Information processing device and method for controlling the same

Abstract

To easily associate received image data with personal identification information.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes: reception means configured to receive image data and transmission source information about the image data from an external device; generation means configured to generate a file from the received image data; and setting means configured to acquire identification information corresponding to the received transmission source information from a database, and set a name including the identification information for the generated file.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In pharmacies outside hospitals, image data of prescriptions may be sent from hospitals or patients to pharmacies by fax. Therefore, when dispensing medicine, it is necessary to associate the sent and received image data with patient information.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for setting the fax number of the sender as the file name when image data is received by fax and saving the data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-18417 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of a pharmacy, identification information such as a patient number may be assigned to each patient for management, and medical documents such as prescriptions are also managed by identification information. For example, management can be made easier by setting the identification information in the file name.

[0006] However, as in Patent Document 1, when sender information such as a fax number is set in the file name of the received image data, the file name and the identification information are different. In this case, the recipient refers to a database in which fax numbers and identification information are associated based on the sender information such as the fax number set in the file name. Then, it is necessary to identify the individual corresponding to the identification information and associate the received image data with the individual's identification information, which is time-consuming.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to easily associate received image data with personal identification information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the information processing device of the present invention is characterized in having a receiving means for receiving image data and source information of the image data from an external device, a generating means for generating a file from the received image data, and a setting means for obtaining identification information corresponding to the received source information from a database, and setting a name including the identification information to the generated file. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily associate received image data with an individual. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a document to be read by an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 13 shows an example of a home screen displayed on the display unit 225 immediately after the start-up of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection relationship between an image forming apparatus 100 and an electronic medical record system 110 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows an example of a registration screen 600 for a FAX transmission button displayed on the display unit 225 during registration processing of the FAX transmission button in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a registration process of a FAX transmission button in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen when sending a FAX in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a FAX transmission process according to a first embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a patient information input process according to a first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 shows an example of a home screen displayed on the display unit 225 immediately after the image forming apparatus 130 is started up in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection relationship between an image forming device 130, a pharmacy system 140, and a file storage 141 in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection relationship between a pharmacy system 140 and a file storage 141 in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a registration screen for FAX reception in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] A flowchart showing an example of a registration process for FAX reception in the first embodiment. [Figure 16] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a FAX receiving process according to a first embodiment. [Figure 17] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a transfer process of FAX received image data in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a sequence of a signal response during FAX transmission / reception in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The best mode of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following mode of embodiment does not limit the invention according to the claims, and all of the combinations of features described in the mode of embodiment are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0012] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the base station 120 connects the image forming apparatus 100 and the image forming apparatus 130 via a public switched telephone network (PSTN line), and they are in a state where they can communicate with each other. The method of connecting the image forming apparatus 100 and the image forming apparatus 130 is not limited to the public switched telephone network (PSTN line), and they may be connected via the Internet. Furthermore, they may be connected via a wired connection or wireless connection. Furthermore, when connected via the Internet, the base station 120 may be a network device such as a server. The image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the electronic medical record system 110 via a network, and they are in a state where they can communicate with each other. The image forming apparatus 130 is connected to each of the pharmacy system 140 and the file storage 141 via a network, and they are in a state where they can communicate with each other. Note that the network connected to each of the image forming apparatus 100 and the image forming apparatus 130 may be the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). Furthermore, they may be connected via a wired connection or wireless connection.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 100 and the image forming apparatus 130 are examples of information processing apparatuses. The image forming apparatus 100 accepts input of image data to be transmitted and converts the image data into a signal. The image forming apparatus 100 also acquires patient information and document type information related to the image data from the electronic medical record system 110, and matches the input image data with the acquired information. A signal of the matched image data and a signal including the acquired information are transmitted to the base station 120 via the public switched telephone network (PSTN line). The method of inputting an image to the image forming apparatus 100 may be a direct input method using a scan function or the like, or an input method by receiving data from another information processing apparatus.

[0014] The electronic medical record system 110 is a system that stores and manages patient numbers, names, birth dates, medical examination results, etc., for example, in a hospital or the like, and is a system that stores a patient information DB (database) 500. In the patient information DB 500, for example, patient numbers, patient names, patient conditions, addresses, contact information, etc. are stored as patient information.

[0015] The base station 120 can determine the receiving image forming device 130 from the signal transmitted by the image forming device 100, mediate the exchange of signals with the image forming device 100, and control the transmission of image data to the image forming device 130.

[0016] Image forming device 130 is connected to pharmacy system 140, and acquires patient information and document type information related to image data from patient information DB 1200 based on the received signal. Image forming device 130 also generates an image file based on the received image data, sets the acquired information as the file name of the generated image file, and transmits it to file storage 141. Note that the reception method of image forming device 130 may be a method of receiving via an external network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN line), or a method of directly receiving image data using a scan function or the like.

[0017] The pharmacy system 140 includes a display unit (not shown) and stores a database in which identification information required for identifying patients and transmission source information are associated. The pharmacy system 140 provides the information stored in the database when accessed from outside. The display unit (not shown) in the pharmacy system 140 may be configured to be on the same device as the storage location of the database, or may be configured to be on a different device such as a personal computer that can refer to the storage location of the database. The database stored in the pharmacy system 140 may be a default one whose information is not updated, or may be one that can be updated. The database may be transmitted from an outside source and stored in the pharmacy system 140, or may be one that is updated or stored, or both, by the pharmacy system 140 learning.

[0018] The file storage 141 is a place where various data such as image data is stored, and is a file server composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The file storage 141 has a function of recording data input from the outside via communication and outputting stored data to the outside, and the stored contents can be changed.

[0019] The image forming device 100 and the electronic medical record system 110 may exist on the same device. The image forming device 130, the pharmacy system 140, and the file storage 141 may each be an independent device, or some or all of them may exist on the same device.

[0020] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus in this embodiment. The image forming apparatus is mainly composed of a control unit 210, an operation unit 216, a reading unit 218, a printing unit 220, and an NCU (Network Control Unit) 223. The control unit 210 is composed of a CPU 211, a ROM 212, a RAM 213, a storage 214, a modem 222, and various I / Fs (interfaces). The CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit, the ROM is an abbreviation for Read-Only Memory, and the RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. The various I / Fs are an operation unit I / F 215, a reading unit I / F 217, a printing unit I / F 219, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) I / F 221, and a communication unit I / F 224.

