items / 1 or more items of addresses saved in the terminal device 200, and the like. According to the method of the present embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 to 14E In any of the plurality of states, the information processing device 100 can perform appropriate control.

[0138] That is, by being able to resend the request for acquisition of the address book information based on the elapsed time and the given time, it is possible to achieve appropriate communication control related to the transmission and reception of the address book information, regardless of the OS of the terminal device 200, whether or not permission is given based on the user, the number of items of addresses saved in the terminal device 200, and the like. More specifically, even in the case where the OS that does not respond to whether or not permission is given for the sharing of the address book information is targeted, in order to appropriately prompt permission, it is possible to appropriately share the addresses saved in the terminal device 200 with the information processing device 100.

[0139] 3. Modification

[0140] Further, in the above, as described by way of example Figure 5 of the user operation in the information processing device 100 to refer to the address book of the mobile device as an example of the case where the operation is a trigger of the process of sharing the address book information.

[0141] However, the method of the present embodiment is not limited to this, and it is also possible to execute the operation that is a trigger of the process on the terminal device 200 side. For example, the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 200 are connected using a communication method such as WiFi. For example, it is possible that the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 200 are each connected to the same wireless LAN access point, or it is possible that either of the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 200 functions as an access point, and the other is connected to the access point.

[0142] In this case, the terminal device 200 accepts a user operation for sharing the address book information in the terminal device 200 with other devices, and transmits information expressing the user's intention to the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 that acquires the information starts the advertisement of Bluetooth. In this way, in a case where the user operation in the terminal device 200 is a trigger, the address book information can also be shared by the same procedure as the above-described processing.

[0143] For example, the terminal storage section 250 of the terminal device 200 can also store a dedicated application software for utilizing the information processing device 100. The terminal control section 210 can also perform the acceptance of the user operation for sharing the address book information and the transmission of the information expressing the user's intention by acting in accordance with the dedicated application software. Alternatively, the information processing device 100 can act as a Web application server, and the terminal device 200 can perform the communication with the information processing device 100 using a Web browser or the like. That is, in the present embodiment, the terminal device 200 does not need to use a dedicated application software, and various modifications can be made to the method of realizing the acceptance of the user operation as a trigger and the transmission to the information processing device 100 of the trigger.

[0144] In addition, the trigger mechanism of the processing of sharing the address book information is not limited to the user operation. For example, the processing of automatically sharing the address book information can also be started based on the processing of at least one of the information processing device 100 and the terminal device 200. In this case, the sharing of the address book information also requires a permission operation by the user, and thus it is possible to suppress the unintentional sharing of the address book information by the user.

[0145] In addition, the above describes an example in which the information processing device 100 performs the advertisement of Bluetooth and the terminal device 200 performs the scanning. However, it is also acceptable for the terminal device 200 to perform the advertisement. For example, in a case where the user operation as a trigger of the processing is performed in the terminal device 200 as described above, the advertisement can also be performed by the terminal device 200 and the scanning can be performed by the information processing device 100 to realize the pairing.

[0146] In addition, the method of the present embodiment can be applied to a communication system including the information processing apparatus 100 and the terminal apparatus 200 described above. The information processing apparatus 100 transmits a request for acquisition of address book information to the terminal apparatus 200, and in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the request for acquisition, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed from the transmission of the request for acquisition, the information processing apparatus 100 performs control to retransmit the request for acquisition. The terminal apparatus 200 is an apparatus that operates in any one of a plurality of OSs including a first OS and a second OS. The terminal apparatus 200 operating in the second OS can establish a connection for receiving the request for acquisition even in a case where sharing of the address book information is not permitted. In this case, in a case where sharing is permitted, the terminal apparatus 200 operating in the second OS returns the address book information in response to the request for acquisition if a valid address is stored, and does not return the address book information if a valid address is not stored. In addition, in a case where sharing is not permitted, the terminal apparatus 200 operating in the second OS does not return the address book information in response to the request for acquisition.

[0147] According to the method of the present embodiment, even in a case where behavior in sharing of address book information differs depending on the OS of the terminal apparatus 200, it is possible to realize a communication system in which the address book information can be appropriately shared.

