Information processing apparatus, application execution control method, and program

Abstract

To suppress occurence of inconvenience caused by activation of an application program.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus (2) according to the present invention includes: a communication unit (240) for communicating with an external device (4) when an operation for activating an application program is done, to acquire a management file (7) including control information associated with a version of the application program; and a control unit (200) for, if control information associated with the version of the application program to be activated is included in the management file acquired by the communication unit, controlling processing for activation of the application program on the basis of the control information associated with the version of the application program to be activated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an application execution control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Recent information processing devices are capable of acquiring application programs to be executed by the information processing device via a communication network such as the Internet. Some information processing devices of this type are designed to start a user application only when it is confirmed that the user application has not been tampered with by a kernel whose integrity is guaranteed, in order to improve security (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-182196 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even if an application program has not been tampered with, some kind of malfunction may occur when the program is started, causing data corruption or loss.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a technique capable of suppressing the occurrence of problems caused by launching an application program. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with an external device when an operation to launch an application program is performed and obtains a management file including control information associated with the version of the application program, and a control unit that, when the management file obtained by the communication unit includes control information associated with the version of the application program to be launched, controls the launch process of the application program based on the control information associated with the version of the application program to be launched. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above aspect, it is possible to prevent problems from occurring due to the startup of an application program. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing system including an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management file. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a management file. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a method for providing information on a Web page. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a method for providing information on a Web page. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a third example of a method for providing information on a Web page. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process that an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment performs before starting a print application. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in which an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment launches a print application. [Figure 10]10 is a diagram showing an example of the values ​​and meanings of variables used in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, an application program (hereinafter, referred to as a "label creation application") capable of causing the information processing device to perform various processes related to control of the operation of a printing device that prints on a tape-shaped print medium is given as an example of an application program executed by the information processing device. For example, when the label creation application is executed by the information processing device, it may be possible for the information processing device to perform processes such as creating print data including information such as characters and figures to be printed on the print medium and transmitting the created print data to the printing device.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system including an information processing device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes an information processing device 2, a printing device 3, and a server device 4.

[0011] The information processing device 2 may be a device capable of executing a label creation app including instructions for causing the information processing device 2 to execute various processes related to the control of the operation of the printing device 3, and capable of communicating with a communication network 5 such as the Internet and the printing device 3. The information processing device 2 may be, for example, a computer having a communication function such as a personal computer or a smartphone. In terms of functional configuration, the information processing device 2, which may be a computer, includes a control unit 200, a storage unit 210, an input unit 220, a display unit 230, and a communication unit 240, as exemplified in FIG. 2.

[0012] The control unit 200 controls the operation of the information processing device 2. The control unit 200 controls the operation of the information processing device 2 by executing various instructions included in a program such as an OS (Operating System) or the above-mentioned label creation application. The instructions included in the program may be called commands, instructions, directions, etc. The functions of the control unit 200 may be provided by an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the program of the label creation application.

[0013] The storage unit 210 stores a program executed by the control unit 200, data referenced during execution of the program, and various other data. The storage unit 210 includes an application storage area 211 and a buffer 212. The application storage area 211 is an area for storing, for example, the above-mentioned label creation application. The label creation application stored in the application storage area 211 includes a program including various commands executed by the information processing device 2, and data such as characters and figures to be printed on a print medium. The buffer 212 is a storage area for temporarily storing, for example, print data being created or created using the label creation application, a management file 7 (see FIG. 4) acquired from the server device 4, and the like. The functions of the storage unit 210 are provided, for example, by a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). A part of the functions of the storage unit 210 is provided, for example, by a cache built into a calculation processing device such as a CPU. A part of the functions of the storage unit 210 may be provided, for example, by an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). Some of the functions of the storage unit 210 may be provided by a portable storage medium, such as a storage device having a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal or a card-type storage device, which is detachable from the information processing device 2 and readable by the information processing device 2. The portable storage medium may include an optical disc, such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc.

[0014] The input unit 220 accepts input of various information related to the operation of the information processing device 2 (for example, input of character information, selection of data, etc.). The display unit 230 displays various information related to the operation of the information processing device 2. The function of the display unit 230 is provided by, for example, a dot-matrix type flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display. The function of the input unit 220 may be provided by, for example, a position detection device arranged superimposed on the display area of ​​a liquid crystal display that may be the display unit 230. That is, the functions of the input unit 220 and the display unit 230 in the information processing device 2 may be provided by a touch panel display in which an input device and a display device are integrated. Some of the functions of the input unit 220 may be provided by, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse, a camera, a microphone, a button switch, etc.