[0021] The operation unit I / F 215 is a connection unit between the control unit 210 and the operation unit 216, and connects the control unit 210 and the operation unit 216. The reading unit I / F 217 is a connection unit between the control unit 210 and the reading unit 218, and connects the control unit 210 and the reading unit 218. The printing unit I / F 219 is a connection unit between the control unit 210 and the printing unit 220, and connects the control unit 210 and the printing unit 220. The USB I / F 221 is a connection unit between the control unit 210 and a USB device, and connects the control unit 210 and the USB device. The communication unit I / F 224 is a connection unit between the control unit 210 and a network, and connects the control unit 210 and the network. The modem 222 is also a connection unit between the control unit 210 and the NCU 223, and connects the control unit 210 and the NCU 223. The NCU 223 is a connection section between the image forming apparatus and the PSTN line, and connects the image forming apparatus to the PSTN line.

[0022] The control unit 210 including the CPU 211 controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus. The CPU 211 reads out a control program stored in the ROM 212 or the storage 214, and performs various controls such as reading control and printing control. The CPU 211 also receives signals received by each unit of the image forming apparatus, and performs judgment in each process. The ROM 212 stores a control program executable by the CPU 211. The ROM 212 also stores, for example, a boot program and font data. The RAM 213 is the main storage memory of the CPU 211, and is used as a work area, and is used as a temporary storage area for expanding various control programs stored in the ROM 212 and the storage 214. The storage 214 stores various information such as image data, print data, an address book, various programs, and various setting information. Note that the storage 214 in this embodiment is assumed to be a flash memory, but an auxiliary storage device such as an SSD, HDD, or eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card) may also be used. In the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment, as shown in the flowchart described later, one CPU 211 executes each process using one memory (RAM 213), but other configurations are also possible. For example, a plurality of CPUs, RAMs, ROMs, and storages may cooperate to execute processes. Also, some processes may be executed using hardware circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0023] The operation unit 216 is configured to include an input device such as a button. The input device may be a device capable of displaying in addition to input, such as a touch panel. The operation unit 216 displays information to the user and detects input from the user. The operation unit 216 may include a plurality of input devices, or may include a display device such as a screen in addition to the input device. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus may be configured to include a display device here as a display unit 225 separate from the operation unit 216. In this embodiment, the operation unit 216 will be described as including a display unit 225 that can perform input in addition to display.

[0024] The reading unit 218 reads an original document and generates image data such as binary data based on the image of the read original document. The image data generated by the reading unit 218 is transmitted to an external device such as an information processing device, stored in an external recording device such as a USB device, or printed on paper, for example.

[0025] Printing unit 220 receives image data to be printed (image data to be printed) from CPU 211, and prints the image on recording paper fed from a paper feed cassette (not shown). Note that the operation of printing unit 220 is not limited to printing on paper, and may be on media other than paper, such as overhead projector sheets.

[0026] The modem 222 modulates and demodulates signals required for FAX communication. The NCU 223 performs processes such as sending and receiving dialing signals. Specifically, the NCU 223 sends the signal modulated by the modem 222 to the public switched telephone network (PSTN line). The CPU 211 can acquire patient information such as a patient registration card from a USB device such as a card reader via the USB I / F 221. The control unit 210 is connected to a network via a communication unit I / F 224, and transmits image data to an external device and receives print data from an external device.

[0027] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a document read by the imaging device in this embodiment. Document 300 is a prescription, a document in which a doctor writes down the type and amount of medicine needed to treat a patient's illness, as well as how to take it. In the case of a dispensing pharmacy, a pharmacist checks whether the prescription is correct, dispenses the medicine, and hands it over to the patient.

[0028] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen displayed on display unit 225 immediately after start-up of image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment. Home screen 401 is a screen for instructing the execution of each function of image forming apparatus 100, and is displayed on display unit 225. Home screen 401 displays function buttons 402 for each function executed by image forming apparatus 100, such as a FAX button.

[0029] Function buttons 402 are buttons for instructing the execution of each function provided in image forming apparatus 100, and when selected, the corresponding function is executed. One of a plurality of function button pages on which a plurality of function buttons 402 are arranged is displayed on display unit 225. Note that the displayed screen may be displayed as one page by, for example, scrolling the screen, changing the size or layout of function buttons 402, or the like. Note that the number of function buttons 402 can be increased by the user registering them.

[0030] The prescription fax button 403 is an example of the function button 402, and is a button for executing a function of reading a prescription and sending it by fax. Note that the function button 402 described in this embodiment is not a mechanically input button, such as one with projections and recesses, but an icon displayed on the display unit 225. However, a mechanical button or the like may be provided. Note that the function of the function button 402 that can be added is not limited to fax transmission, and may be a button that executes a function such as email transmission or file transmission.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the connection relationship between the image forming apparatus 100 and the electronic medical record system 110 in the present embodiment. A patient information DB (500) is stored in the electronic medical record system 110. The patient information DB 500 is updated at timings such as patient registration, reception, admission registration, accounting, and the like. For example, a patient number, a patient name, a patient status, an address, a contact information, and the like are stored in the patient information DB 500 as patient information. The image forming apparatus 100 communicates with the electronic medical record system 110 to acquire the patient information DB 500. Note that the patient information DB 500 may be stored in advance in the storage 214 in the image forming apparatus 100, and data acquisition may be performed within the image forming apparatus 100.

[0032] When the user selects the FAX button 403 for the prescription, the image forming apparatus 100 displays an input screen (not shown) on the display unit 225. When the user inputs the patient number on the patient card 501, the image forming apparatus 100 transmits the patient number to the electronic medical record system 110 and requests acquisition of registered patient information (502). The number may be input using a keyboard or the like, or may be input by reading a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) that represents numbers or letters. The image forming apparatus 100 may also be provided with a device capable of reading and writing information, and information may be acquired by a contact method such as a magnetic card, a punch card, or a memory card. The image forming apparatus 100 may also be provided with a reader / writer, and information may be acquired by a non-contact method using, for example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or NFC (Near Field Communication). The image forming apparatus 100 may also be provided with a microphone, and information may be acquired by an input method using voice input. The electronic medical record system 110, which has received a request for patient information from the image forming apparatus 100, refers to the patient information DB 500 and returns patient information (patient name, contact information, etc.) corresponding to the requested patient number to the image forming apparatus 100 (503). The information that the electronic medical record system 110 returns to the image forming apparatus 100 may be a part of the patient information, or may be stored in the storage 214 within the image forming apparatus 100 as all of the patient information and used. The image forming apparatus 100 then transmits by FAX a signal including a scanned image of the read prescription and the acquired patient information (504).

[0033] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a registration process of a FAX transmission button, which is one of the function buttons 402, in this embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button displayed on the display unit 225 during the registration process of the FAX transmission button. The registration process of the FAX transmission button is started when the user operates the operation unit 216 to select registration of the FAX transmission button from button registration of the setting menu. When the user selects registration of the FAX transmission button, the image forming apparatus 100 displays the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button on the display unit 225. Note that the button registration may be performed, for example, on a Web page provided by the image forming apparatus 100, or may be performed by accessing the image forming apparatus 100 using an external device such as a personal computer. The process performed by the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described below.