[0148] In addition, the method of the present embodiment can be applied to an information processing method in the information processing apparatus 100 that acquires address book information from the terminal apparatus 200. In the information processing method, a request for acquisition of address book information is transmitted to the terminal apparatus 200, and in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the request for acquisition, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed from the transmission of the request for acquisition, the request for acquisition is retransmitted.

[0149] In addition, a part or all of the processing performed by the information processing apparatus 100 (narrowly, the control section 110) and the terminal apparatus 200 (narrowly, the terminal control section 210) of the present embodiment can be realized by a program. The program related to the present embodiment can be stored in a non-transitory information storage apparatus (information storage medium) such as a computer-readable medium. The information storage apparatus can be realized by, for example, an optical disk, a memory card, an HDD, or a semiconductor memory, or the like. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a ROM (Read-Only Memory). At least one of the control section 110 and the terminal control section 210 performs various processing of the present embodiment based on the program stored in the information storage apparatus. That is, the information storage apparatus stores a program for causing a computer to function as each section of the control section 110 and the terminal control section 210. The computer is an apparatus that has an input section, a processing section, a storage section, and an output section. Specifically, the program related to the present embodiment is a program for causing a computer to perform the processing described above usingFigure 11 , Figure 13 the procedures of the steps described above.

[0150] Further, as described above, the present embodiment has been described in detail, but it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present embodiment. Therefore, such modified examples are all included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in the specification or the drawings, a term recorded at least once together with a more general or synonymous different term can be replaced with a different term at any place in the specification or the drawings. In addition, all combinations of the present embodiment and the modified examples are included in the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the configuration and the operation of the terminal device are not limited to those described in the present embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

[0151] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0152] 100... information processing device, 110... control section, 120... communication section, 130... operation section, 140... display section, 150... storage section, 200... terminal device, 210... terminal control section, 220... terminal communication section, 230... terminal operation section, 240... terminal display section, 250... terminal storage section, OB1, OB2, OB3... object.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, characterized by, includes: a communication section that communicates with a terminal device; and a control section that controls the communication section, the control section transmits a request for acquisition of address book information to the terminal device via the communication section, in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the request for acquisition, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed since the transmission of the request for acquisition, the control section controls retransmission of the request for acquisition, in a period from when the transmission of the request for acquisition is started until the given time elapses, the control section controls display of information on the display section that prompts a user to perform an operation on the terminal device that permits sharing of the address book information, in a case where the address book information including one or more addresses cannot be acquired even if the given time elapses, the control section controls display of information on the display section that expresses the meaning that the number of addresses saved in the terminal device is zero. 2.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the case where the address book information cannot be acquired includes a case where a response expressing the meaning that the number of addresses is zero is acquired in response to the request for acquisition. 3.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display section displays the address book information in a case where the address book information is acquired in response to the request for acquisition. 4.The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control section controls display of information indicating a relationship between an elapsed time from the transmission of the request for acquisition and the given time. 5.The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the control section transmits a connection request following a communication for sharing the address book information via a profile to the terminal device via the communication section, in a case where connection with the terminal device is successful based on the connection request, the control section controls transmission of the request for acquisition of the address book information, in a case where connection based on the connection request fails, the control section controls display of information on the display section that expresses the meaning that sharing of the address book information is not permitted in the terminal device. 6.The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein in a case where the address book information including one or more addresses cannot be acquired even if the given time elapses, the control section controls display of information on the display section that expresses the meaning that the number of addresses acquired from the terminal device is zero and the number of addresses saved in the terminal device is also zero. 7.The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control section is capable of acquiring transmission target data from at least one of an image reading section that reads a document and acquires an image as a reading result, a storage section included in the information processing apparatus, and an external storage device. In a case where the address book information is acquired in response to the acquisition request, a transmission destination address of the transmission target data is determined on the basis of the address book information.

8. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus that acquires address book information from a terminal device, the information processing method characterized by, transmitting, to the terminal device, an acquisition request for the address book information, in a case where the address book information cannot be acquired in response to the acquisition request, and in a case where a given time has not elapsed since the transmission of the acquisition request was started, retransmitting the acquisition request, during a period from when the transmission of the acquisition request was started until the given time has elapsed, controlling to display information that prompts a user to perform an operation on the terminal device that permits sharing of the address book information, in a case where the address book information including one or more addresses cannot be acquired even if the given time has elapsed, controlling to display information that expresses that the number of addresses saved in the terminal device is zero.

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