[0015] The communication unit 240 communicates with the server device 4 and with the printing device 3 via the communication network 5. The communication between the communication unit 240 and the communication network 5 is performed, for example, by wired communication using a transmission cable such as a LAN (Local Area Network) cable, or wireless communication in accordance with a wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication between the communication unit 240 and the communication network 5 may be performed, for example, by using a mobile phone line. The communication between the communication unit 240 and the printing device 3 is performed, for example, by wireless communication in accordance with a wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), or wired communication using a transmission cable such as a USB cable.

[0016] The hardware configuration of the information processing device 2 according to this embodiment is not limited to a specific hardware configuration as long as it is capable of providing the functions described above with reference to Fig. 2. For example, some or all of the functions of the control unit 200 and the storage unit 210 of the information processing device 2 may be provided by a hardware device in which a processor such as a CPU and a storage device such as a ROM and a RAM are integrated. Some or all of the functions of the control unit 200 and the storage unit 210 of the information processing device 2 may be provided by, for example, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or the like. In addition, the functions of the control unit 200 of the information processing device 2 may be provided by a plurality of arithmetic processing devices, such as a combination of a CPU and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP).

[0017] The information processing device 2 communicates with the server device 4 via, for example, the communication unit 240, and acquires from the server device 4 a label creation application that can be used for controlling the printing device 3, etc. Furthermore, when an operation to start the label creation application is performed, the information processing device 2 acquires a management file 7, which will be described later, from the server device 4. The server device 4 may be, for example, a Web server that provides various information related to the printing device 3 and the label creation application, the label creation application, etc. The server device 4 may be a computer that is communicatively connected to the communication network 5 and communicates with various devices including the information processing device 2 via the communication network 5. In terms of functional configuration, the server device 4 includes a control unit 400, a storage unit 410, an input unit 420, a display unit 430, and a communication unit 440, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0018] The control unit 400 controls the operation of the server device 4. The control unit 400 executes various commands included in the OS program and the application program to control the operation of the server device 4. The functions of the control unit 400 can be provided by a calculation processing unit such as a CPU that executes the program.

[0019] The storage unit 410 stores programs executed by the control unit 400, as well as data referenced during execution of the programs and various other data. The storage unit 410 includes an application storage area 411, a Web content storage area 412, and a management file storage area 413. The application storage area 411 is an area for storing, for example, the above-mentioned label creation application to be provided to the information processing device 2. The application storage area 411 stores, for example, a plurality of label creation applications with different versions (in other words, a plurality of versions of a single type of label creation application identified by a name or the like). The plurality of label creation applications stored in the application storage area 411 may include, for example, applications corresponding to different models of the printing device 3. The Web content storage area 412 is an area for storing, for example, content for providing information on the printing device 3 and the label creation application using a Web browser. The content stored in the Web content storage area 412 includes, for example, content on the specifications and operation method of the printing device 3, and content on the functions and operation method of each of the plurality of label creation applications with different versions. The management file memory area 413 is an area for storing management files that manage the processing to be performed by the information processing device 2 when a label creation application is launched in the information processing device 2. The management files stored in the management file memory area 413 include information that associates the version of the label creation application with the content of the processing to be performed by the information processing device 2 when an operation to launch the label creation application of that version is performed, as described later with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. The functions of the storage unit 410 are provided by, for example, a ROM and a RAM, an auxiliary storage device (for example, an HDD, an SSD, etc.), a portable storage medium, etc.

[0020] The input unit 420 accepts input of various information related to the operation of the server device 4 (e.g., input of character information, selection of data, etc.). The functions of the input unit 420 are provided by, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse. Some of the functions of the input unit 420 may be provided by, for example, a microphone, a camera, a button switch, etc. The display unit 430 displays various information related to the operation, etc. of the server device 4. The functions of the display unit 430 are provided by, for example, a dot-matrix type flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display. Some of the functions of the input unit 420 and the display unit 430 in the server device 4 may be provided by, for example, a touch panel display in which the input device and the display device are integrated.

[0021] The communication unit 440 communicates with the information processing device 2 via the communication network 5. The communication between the communication unit 440 and the communication network 5 is performed by, for example, wired communication using a transmission cable such as a LAN cable, or wireless communication in accordance with a wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi.

[0022] The hardware configuration of the server device 4 according to the present embodiment is not limited to a specific hardware configuration as long as it is capable of providing the functions described above with reference to FIG. 1. For example, the functions of the control unit 400 of the server device 4 may be provided by a plurality of arithmetic processing devices, such as a combination of a CPU and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the functions of the server device 4 described above may be provided not only by a single device, but also by a plurality of devices connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. For example, instead of a single server device 4, the information processing system 1 may be configured such that a first device storing a label creation application, a second device storing Web content, and a third device storing a management file are connected to the communication network 5 so as to be able to communicate with each other directly or via other devices.