[0034] [S701: Button name setting] In S701, the CPU 211 accepts the setting of a button name by the user. When the input field 601 of the registration screen 600 for the FAX transmission button is selected, the CPU 211 displays a software keyboard (not shown) on the display unit 225, and the user can input a desired button name using the software keyboard. When the input in the input field 601 is completed, the process proceeds to S702.

[0035] [S702: Setting document type] In S702, the CPU 211 accepts the document type set by the user. When the input field 602 of the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button is selected, the CPU 211 displays a software keyboard (not shown) on the display unit 225, and the user can input the document type using the software keyboard. The document type can be input not only through the software keyboard, but also through an input format in which the document type is selected from options corresponding to the registered document types. The user may input multiple document types. For example, when "prescription" and "medical questionnaire" are input as the document types, the user may fax the image of the first document of the multiple documents read by the reading unit 218 as the prescription, and the image of the second document as the medical questionnaire. When the input in the input field 602 is completed, the process proceeds to S703.

[0036] [S703: Setting the document size] In S703, CPU 211 accepts the document size setting by the user. When input field 603 on FAX transmission button registration screen 600 is selected, CPU 211 displays options corresponding to the registered document size on display unit 225, and the user can input by selecting an option. Note that the document size may be set by image forming apparatus 100 acquiring the size of the document placed on reading unit 218, and using the acquired information as the document size setting. When input in input field 603 is completed, the process proceeds to S704.

[0037] [S704: Resolution setting] In S704, the CPU 211 accepts the resolution setting by the user. When the input field 604 of the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button is selected, the CPU 211 displays options corresponding to the registered reading resolution on the display unit 225, and the user can input by selecting an option. Note that the options of the document type, original size, and resolution only need to be registered at the time when the user selects an option, and may be registered in advance by the user or may be stored in the storage 214 or ROM 212 in advance. When the input in the input field 604 is completed, the process proceeds to S705.

[0038] [S705: Enter patient information] In S705, the CPU 211 accepts the setting of patient information input by the user. When the input field 605 of the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button is selected, the CPU 211 displays alternative options on the display unit 225, and the user can input by selecting from the options. Note that the alternative options can use various symbols such as 0 and 1, Yes and No, O and X, etc. As shown in FIG. 6, when the user sets the patient information input to "Yes", patient information such as the patient name and contact information can be input when sending a FAX. When the input in the input field 605 is completed, the process proceeds to S706.

[0039] [S706: Determining whether the OK button is selected] In S706, the CPU 211 judges whether the OK button 606 on the registration screen 600 for the fax transmission button has been selected. The OK button 606 is an object for registering the content input at the time of selection in association with the fax transmission button. If it is judged that the OK button 606 has been selected, the CPU 211 stores the content input at the time the OK button 606 was selected in association with the fax transmission button to be registered, and ends the process. If it is judged that the button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S707. In the example of FIG. 6, when the OK button 606 is selected, the CPU 211 stores the content of each setting item as button information in the storage 214, such as the button name of the fax transmission button to be registered being "Prescription fax transmission" and the document type information being "Prescription".

[0040] [S707: Determining whether the Cancel button is selected] In S707, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the Cancel button 607 on the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button has been selected. The Cancel button 607 is an object for discarding the content input at the time of selection and closing the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button. If it is determined that the Cancel button 607 has been selected, the CPU 211 discards the content input at the time when the Cancel button 607 was selected, closes the registration screen 600 of the FAX transmission button, and ends the process. If it is determined that it has not been selected, the process returns to S701 and repeats.

[0041] The FAX transmission button registered by the processes from S701 to S707 is displayed on the home screen 401 of FIG. 4 (the FAX transmission button 403 of the prescription form).

[0042] Note that the processes from S701 to S705 do not have to require settings for all items, and the order is not limited either. Note that for the processes from S701 to S705, each item may be set by having the image forming apparatus 100 read a pre-registered file from the outside. Note that the determination in S706 and S707 is not limited to the input from the display unit 225, and for example, the input by a button provided on the operation unit 216 may be used as a criterion for determination. Further, the determination in S706 and S707 may end the process with a configuration in which the process is automatically performed after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of FAX transmission processing in the present embodiment, and is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes in which the image forming apparatus 100 reads the document 300 and transmits it to the image forming apparatus 130 by FAX. Further, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen at the time of FAX transmission. The FAX transmission process is started when the user operates the operation unit 216 of the image forming apparatus 100 and selects the FAX button displayed on the home screen 401 or the function button 402 in which the FAX transmission setting is registered. In the present embodiment, the prescription FAX transmission button 403 will be described as an example of the function button 402 in which the FAX transmission setting is registered. The processing performed by the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described below.

[0044] [S901: Judgment of Selection of FAX Button] In S901, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the FAX button has been selected. If it is determined that the selected button is the FAX button, the process proceeds to S906. If it is determined that the selected button is not the FAX button, the process proceeds to S902.

[0045] [S902: Judgment of Selection of Prescription FAX Transmission Button] In S902, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the prescription FAX transmission button 403 has been selected. If it is determined that the selected button is the prescription FAX transmission button 403, the process proceeds to S903. If it is determined that the selected button is not the prescription FAX transmission button 403, the process proceeds to S901. Note that the button to be determined here is not limited to the "prescription FAX transmission button", and may be a function button 402 in which other names or document types are set, such as a "report FAX transmission button".

[0046] [S903: Transmission Setting of Prescription] In S903, the CPU 211 presets the transmission settings (document type "prescription", original size "A5", etc.) of the "registration of prescription FAX transmission button", which are preset by the user in the registration of the FAX transmission button (FIGS. 6 and 7), to the FAX transmission settings. When the preset is completed, the process proceeds to S904.

[0047] [S904: Determine whether to enter patient information] In S904, the CPU 211 judges whether the patient information input (input field 605) of the "Registering the Prescription FAX Send Button" preset in the FAX Send Button Registration (FIGS. 6 and 7) is set to "Yes". If it is determined that the patient information input is set to "Yes", the process proceeds to S902. If it is determined that the patient information input is not set to "Yes", the process proceeds to S906.

[0048] [S905: Enter patient information] In S905, the CPU 211 performs a process of "inputting patient information (FIG. 10)" described later. When the input process of the patient information is completed, the process proceeds to S906.

[0049] [S906: Enter destination address] In S906, the CPU 211 accepts the input of the destination address by the user. When the Next button 805 on the patient information input screen 800 is selected, the CPU 211 displays a FAX setting screen 850 on the display unit 225. The FAX setting screen 850 includes a destination address input field 851 and a transmission setting button 852. The user can input the destination address by selecting the destination input field 851. When the input of the destination address is completed, the process proceeds to S907.

[0050] [S907: Advanced Settings] In S907, the CPU 211 performs detailed settings including read settings such as document size and read mode, and send settings such as send resolution. When the send settings button 852 on the FAX setting screen 850 is selected, the CPU 211 displays a FAX detailed settings screen 860 on the display unit 225, and the user can perform detailed settings. On the FAX detailed settings screen 860, the user can change settings such as document size, read mode, and send resolution when sending a FAX. For example, the document type setting button 861 can be selected to set the document type to be notified to the other device when sending a FAX. When the detailed settings are completed, the process proceeds to S908.

[0051] [S908: Start button selection determination] In S908, CPU 211 determines whether or not start button 853 has been selected. The start button is not limited to one on display unit 225, and may be one selected by a method from an input device, such as a button provided on operation unit 216. The name of the button is also not limited to the word "start", and may be input from an input item, such as "next". If it is determined that start button 853 has been selected, the process proceeds to S909. If it is determined that start button 853 has not been selected, the process waits until start button 853 is selected.

[0052] [S909: Reading the manuscript] In S909, CPU 211 reads the document via reading unit 218. When start button 853 is selected in S908, CPU 211 displays on display unit 225 a reading screen 870 indicating that the document is being read, and starts reading the document. When reading of the document is completed, CPU 211 displays on display unit 225 a FAX sending screen 880 indicating that FAX transmission is being performed. When reading of the document is completed, the process proceeds to S910.

[0053] [S910: Manuscript Digitization] In S910, the CPU 211 generates image data such as binary data, for example, based on the image of the document read by the reading unit 218. When the generation of the image data is completed, the process proceeds to S911.

[0054] [S911: Line seizure] In S911, the CPU 211 performs line capture to make a call to the destination image forming apparatus 130 via the base station 120. When the line capture is completed, the process proceeds to S912.

[0055] [S912: Dial (call)] In S912, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 uses the line acquired in S911 to dial a call to the image forming apparatus 130. When the dial call is completed, the process proceeds to S913.

[0056] [S913:Ability Exchange] In S913, the CPU 211 exchanges capabilities with the image forming apparatus 130 that was called in S912. In the capabilities exchange, information such as the size and type of recording paper, the modem type, the encoding method, and the recording resolution is exchanged, and information on capabilities that can be transmitted and received is exchanged. When the capabilities exchange is completed, the process proceeds to S914.

[0057] [S914: Determination of document type setting] In S914, the CPU 211 determines whether or not a document type has been set (S702). If it is determined that a document type has been set, the process proceeds to S915. If it is determined that a document type has not been set, the process proceeds to S916.

[0058] [S915: Sending document type information] In S915, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits the document type information set in S702 to the destination image forming apparatus 130. When the transmission of the document type information is completed, the process proceeds to S916.

[0059] [S916: Decision on patient information input] In S916, the CPU 211 determines whether or not there is a setting for inputting patient information (S705). If it is determined that there is a setting for inputting patient information, the process proceeds to S917. If it is determined that there is no setting for inputting patient information, the process proceeds to S918.

[0060] [S917: Send patient name and contact information as source information] In S917, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits the patient name (sender name) displayed in the patient name display field 803 and the contact information (sender number) displayed in the contact information display field 804 to the image forming apparatus 130 as source information. The name of the sender of the FAX is not limited to the patient name, and may be, for example, the user's own name entered in the image forming apparatus 100. The source number of the FAX is not limited to the contact information, and may be, for example, a FAX number assigned to the image forming apparatus 100 that sends the FAX. The information displayed in the patient name display field 803 and the contact information display field 804 is acquired in S1014, which will be described later. When transmission of the source information is completed, the process proceeds to S918.

[0061] [S918: Sending image data] In S918, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits the image data to the image forming apparatus 130 via the PSTN line using the modem 222 and the NCU 223. When the FAX transmission is completed, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 displays a FAX setting screen 850 on the display unit 225.

[0062] The processes from S901 to S918 may be performed by an operation instruction from an external device such as a personal computer. Furthermore, each screen may be displayed not only on the display unit 225 of the image forming apparatus 100 but also on an external device such as a personal computer.

[0063] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of patient information input processing in this embodiment. The patient information input processing starts with input of patient information in the FAX transmission processing (S905). The processing performed by the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described below.

[0064] [S1001: Display patient information input screen] In S1001, the CPU 211 displays an input screen 800 for patient information on the display unit 225. The input screen 800 for patient information includes an input button 801 from the medical examination ticket, an input button 802 for the patient name and contact information, a patient name display column 803, and a contact information display column 804. When the display of the input screen for patient information is completed, the process proceeds to S1002.

[0065] [S1002: Judgment on Selection of Next Button] In S1002, the CPU 211 determines whether the next button 805 has been selected. If it is determined that the next button 805 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1003. If it is determined that a button other than the next button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1004.

[0066] [S1003: Judgment on Input of Patient Name and Contact Information] In S1003, the CPU 211 determines whether the patient name and contact information have been input. If it is determined that the input has been made, this process ends (proceed to S906). If it is determined that the input has not been made, the process proceeds to S1001.

[0067] [S1004: Judgment on Input from Medical Examination Ticket] In S1004, the CPU 211 determines whether the input button 801 from the medical examination ticket has been selected. If it is determined that the input button 801 from the medical examination ticket has been selected, the process proceeds to S1005. If it is determined that a button other than the input button 801 from the medical examination ticket has been selected, the process proceeds to S1016.

[0068] [S1005: Display of Medical Examination Ticket Number Input Screen] In S1005, the CPU 211 displays a medical examination ticket number input screen 820 on the display unit 225. When the display of the medical examination ticket number input screen is completed, the process proceeds to S1006.

[0069] [S1006: Judgment on Input of Number] In S1006, CPU 211 determines whether or not a number has been input. If it is determined that a number has been input on medical appointment card number input screen 820, the process returns to S1005 and waits until the number input is complete. If it is determined that a number has not been input on medical appointment card number input screen 820, the process proceeds to S1007.

[0070] [S1007: Determination of Back Button Selection] In S1007, CPU 211 determines whether or not the Back button has been selected. If it is determined that the Back button on the patient card number input screen 820 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1008. If it is determined that the Back button on the patient card number input screen 820 has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1009.

[0071] [S1008: Clear input number] In S1008, the CPU 211 clears the input number that was input on the patient appointment card number input screen 820. When the input number has been cleared, the process proceeds to S1001.