[0023] When an operation is performed to start up a label creation app stored in the storage unit 210 of the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment, the information processing device 2 accesses the server device 4 to acquire a management file before starting the startup process of the label creation app. In this specification, the term "startup process" refers to a process performed by the information processing device 2 to enable the information processing device 2 to perform processes such as creating print data and transmitting the print data to the printing device 3. As described above, the management file acquired by the information processing device 2 includes information that associates the version of the label creation app with the content of the process performed by the information processing device 2 when an operation is performed to start up the label creation app of that version.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a management file, and Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a specific example of a management file.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a management table 6 in which information included in a management file is expressed in a table format. "VER" in the management table 6 is information for identifying the version of the label creation application to be managed. FIG. 3 illustrates three examples of the version of the label creation application, namely, "1.0", "1.1", and "1.2". The information for identifying the version of the label creation application is not limited to information in a specific format. The term "version" in this specification is intended to be information for distinguishing between a plurality of label creation applications having different specifications of the label creation application, functions that are valid (available) when the label creation application is executed, and release (publication) dates and times, and may include differences in specifications, functions, etc., represented by terms such as "revision" and "build". For example, the version "1.1" in FIG. 3 may include "1.1.0" and "1.1.1", or may be subdivided into "1.1.0" and "1.1.1". Note that the management table 6 may not include one or more versions of all the versions of the label creation application to be managed. For example, if version "1.3" of a label creation app does not have any information to provide to users, such as bugs or cautions for use, the "VER" does not need to include "1.3."

[0026] The "control content" in the management table 6 is information indicating the content of the control to be performed by the control unit 200 of the information processing device 2 when an operation to start a label creation application is performed in the information processing device 2. FIG. 3 shows, as an example of the control to be performed by the control unit 200, a control to provide information on a web page associated with the version of the label creation application. The URL (#1), URL (#2), and URL (#3) in the management table 6 of FIG. 3 are intended to be URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of web pages. According to the management table 6 of FIG. 3, when the version of the label creation application to be started by the information processing device 2 is "1.0", the control unit 200 of the information processing device 2 provides the user with information on the web page of URL (#1). When the version of the label creation application to be started by the information processing device 2 is "1.1", the control unit 200 of the information processing device 2 provides the user with information on the web page of URL (#2). Note that the control performed by the information processing device 2 is not limited to the control to provide information on the web page described above, and may be other control. Instead of the URL, a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) ​​or the like may be used.

[0027] The "Providing format" in the management table 6 is information indicating a format in which information on a web page associated with a version of a label creation application is provided. The providing format in the management table 6 in FIG. 3 is set, for example, according to the definition table 601 shown in FIG. 3. The definition table 601 indicates two formats, "web browser" and "in app", as formats in which information on a web page is provided. The "web browser" is a format in which information on a web page is provided by displaying it in a web browser, which is an application program separate from the label creation application (see, for example, FIG. 5 and FIG. 7). The "in app" is a format in which information on a web page is provided by displaying it on the screen of the label creation application, such as a dialog generated by the label creation application (see, for example, FIG. 6). The providing format in the management table 6 is set to "0" when information is provided by a web browser according to the definition table 601, and is set to "1" when information is provided by the screen of the label creation application. Note that when information on a web page is provided by a web browser in all versions, the "providing format" may be omitted from the management table 6.

[0028] The "provision method" in management table 6 is information indicating the relationship between providing (displaying) information on a web page associated with the version of the label creation application and the start-up process of the label creation application. The provision method in management table 6 in FIG. 3 is set, for example, according to definition table 602 shown in FIG. 3. In definition table 602, three relationships are indicated as relationships between providing (displaying) information on a web page and the start-up process of the label creation application: "display after completion of application start-up process", "display during application start-up process", and "display without performing application start-up process". In the case of "display after completion of application start-up process", the information processing device 2 displays information on the web page after the start-up process of the label creation application is completed. In the case of "display during application start-up process", the information processing device 2 pauses the start-up process during the start-up process of the label creation application and displays information on the web page. In the case of "display without performing application start-up process", the information processing device 2 displays information on the web page without performing start-up process of the label creation application. The provision method in management table 6 is set to "0" in accordance with definition table 602 if the display is to be made after the application startup process is completed, "1" if the display is to be made during the application startup process, and "2" if the display is to be made without performing the application startup process. The "provision method" in management table 6 is not limited to the classification according to the three relationships described above. Note that the provision format in a version where the provision method is "2" (i.e., the display is made without performing the application startup process) automatically becomes "0", indicating that the display is made via a web browser.