[0072] [S1009: Determining whether to select the Confirm button] In S1009, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the Confirm button has been selected. If it is determined that the Confirm button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1011. If it is determined that a button other than the Confirm button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1010.

[0073] [S1010: Determine whether to read the barcode on the patient registration card] In S1010, the CPU 211 judges whether or not the barcode of the patient's appointment card is to be read. The user reads the barcode of the patient's appointment card, and the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 acquires the appointment card number corresponding to the read barcode, and judges that the barcode is to be read. If it is determined that the barcode of the patient's appointment card is to be read, the process proceeds to S1011. If it is determined that the barcode of the patient's appointment card is not to be read, the process proceeds to S1005. The patient's appointment card number can be read by reading the barcode of the patient's appointment card 810 with the barcode reader 811 connected to the image forming apparatus 100 and capable of transmitting information. Note that the object to be read is not limited to the barcode, and may be a two-dimensional code such as a one-dimensional code or a QR code that represents numbers or letters. In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 may be provided with a device capable of reading and writing information, and information may be acquired by contacting a magnetic card, a punch card, a memory card, or the like. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 may be provided with, for example, a reader / writer, and information may be acquired in a non-contact manner using, for example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) or NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0074] [S1011: Connection to electronic medical record system] In S1011, the CPU 211 connects to the electronic medical record system 110. When the connection to the electronic medical record system 110 is completed, the process proceeds to S1012.

[0075] [S1012: Query patient information for input number] In S1012, CPU 211 transmits the input patient appointment card number to electronic medical record system 110 and inquires as to whether patient information for the transmitted patient appointment card number is registered in patient information DB 500. When the received patient appointment card number is registered in patient information DB 500, electronic medical record system 110 notifies CPU 211 that the patient information is registered. Note that not only when the patient information is registered, but also when the patient appointment card number received by electronic medical record system 110 from image forming apparatus 100 is not registered in patient information DB 500, electronic medical record system 110 may notify image forming apparatus 100. When the inquiry of patient information is completed, the process proceeds to S1013.

[0076] [S1013: Determining whether patient information is registered] In S1013, the CPU 211 determines whether or not patient information is registered in the patient information DB 500 of the electronic medical record system 110. The CPU 211 determines that the patient information is registered if a notification is received from the electronic medical record system 110 in S1012, and determines that the patient information is not registered if no notification is received. The CPU 211 may determine that the patient information is not registered by receiving a notification from the electronic medical record system 110 that the patient information is not registered. If it is determined that the patient information is registered, the process proceeds to S1014. If it is determined that the patient information is not registered, the process proceeds to S1015.

[0077] [S1014: Obtaining patient name and contact information] In S1014, the CPU 211 acquires the patient name and contact information from the patient information stored in the patient information DB 500. When acquisition of the patient name and contact information is completed, the process proceeds to S1001, and the acquired patient name and contact information are reflected and displayed in the patient name display field 803 and the contact information display field 804 of the patient information input screen 800, respectively.

[0078] [S1015: Display of input number reconfirmation screen] In S1015, the CPU 211 displays a reconfirmation screen for the input number (not shown). When the display of the reconfirmation screen is completed, the process proceeds to S1005.

[0079] [S1016: Determine whether to enter patient name and contact information] In S1016, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the patient name and contact information input button 802 has been selected. If it is determined that the patient name and contact information input button 802 has been selected, the process proceeds to S1017. If it is determined that the patient name and contact information input button 802 has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1001.

[0080] [S1017: Display patient name input screen] In S1017, the CPU 211 displays the patient name input screen 830 on the display unit 225. When the display of the patient name input screen is completed, the process proceeds to S1018.

[0081] [S1018: Determine whether to enter patient name] In S1018, the CPU 211 judges whether or not a patient name has been input on the patient name input screen 830. If it is judged that a patient name has been input, the process returns to S1017 and waits until the input of the patient name is completed. If it is judged that a patient name has not been input, the process proceeds to S1019.

[0082] [S1019: Determining back button selection] In S1019, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the back button has been selected. If it is determined that the back button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1020. If it is determined that the back button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1021.

[0083] [S1020:Clear patient name] In S1020, the CPU 211 clears the patient name input on the patient name input screen 830. When the clearing of the patient name is completed, the process proceeds to S1001.

[0084] [S1021: Determining whether to select the Confirm button] In S1021, the CPU 211 judges whether or not the Confirm button has been selected. If it is judged that the Confirm button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1022. If it is judged that the Confirm button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1017.

[0085] [S1022: Contact input screen display] In S1022, the CPU 211 displays the contact input screen 840 on the display unit 225. When the contact input screen display is completed, the process proceeds to S1023.

[0086] [S1023: Determining contact input] In S1023, the CPU 211 judges whether or not the contact information has been input. If it is judged that the contact information has been input, the process returns to S1022 and waits until the contact information input is completed. If it is judged that the contact information has not been input, the process proceeds to S1024.

[0087] [S1024: Determining back button selection] In S1024, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the back button has been selected. If it is determined that the back button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1025. If it is determined that the back button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1026.

[0088] [S1025:Clear Contacts] In S1025, the CPU 211 clears the contacts entered on the contact entry screen 840. When the contacts have been cleared, the process proceeds to S1001.

[0089] [S1026: Determining whether to select the Confirm button] In S1026, the CPU 211 judges whether or not the Confirm button has been selected. If it is judged that the Confirm button has been selected, the process proceeds to S1001, and the input patient name and contact information are reflected and displayed in the patient name display field 803 and the contact information display field 804 of the patient information input screen 800, respectively. If it is judged that the Confirm button has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1022.

[0090] The judgment in this process is not limited to input from the display unit 225, and may be based on, for example, input from a button provided on the operation unit 216. Reading by the barcode reader 811 is not limited to when the patient card number input screen 820 is displayed, and may be performed, for example, when the patient information input screen 800 is displayed. The patient information acquired by the image forming apparatus 100 may be acquired by the user registering, for example, an insurer number or a personal number (My Number) in the patient information DB 1200 in advance, and inputting the number printed on an identification card such as an insurance card or My Number card.

[0091] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen displayed on the display unit 225 immediately after starting up the image forming apparatus 130 in this embodiment. A home screen 1101 is displayed on the display unit 225, and function buttons 1102 for instructing the execution of each function of the image forming apparatus 130 are displayed.

[0092] The function buttons 1102 are buttons for executing each function provided in the image forming apparatus 130, and when selected, the corresponding function is executed. One of a plurality of function button pages on which a plurality of function buttons 1102 are arranged is displayed on the display unit 225. The displayed screen may be displayed as one page by, for example, scrolling the screen, changing the size of the function buttons 1102, or adjusting the layout. The pharmacy system link button 1103 is an example of the function button 1102, and is a button for executing a function of reading a prescription or a medical questionnaire brought by a patient and storing it in the file storage 141. The function button 1102 described in this embodiment is not a mechanical input button, such as one with a protrusion, but an icon displayed on the display unit 225. However, a mechanical button or the like may be provided.

[0093] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the connection relationship between the image forming apparatus 130, the pharmacy system 140, and the file storage 141 in this embodiment. The pharmacy system 140 stores a patient information DB 1200. The patient information DB 1200 is updated, for example, at the timing of patient registration, reception, prescription registration, accounting, etc. For example, the patient's insurer number, the patient's name, address, contact information, etc. are stored in the patient information DB 1200 as patient information. The image forming apparatus 130 communicates with the pharmacy system 140 to acquire data stored in the patient information DB 1200. The classification information 1201 is classification information of documents managed for each patient in the pharmacy system 140. For example, the classification information of documents includes prescriptions, medical questionnaires, health insurance cards, and medicine notebooks. The patient information DB 1200 may be stored in the storage 214 in the image forming apparatus 130 and directly acquired, or may be stored in the file storage 141 and acquired by the image forming apparatus 130 through communication. Moreover, the classification information 1201 may also be stored in the storage 214 in the image forming apparatus 130 and acquired directly, or may be stored in the file storage 141 and acquired by the image forming apparatus 130 via communication.

[0094] When the user selects the pharmacy system link button 1103, the image forming apparatus 130 transmits a patient number to the pharmacy system 140 and requests acquisition of information to be associated with the received image data (1202). Next, the pharmacy system 140 returns the patient number, patient name, and classification information to be registered in the image file name to the image forming apparatus 130 (1203). After that, the image forming apparatus 130 sets the information acquired in 1203 to the file name of the generated image file, and transmits the image file to the file storage 141, where the image file is stored (1204). Note that the information returned by the pharmacy system 140 to the image forming apparatus 130 may be a part of the patient information stored in the patient information DB 1200, or may return all the patient information and store it in the storage 214 in the image forming apparatus 100 for use. Furthermore, when the classification information of the image received by FAX (1206) is included in the classification information of the document set in advance, the image forming apparatus 130 transmits the image received by FAX to the file storage 141 (1207). At that time, if the sender information such as the received FAX number and name is registered as a patient in the pharmacy system 140, the image forming device 130 acquires a patient number corresponding to the sender information from the patient information DB 1200. Furthermore, the image forming device 130 sets the acquired patient number in the file name of the generated image file and transmits it to the file storage 141 (1207), where the image file is stored. Note that the image forming device 130 may be configured to transmit the image file to, for example, another information processing device that executes storage, rather than directly transmitting the image file to the file storage 141.

[0095] The pharmacy system 140 can also refer to files imported into the file storage 141 (1205).

[0096] The acquisition of information linked to image data (1203) is not limited to when the image data is transmitted, but may be performed when the image forming apparatus 130 is started up, when it returns from a power saving state, or at regular intervals.

[0097] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a connection relationship between pharmacy system 140 and file storage 141 in this embodiment. Pharmacy system linkage folder 1300 is an example of a storage location of an image file on file storage 141, and image forming apparatus 130 can store the file by sending the image file to file storage 141. Pharmacy system linkage folder 1300 in FIG. 13 shows a state after storage is executed by a pharmacy system linkage application. For example, when image forming apparatus 130 acquires "10111111 Patient Taro" from patient information DB 1200, "prescription" and "health insurance card" from the classified documents of classification information 1201, image file 1307 and image file 1310 are generated. Furthermore, when an image with classification information 1200 set as "prescription" is received by FAX, image file 1301 is generated. Each image file 1301, 1307, 1310, and 1313 is generated by the image forming device 130, and the image file generated by the image forming device 130 sending it to the file storage 141 is stored in the pharmacy system linkage folder 1300. Here, the image file 1301 will be described as an example. In the image file 1301, the patient's insurer number 1303, document classification 1304, the date and time when the file was generated 1305, and the extension 1306 are set as the file name 1302 and stored. The image forming device 130 sets the file name, for example, as "ID_10111111_FAX prescription_20230707130030.pdf". In addition, the document classification 1304 corresponds to the type of document based on the classification information 1201, and is set, for example, as "prescription" (1309) for a prescription and as "insurance card" (1312) for an insurance card.

[0098] The image file 1313 is an example of an image file generated by the image forming device 130 receiving a prescription by FAX. The file name 1314 is a file name in which, for example, the contact information 1315 of a patient who has visited the pharmacy for the first time is set, and the image forming device 130 sets the file name as "TEL_0320000002_FAX prescription_20230707130030.pdf". The file name can be set to an ID as in the file name 1302, or to a contact as in the file name 1314, and the setting method can be changed based on the user's setting. For example, the image forming device 130 may determine whether the sender information is registered in the patient information DB 1200, and if it is registered, the ID may be automatically set to the file name, and if it is not registered, the contact may be automatically set to the file name. The file name to be set is not limited to only the ID and the contact, and may also include a document type, a date, and the like.

[0099] Pharmacy system 140 displays a patient search screen 1320 on a display unit (not shown) of an information processing device such as a PC connected to pharmacy system 140, allowing the user to check registered patients. Patient search screen 1320 includes a search button 1322 for searching for a patient based on the patient number entered in patient number input field 1321, and a list display button 1323 for displaying a list of patient numbers.

[0100] When the user selects list display button 1323 on patient search screen 1320, the display unit (not shown) of pharmacy system 140 transitions to list display screen 1330. On list display screen 1330, patient numbers extracted from the files stored in pharmacy system linkage folder 1300 are displayed in a patient number column.

[0101] When the user selects a selection button 1332 for selecting patient information to be viewed, the list display screen 1330 transitions to a patient information screen 1340 corresponding to the patient number. Also, when the search button 1322 is selected with a patient number entered in the patient number input field 1321 of the patient search screen 1320, the screen transitions to the patient information screen 1340. The patient information screen 1340 displays a list of files stored in the file storage 141, whose patient numbers 1341 match the patient numbers included in the file names. For example, the document classification 1342 extracts and displays the document classification 1304 from the file name 1302 of the image file 1301 (1344). For example, the date and time 1305 when the file was created from the file name 1308 of the image file 1307 is extracted and displayed as the registration time 1343 (1345).