[0029] The information processing device 2 acquires a management file 7 in which, for example, character strings as shown in FIG. 4 are described as a management file corresponding to the management table 6 shown in FIG. 3. The management file 7 is an example of a JSON file described in JSON format. In the management file 7 shown in FIG. 4, four pieces of information ("VER", "control content", "provision format", and "provision method") in one line in the management table 6 are described as four arguments (array elements) of argument 1 to argument 4 in one set of square brackets, forming one array indicating information for one version. In the management file 7, three arrays are described: an array 701 indicating information associated with version "1.0", an array 702 indicating information associated with version "1.1", and an array 703 indicating information associated with version "1.2". An array of another version may be described in the management file 7.

[0030] In one array (for example, array 701), "VER" from management table 6 is described in argument 1, and "control content" from management table 6 is described in argument 2. When the control content is the control to display the above-mentioned web page, the URL of the web page to be displayed is described in argument 2. "********" in the URL shown as an example of argument 2 in FIG. 4 is obscured characters, and the combination of characters (including numbers and symbols), the number of characters, etc. described may be arbitrary. A numerical value indicating the "provision format" from management table 6 is described in argument 3. Argument 3 of management file 7 in FIG. 4 follows definition table 601 shown as an example in FIG. 3, and "0" is used to indicate display in a web browser, and "1" is used to indicate display as a screen of a label creation application. A numerical value indicating the "provision method" from management table 6 is described in argument 4. Argument 4 of management file 7 in Figure 4 follows definition table 602 illustrated in Figure 3, with "0" indicating that the display is to be made after the application startup process is completed, "1" indicating that the display is to be made during the application startup process, and "2" indicating that the display is to be made without performing the application startup process.

[0031] For example, array 701 of management file 7 in Figure 4 indicates that if the version of the label creation application that the information processing device 2 is attempting to launch is "1.0", the information processing device 2 is to display the web page with URL "https: / / www.********.co.jp / " in the web browser, and is not to execute the launch process of the label creation application.

[0032] 4 is merely an example of a management file to be provided to the information processing device 2, which corresponds to the management table 6 described above with reference to Fig. 3. The description format of the version, control contents, providing format, providing method, etc. in the management file 7 is not limited to a specific format.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a first example of a method for providing information on a Web page. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a second example of a method for providing information on a Web page. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a third example of a method for providing information on a Web page.

[0034] Fig. 5 shows, as a first example of a method for providing information on a Web page, an example of a method for launching a label creation application and displaying information on a Web page in a Web browser. In other words, Fig. 5 shows an example of information displayed on the display device 8 (display unit 230) of the information processing device 2 when an operation is performed to launch a label creation application of version 1.1, in which the provision format is "0" and the provision method is "1" in the management file 7 described above with reference to Fig. 4.

[0035] 5 displays a label creation application window 810 and a web browser window 830 arranged in front of the window 810. The label creation application window 810 is displayed on the display device 8 at the start of the label creation application startup process or during the startup process. The web browser window 830 is displayed during the label creation application startup process. In the case of provision method "1", the information processing device 2 temporarily suspends (interrupts) the startup process when, for example, a screen to be displayed initially in the label creation application startup process is displayed on the display device 8, and starts the web browser to display a web page in the window 830.

[0036] The label creation app version with the provision method "1" may not cause any malfunction even if the start process is performed, or even if a malfunction occurs, it may not lead to a serious problem. Therefore, when the label creation app version with the provision method "1" is started, information with low urgency or low importance such as the latest information 831 related to the label creation app as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed in the window 830 of the web browser. The latest information 831 may include, for example, a link 832 to another web page that provides detailed information about the label creation app. The provision method "1" can be used, for example, in association with a version of the label creation app that may cause some malfunction when the start process is completed under certain conditions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions from occurring by temporarily suspending the start process of the label creation app and displaying the information on the web page in the web browser.

[0037] When the provision method is "1", the start-up process of the label creation application is paused and the Web browser window 830 is displayed. Therefore, when the provision method is "1", the information processing device 2 resumes the start-up process of the label creation application, for example, when an operation to close the Web browser window 830 or a predetermined operation is performed on the label creation application window 810. For example, when the provision method is "1", text information indicating that the start-up process is paused and a button for resuming the start-up process may be displayed in the label creation application window 810.