[0102] The image forming device 130 transmits the generated image file to a storage location of the storage destination. The storage location where the generated image file is stored is not limited to a folder such as the pharmacy system linkage folder 1300, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a HDD to which an IP address is assigned, or a file server. For example, when the image forming device 130 generates the image file 1307, the image file may be transmitted to a folder having a name including "ID_10111111", which is a part of the file name 1308. In addition, it is not essential that the image file name and the folder name match, and the image forming device 130 may transmit the image file to a storage location based on the name of the image file according to a predetermined rule. First, the image forming device 130 determines the first character. Then, the image file is transmitted to a folder whose folder name is set to the first character of the Japanese syllabary line that includes the determined character. For example, if the name of the generated image file is "Tanaka", the image file is stored in a folder whose folder name is the "Ta row". Also, for example, if the name of the generated image file is "123", the image forming device 130 determines whether the last digit is an even number or an odd number, and transmits the image file to the "odd" folder out of the "even" folder and the "odd" folder. The image forming device 130 may instruct to generate a storage location, such as a folder, as a storage destination for the generated image file, and may transmit the image file to the storage location generated by this instruction. The image file generated by the image forming device 130 may be transmitted to a storage location outside the image forming device 130 as described in this embodiment, or may be transmitted to a storage location inside the image forming device 130.

[0103] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the FAX reception registration process in this embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the FAX reception registration screen in this embodiment. The FAX reception registration process is started when the user selects FAX reception registration from the setting menu displayed on the display unit 225 of the image forming apparatus 130. When the FAX reception registration button is selected by the user, the image forming apparatus 130 displays a FAX reception registration screen 1400 on the display unit 225. The setting menu may be selected from the display unit 225 or may be selected from a physical button for the setting menu. When the FAX reception registration is selected, the image forming apparatus 130 displays the FAX reception registration screen 1400 on the display unit 225. The process performed by the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 will be described below.

[0104] [S1501: Forced memory reception setting] In S1501, the CPU 211 accepts the setting of forced memory reception by the user. An input field 1401 of the FAX reception registration screen 1400 is an object for setting whether or not to force memory reception of FAX. When the input field 1401 is set to "Yes", the CPU 211 stores the image data received by FAX in the storage 214 of the image forming apparatus 130 and does not print it immediately upon reception. When the input field 1401 is set to "No", the CPU 211 prints the image data received by FAX immediately upon reception. When the setting of forced memory reception is completed, the process proceeds to S1502.

[0105] When an input field 601 on the registration screen 600 for the FAX transmission button is selected, the CPU 211 displays a software keyboard (not shown) on the display unit 225, and the user can input the desired button name using the software keyboard.

[0106] [S1502: Forwarding settings] In S1502, the CUP 211 accepts a user setting for whether or not to transfer. An input field 1402 on the fax reception registration screen 1400 is an object for setting whether or not to transfer image data received by fax. When the user sets the input field 1402 to "Yes", the CPU 211 transfers the image data received by fax to an external device such as a personal computer. When the user sets the input field 1402 to "No", the CPU 211 does not transfer the image data received by fax. Once the transfer setting is complete, the process proceeds to S1503.

[0107] [S1503: Transfer decision] In S1503, CPU 211 determines whether or not the forwarding setting is set to "Yes." If it is determined that the forwarding setting is set to "Yes," the process proceeds to S1504. If it is determined that the forwarding setting is set to "No," the process proceeds to S1507.

[0108] [S1504: Setting document type] In S1504, the CPU 211 accepts the user's setting of the document type when transferring FAX image data received by FAX. The input field 1403 of the FAX reception registration screen 1400 is an object for registering the document type when transferring FAX image data received by FAX. When the user selects the input field 1403, the CPU 211 displays a software keyboard (not shown), and the user can input and register the document type using the software keyboard. The input field 1403 in FIG. 14 in this embodiment represents a state in which four document types are registered. Note that the input to the input field 1403 may be performed by the user selecting from options in which a specific document type is preset. Furthermore, a setting file in which the document type is registered may be read from an external device into the image forming apparatus 130. Note that any number of document types can be set. When the document type setting is completed, the process proceeds to S1505.

[0109] [S1505: Storage destination setting] In S1505, the CPU 211 accepts the setting of the storage destination by the user. The input field 1404 of the FAX reception registration screen 1400 is an object for setting the storage destination when transferring FAX image data received by FAX. When the input field 1404 is selected by the user, the CPU 211 displays a software keyboard (not shown), and the user can input the storage destination using the software keyboard. In FIG. 14, "Pharmacy System" is displayed as the storage destination, but specifically, the storage destination is specified by inputting an IP address or URL of the storage destination into the input field 1404. Note that the user may register in advance the IP address or URL of the storage destination and a character string such as "Pharmacy System" in association with each other, and specify the storage destination by selecting or inputting the character string. When the setting of the storage destination is completed, the process proceeds to S1506.

[0110] [S1506: File format settings] In S1506, the CPU 211 accepts the file format setting by the user. The input field 1405 of the FAX reception registration screen 1400 is an object for setting the file format when transferring FAX image data received by FAX, and the user can set the file format by selecting from preset options. When the file format setting is completed, the process proceeds to S1507.

[0111] [S1507: Determining OK button selection] In S1507, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the OK button 1406 has been selected. The OK button 1406 is an object for storing the contents entered at the time of selection as a FAX reception registration. If it is determined that the OK button 1406 has been selected, the CPU 211 stores the contents entered at the time the OK button 1406 was selected as FAX reception settings, and ends the process. If it is determined that the OK button 1406 has not been selected, the process proceeds to S1508.

[0112] [S1508: Determining whether the Cancel button is selected] In S1508, CPU 211 determines whether Cancel button 1407 has been selected. Cancel button 1407 is an object for discarding the content that was input when it was selected and closing FAX reception registration screen 1400. If it is determined that Cancel button 1407 has been selected, CPU 211 discards the content that was input when Cancel button 1407 was selected, closes FAX reception registration screen 1400, and ends the process. If it is determined that it has not been selected, the process returns to S1501 and is repeated.

[0113] It is not necessary to set all items in the process from S1501 to S1506, and the order is not limited. It is also possible to set the process from S1501 to S1506 by loading a file in which each item is registered in advance from an external source into the image forming apparatus 130. It is also possible to use, for example, input from a button provided on the operation unit 216 as a criterion for the judgment in S1506 and S1507, without being limited to input from the display unit 225. Furthermore, it is also possible to end the judgment in S1506 and S1507 as a configuration in which the processing is automatically performed after a predetermined time has elapsed. It is also possible to register FAX reception on a Web page provided by the image forming apparatus 130, or to access the image forming apparatus 130 using an external device such as a personal computer.

[0114] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a FAX receiving process in which the image forming apparatus 130 in this embodiment detects a FAX transmission from the image forming apparatus 100 and receives the FAX.