[0038] 5 may be a screen displayed after completion of the startup process of a label creation application of a version for which the provision method is "0" in the management file 7. When the startup process of the label creation application is complete, for example, it is possible to create print data by moving the label creation application window 810 to the front of the Web browser window 830 and performing an operation on the window 810.

[0039] Fig. 6 shows, as a second example of a method for providing information on a Web page, an example of a method for launching a label creation application and displaying information on a Web page in a dialog generated by the label creation application. In other words, Fig. 6 shows an example of information displayed on the display device 8 (display unit 230) of the information processing device 2 when an operation is performed to launch a label creation application of version 1.2, in which the provision format is "1" and the provision method is "0" in the management file 7 described above with reference to Fig. 4.

[0040] 6 displays a label creation application window 815 and a dialog box 840 arranged in front of the window 815. The label creation application window 815 is displayed on the display device 8 as an inactive window at any time from the start to the completion of the label creation application startup process. In this specification, "inactive" refers to a state in which operations on the window 815 are disabled until the dialog box 840 is closed. For example, the window 815 in FIG. 6 may display buttons for selecting operations, but operations on the buttons of the window 815 are disabled while the dialog box 840 is displayed.

[0041] The label creation application of the version with the provision method of "0" may not cause any malfunction even if the activation process is performed, or even if a malfunction occurs, it may be at a level that does not lead to a serious problem. Therefore, when the label creation application of the version with the provision method of "0" is activated, the information of the web page associated with that version may be displayed by the dialog 840 generated by the label creation application. The dialog 840 in FIG. 6 shows new information indicating that the label creation application can be updated to the latest version as an example of the information of the web page related to the label creation application of the version "1.2". A user who sees the dialog 840 can select, for example, whether to update the label creation application immediately or later. When an operation of pressing an "update" button 841 in the dialog 840 is performed, the information processing device 2 can, for example, terminate the activated label creation application and perform an update (version upgrade) of the label creation application. When an operation of pressing a "later" button 842 in the dialog 840 is performed, the information processing device 2 can, for example, hide the dialog 840 and activate a window 815 of the label creation application.

[0042] 6 may be a screen that appears when the start-up process of a label creation app of a version for which the provision method is "1" in the management file 7 is paused. When the start-up process of the label creation app is paused, for example, when an operation of pressing the "Later" button 842 in the dialog 840 is performed, the information processing device 2 makes the dialog 840 invisible and resumes the start-up process of the label creation app.

[0043] Fig. 7 shows an example of a method for providing Web page information to a Web browser without launching a label creation application, as a third example of the method for providing Web page information. In other words, Fig. 7 shows an example of information displayed on the display device 8 (display unit 230) of the information processing device 2 when an operation is performed to launch a label creation application of version 1.0, in which the provision format is "0" and the provision method is "2" in the management file 7 described above with reference to Fig. 4.

[0044] 7 displays a screen 850, which may be called a desktop screen or a home screen, and a web browser window 860. When the provision method is "2", the information processing device 2 displays the web browser window 860 without starting up the label creation application. For this reason, when the provision method is "2", the display device 8 does not display the label creation application window 810 (see FIG. 5) or 815 (see FIG. 6).

[0045] For example, even if the version of the label creation application for which the providing method is "2" has not been tampered with by a third party, a malfunction may occur when the label creation application is started, and for example, a part or all of the data stored in the storage unit 210 may be damaged or lost. It is better to avoid starting such a version of the label creation application that may cause a malfunction when started on the information processing device 2. Therefore, when the providing method associated with the version of the label creation application to be started in the management file 7 is "2", the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment presents the user with information on a web page by the web browser without starting the label creation application. At this time, the information displayed in the window 860 of the web browser includes, for example, information 861 indicating that the version of the label creation application to be started on the information processing device 2 is a version that should not be started, and a button 862 for updating (upgrading) the label creation application. When the button 862 is pressed, the display of the window 860 transitions to, for example, a web page from which the latest version of the label creation application can be downloaded. This makes it possible to avoid malfunctions caused by starting the label creation application.

[0046] The information on the Web page provided using the management file 7 is not limited to new information including update (upgrade) information of the label creation app as described above with reference to Figures 5 to 7, but may be other information. For example, a Web page for a particular version may be a Web page that lists inquiries from users about that version of the label creation app and their answers. Also, for example, a Web page for a particular version may be a Web page that explains a particular function included in that version of the label creation app.

[0047] Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a process performed by an information processing device according to an embodiment before starting a print application. Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a process performed by an information processing device according to an embodiment when starting a print application. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of values ​​of variables used in the flowcharts shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and their meanings.

[0048] When a user performs an operation to start a label creation application, the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment executes the process illustrated in FIG. 8 before starting the label creation application. When it is determined that the label creation application is to be started by the process illustrated in FIG. 8, the information processing device 2 performs the process illustrated in FIG. 9. The label creation application start-up process in this specification may be a process for making the information processing device 2 ready to execute processes such as creating print data and changing settings by the label creation application. In an information processing device to which the present invention is not applied, when a user performs an operation to start the label creation application, the label creation application start-up process is started without performing the processes of steps S100 to S111 illustrated in FIG. 8. The processes of steps S100 to S111 illustrated in FIG. 8 may be called "pre-startup process", and the processes of steps S200 to S208 illustrated in FIG. 9 may be called "startup process".

[0049] When a user of the information processing device 2 performs an operation to start a label creation application, the information processing device 2 performs pre-start processing including the processing of steps S100 to S111 illustrated in Fig. 8. The information processing device 2 first obtains the management file 7 from the server device 4 (step S100), and initializes variables i, F1, F2, F3, and F4 used to specify control contents according to the version of the label creation application that the information processing device 2 is about to start (step S101). Step S100 is performed by the communication unit 240 under the control of the control unit 200. Step S101 is performed by the control unit 200. The processing of steps S100 and S101 may be performed in the reverse order or in parallel.

[0050] The variable i is a variable used to identify the version of the label creation application included in the management file 7 (management table 6). When the management file 7 is a JSON format file as shown in Fig. 4, the variable i is used to identify an array including four array elements, argument 1 to argument 4, such as arrays 701 to 703. The variable i is set to 0 in step S101, for example.

[0051] The variable F0 is a variable used to identify whether or not there is a version in the management file 7 that matches the version of the label creation application that the information processing device 2 is attempting to start. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the variable F0 = 0 indicates that there is no matching version in the management file 7, and the variable F0 = 1 indicates that there is a matching version in the management file 7. The variable F0 is set to F0 = 0 in step S101.

[0052] The variable F1 is a variable that indicates a method of displaying a Web page according to the control contents of the management file 7. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the variable F1 = 0 indicates that the Web browser is launched and displayed, and the variable F1 = 1 indicates that the Web page is displayed as a dialog within the application. The variable F1 is set to F1 = 0 in step S101.

[0053] The variable F2 is a variable that indicates whether or not to perform the startup process illustrated in Fig. 9 following the pre-startup process illustrated in Fig. 8. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the variable F2=0 indicates that the startup process of the label creation application is to be performed, and the variable F2=1 indicates that the startup process of the label creation application is not to be performed. The variable F2 is set to F2=0 in step S101.

[0054] The variable F3 is a variable that indicates whether or not to pause midway to display Web page information when performing the start-up process illustrated in Fig. 9. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the variable F3=0 indicates that the Web page information is displayed after the start-up process is completed (the start-up process is not paused), and the variable F3=1 indicates that the Web page information is displayed midway through the start-up process (the start-up process is paused midway). The variable F3 is set to F3=0 in step S101.

[0055] The variables i, F1, F2, F3, and F4 are stored, for example, in the buffer 212 of the storage unit 210. The values ​​that the variables i, F1, F2, F3, and F4 can take, and the initial values ​​set for the variables i, F1, F2, F3, and F4 in step S101 are not limited to the above values.

[0056] After steps S100 and S101, the information processing device 2 refers to the acquired management file 7 and performs processing to determine the control content of the information processing device 2 according to the version of the label creation application to be started. This processing may be, for example, a loop processing including the processing of steps S102 to S109 as shown in Fig. 8. The loop processing is performed for each i-th sequence (version) in the management file 7.

[0057] As the first process in the loop process, the information processing device 2 judges whether or not the version of the ith sequence selected from the management file 7 matches the version of the label creation application to be started (step S102). If the versions match (step S102; YES), the information processing device 2 performs the processes from step S103 onward. If the versions do not match (step S102; NO), the information processing device 2 judges whether or not the end condition of the loop process is satisfied. The end condition of the loop process may be satisfied when either the version matches and the processes from step S103 onward are performed (i.e., when variable F0=1), or the versions of all sequences described in the management file 7 do not match. If the versions do not match (step S102; NO) and a sequence that has not been selected as the ith sequence remains in the management file 7, the information processing device 2 continues the loop process.

[0058] When it is determined in step S102 that the versions match (step S102; YES), the information processing device 2 updates the variable F0 to "1" (step S103). Next, the information processing device 2 determines whether the value of the provision format in the i-th array being compared in the currently performed loop process is "0" (step S104). The value of the provision format in the i-th array is set according to the definition table 601 illustrated in FIG.

[0059] If the value of the provision format is not "0" (step S104; NO), the information processing device 2 updates the variable F1 to "1" (step S105), and then determines whether the value of the provision method is "2" (step S106). If the value of the provision format is "0" (step S104; YES), the information processing device 2 skips step S105 and performs the determination of step S106. The value of the provision method in the i-th array is set according to the definition table 602 illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0060] If the value of the providing method is "2" (step S106; YES), the information processing device 2 updates the variable F2 to "1" (step S107), and then judges whether the value of the providing method is "1" (step S108). If the value of the providing format is not "2" (i.e., "0" or "1") (step S106; YES), the information processing device 2 skips step S107 and performs the judgment of step S108.

[0061] If the value of the providing method is "1" (step S108; YES), the information processing device 2 updates the variable F3 to "1" (step S109) and determines whether the end condition of the loop processing is satisfied. If the value of the providing method is not "1" (step S108; NO), the information processing device 2 skips the processing of step S109 and determines whether the end condition of the loop processing is satisfied. As described above, the end condition of the loop processing is when the variable F0=1 or when the versions of all the arrays in the management file 7 do not match the version of the label creation application to be started. Therefore, when the processing from step S103 onwards is performed, the information processing device 2 determines that the end condition of the loop processing is satisfied and ends the loop processing.

[0062] After the loop process ends, the information processing device 2 judges whether the variable F2 is "1" (step S110). As described above, when the value of the providing method in the i-th array of the management file 7 is "2", that is, when the value indicates that the label creation application startup process is not performed, the variable F2 becomes "1" (see FIG. 10). Therefore, when the variable F2=1 (step S110; YES), the information processing device 2 starts the Web browser to display the Web page associated with the version of the label creation application (step S111), and ends the pre-start process. As described above with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the format of displaying the information of the Web page includes a format of displaying it in the Web browser and a format of displaying it as a dialog of the label creation application. However, if the label creation application startup process is not performed, the information of the Web page cannot be displayed as a dialog of the label creation application. Therefore, when the variable F2=1, the information of the Web page is automatically displayed by the Web browser. By performing step S111, for example, it is possible to prevent the launch of a genuine label creation app that has not been tampered with by a third party and that may cause a malfunction when launched. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent data from being damaged or lost due to a malfunction caused by launching the label creation app.

[0063] If the variable F2 ≠ 1, the information processing device 2 continues to perform the start-up process according to the flowchart illustrated in Fig. 9. The information processing device 2 first executes a first process of the start-up process (step S200) and displays a start-up screen of the label creation application (step S201). The first process executed by the information processing device 2 in step S200 is not limited to a specific process as long as it does not include one or more processes described as start-up processes in the label creation application. The start-up screen displayed in step S201 may be, for example, the window 810 of the label creation application illustrated in Fig. 5.

[0064] After steps S200 and S201, the information processing device 2 judges whether or not the variable F3 is "1" (step S202). As described above with reference to FIG. 10, the value of the variable F3 indicates whether or not to suspend the start-up process of the label creation application in order to display information on a Web page, and F3=1 indicates that the start-up process of the label creation application is suspended midway. Therefore, when the variable F3=1 (step S202; YES), the information processing device 2 suspends the start-up process and displays information on the Web page in a format according to the value of the variable F1 (step S203). In step S203, if the variable F1=0, the information processing device 2 displays a screen as exemplified in FIG. 5, and if the variable F1=1, the information processing device 2 displays a screen as exemplified in FIG. 6. After step S203, the information processing device 2 judges whether or not an operation to resume the start-up process has been performed (step S204), and if the operation to resume has not been performed (step S204; NO), it judges whether or not an operation to cancel the start-up process has been performed (step S205). The operation to resume the startup process may be, for example, an operation to hide information on a displayed Web page. The operation to cancel the startup process may be, for example, an operation to close the window 810 of the label creation application. If an operation to cancel the startup process has been performed (step S205; YES), the information processing device 2 ends the startup process of the label creation application. If an operation to cancel the startup process has not been performed (step S205; NO), the information processing device 2 repeats the determinations of steps S204 and S205 until an operation to resume the startup process or an operation to cancel the startup process is performed.

[0065] When it is determined in step S202 that the variable F3 is not equal to 1 (step S202; NO) or when an operation to resume the start-up process is performed (step S204; YES), the information processing device 2 executes the remaining processes of the start-up process (step S206). After step S206, the information processing device 2 determines whether the variable F0 is "1" (step S201). As described above, the variable F0 indicates whether a version matching the version of the label creation application to be started by the information processing device 2 is present in the management file 7, and variable F0=1 indicates that a matching version is present in the management file 7. Therefore, when variable F0=1 (step S207; YES), the information processing device 2 displays the information of the Web page in a presentation format according to the value of variable F1 (step S208) and ends the start-up process of the label creation application. When variable F0=0, it indicates that a version matching the version of the label creation application to be started by the information processing device 2 is not present in the management file 7, that is, there is no information of the Web page to be displayed in association with the version of the label creation application to be started. Therefore, if the variable F0=0 (step S207; NO), the information processing device 2 omits the process of step S208 and ends the start-up process of the label creation application.

[0066] In this way, the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment does not perform the start-up process of the label creation app if the version of the label creation app to be started in response to a user operation is associated with not performing the start-up process in the management file 7. This makes it possible to prevent, for example, a malfunction that may occur when starting a label creation app of a specific version, resulting in damage or loss of data, from occurring.

[0067] Furthermore, the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment can display information related to the version of the label creation application to be started even if no malfunction occurs when the label creation application is started, or if a malfunction does occur but does not lead to a serious problem. For this reason, for example, information on malfunctions that occur only when a specific operation is performed under specific conditions can be provided to the user in advance. Therefore, the user of the label creation application can easily avoid malfunctions. For example, the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment can notify the user of information specific to the version of the label creation application to be started (for example, operation methods, unavailable functions, possible phenomena and how to deal with them, etc.) early on, based on the management file 7 acquired from the server device 4. In the label creation application, for example, when print data created with a certain version is sent to a specific printing device and printed on a print medium, the layout of characters, figures, etc. printed on the print medium may differ from the layout in the print data. According to the information processing device 2 according to the present embodiment, the user can know that such an event will occur when starting the label creation application, and can prevent the print medium from being wasted due to a printing failure, etc.

[0068] The above-described embodiment is a specific example shown to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Various modifications and changes can be made to the information processing device, application execution control method, and program without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0069] 1 and 2 is not limited to being a separate device connected to the printing device 3 by wire or wirelessly, but may be included in the printing device 3. The management file acquired by the information processing device 2 may include only an array corresponding to the version of the label creation application started by the information processing device 2, among the multiple arrays 701-703 associated with each of the multiple versions illustrated in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the application program started by the information processing device 2 and the management file acquired from the server device 4 are not limited to those related to the label creation application described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Information Processing Systems 2. Information processing equipment 3 Printing device 4. Server equipment 5. Communication Network 6 Management table 7 Management files 200, 400 Control section 210, 410 Storage section 211, 411 Application storage area 212 Buffer 412 Web Content Storage 413 Managed file storage area 220, 420 Input section 230, 430 display section 240, 440 Communications Department

Claims

1. a communication unit that communicates with an external device when an operation for starting an application program is performed, and acquires a management file including control information associated with a version of the application program; a control unit that, when control information associated with a version of the application program to be started is included in the management file acquired by the communication unit, controls a start-up process of the application program based on the control information associated with the version of the application program to be started; An information processing device comprising:

2. the control information of the management file includes information indicating whether to perform a startup process of the application program, The control unit determines, before starting the startup process of the application program, whether or not to perform the startup process of the application program based on control information associated with the version of the application program to be started in the management file. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. a display unit capable of displaying a screen generated by the application program and a web page; the control information of the management file includes a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a Web page associated with the version of the application program, and information indicating whether the Web page is to be displayed on the display unit by a Web browser or by a screen generated by the application program; The control unit acquires information of the Web page via the communication unit, and displays the Web page on the display unit using the Web browser or a screen generated by the application program based on the information included in the control information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the management file acquired by the communication unit includes control information associated with each of the multiple versions of the application program, The control unit controls a startup process of the application program when the acquired management file contains the control information associated with the version of the application program to be started. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The application program causes the information processing device to execute a process of creating print data to be printed on a print medium and a process of transmitting the print data to a printing device. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The computer a process of communicating with an external device when an operation for starting an application program is performed, and acquiring a management file including control information associated with a version of the application program; a process of controlling a startup process of the application program based on the control information associated with the version of the application program to be started, when the control information associated with the version of the application program to be started is included in the acquired management file; An application execution control method for executing

7. On the computer, a process of communicating with an external device when an operation for starting an application program is performed, and acquiring a management file including control information associated with a version of the application program; a process of controlling a startup process of the application program based on the control information associated with the version of the application program to be started, when the control information associated with the version of the application program to be started is included in the acquired management file; A program that executes the following.

Images