[0115] [S1601: Dial response (incoming call)] In S1601, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 detects the dial (call) from the image forming apparatus 100 in S912, and starts a dial response (call reception). When the dial response (call reception) is completed, the process proceeds to S1602.

[0116] [S1602: Line capture] In S1602, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 performs the capture of the line captured in S911 of the image forming apparatus 100. When the line capture is completed, the process proceeds to S1603.

[0117] [S1603:Ability Exchange] In S1603, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 exchanges capabilities with the image forming apparatus 100 that responded to the dial call in S1601. In the capabilities exchange, information such as the size and type of recording paper, the modem type, the encoding method, and the recording resolution is exchanged, and information on the capabilities that can be transmitted and received is exchanged. When the capabilities exchange is completed, the process proceeds to S1604.

[0118] [S1604: Receiving document type information] In S1604, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 receives the document type information transmitted from the image forming apparatus 100. In this embodiment, the document type information will be described as "prescription" by way of example. When the reception of the document type information is completed, the process proceeds to S1605.

[0119] [S1605: Receiving sender information] In S1605, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 receives the sender information transmitted from the image forming apparatus 100. When the reception of the sender information is completed, the process proceeds to S1606.

[0120] [S1606: Receiving image data] In S1606, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 receives the image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus 100 using the line captured in S1602. At this time, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 stores the received image data in the storage 214 in the image forming apparatus 130. When the reception of the image data is completed, the process proceeds to S1607.

[0121] [S1607: Transfer of received FAX image data] In S1607, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 performs a "transfer (FIG. 17)" process, which will be described later, on the image data received in S1606. When the transfer of the FAX-received image data is completed, the process proceeds to S1608.

[0122] [S1608: Determine whether forced memory reception is enabled] In S1608, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 determines whether or not forced memory reception is set. If it is determined that forced memory reception is set, the process proceeds to S1609. If it is determined that forced memory reception is not set, the process proceeds to S1610.

[0123] [S1609: Determining print instructions for image data] In S1609, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 judges whether or not a print instruction for the stored image data has been issued. The user can issue a print instruction for the stored image data by operating the operation unit 216 of the image forming apparatus 130. The print instruction for the stored image data may be issued by an external device such as a personal computer connected to the image forming apparatus 130. The print instruction for the stored image data may be issued by setting a time or a period, or may be issued automatically in accordance with the user's movement such as logging in or approaching. If it is determined that a print instruction for the stored image has been issued, the process proceeds to S1610. If it is determined that a print instruction for the stored image has not been issued, the process returns to S1608, and the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 does not perform processing until the setting for forced memory reception is released or until a print instruction for the stored image is issued.

[0124] [S1610: Received Print] In S16010, the printing unit 220 prints on paper the image data that the image forming apparatus 130 received by FAX from the image forming apparatus 100 in S1606. When the printing is completed, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 deletes the image data stored in S1606.

[0125] 17 is a flow chart showing an example of a transfer process of FAX received image data in this embodiment. The process performed by the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 will be described below.

[0126] [S1701: Determining forwarding settings] In S1701, the CPU 211 determines whether or not forwarding settings (S1502) have been made in the FAX reception registration process (FIG. 15). If it is determined that forwarding has been set, the process proceeds to S1702. If it is determined that forwarding has not been set, the process ends without performing forwarding processing.

[0127] [S1702: Document type determination] In S1702, the CPU 211 compares the document type corresponding to the document type information received in S1604 with the document type set in S1504 when transferring FAX image data. If it is determined that document type information matching the document type information received in S1604 is registered in the reception settings, the process proceeds to S1703. If it is determined that matching document type information is not registered, the process ends without performing transfer processing.

[0128] [S1703: Connect to pharmacy system] In S1703, the CPU 211 connects to the pharmacy system 140. When the connection to the pharmacy system 140 is completed, the process proceeds to S1704.

[0129] [S1704: Decision on registration of sender information] In S1704, CPU 211 transmits caller information such as the caller number or name to pharmacy system 140, and pharmacy system 140 determines whether the transmitted caller information is registered in patient information DB 1200. If pharmacy system 140 determines that the received caller number or name is registered in patient information DB 1200, the process proceeds to S1705. If pharmacy system 140 determines that the caller is not registered, the process proceeds to S1707.

[0130] [S1705:Get patient number from database] In S1705, CPU 211 acquires, as identification information, the patient number of the patient corresponding to the transmission source information from patient information DB 1200 of pharmacy system 140. When acquisition of the patient number is completed, the process proceeds to S1706.

[0131] [S1706: Set patient number in image file name] In S1706, CPU 211 generates an image file based on the received image data, and sets the patient number acquired from pharmacy system 140 to the file name of the generated image file. The file name may be just the patient number, or may have a name including, for example, the document type, date, and patient name in addition to the patient number. An example of a name including the patient number is "ID_10111111_FAX Prescription 20230707130030.pdf" (1302). When the assignment of the patient number and the generation of the image file are completed, the process proceeds to S1708.

[0132] [S1707: Set the sender's number in the image file name] In S1707, the CPU 211 generates an image file based on the received image data, and sets the number of the sender of the received image to the file name of the generated image file. The file name may be only the sender number, or may be a name including, for example, the document type, date, patient name, etc. in addition to the sender number. An example of a name including the sender number is "FAX prescription_20230707130030.pdf" (1314). When the setting of the sender number to the file name and the generation of the image file are completed, the process proceeds to S1708.

[0133] [S1708:Storage in linked folder] In S1708, CPU 211 transfers the image file generated in S1706 / S1707 to linkage folder 1300 of the pharmacy system, and the image file is stored. Note that the transfer destination of the image file is not limited to linkage folder 1300 of the pharmacy system, and the image file can be transferred to and stored in a predetermined location set by the user in S1515.

[0134] Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of a signal response sequence when the image forming apparatus 100 and the image forming apparatus 130 in this embodiment transmit and receive FAX data. Fig. 18 shows signals exchanged between the image forming apparatuses on both the transmitting and receiving sides in the FAX transmission process in Fig. 9 and the FAX reception process in Fig. 16.

[0135] In this embodiment, when transmitting / receiving signals other than control signals, such as signals of sender information such as a patient name and contact information, and signals of document type information, these signals are transmitted at the time of the capability response.

[0136] [S1811: Call signal from sender] In S1811, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits a call signal to the image forming apparatus 130, and the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 responds to the call signal from the image forming apparatus 100. When the transmission of the call signal is completed, the process proceeds to S1812.

[0137] [S1812: Call station identification signal] In S1812, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 transmits a call station identification signal to the image forming apparatus 100 to notify it of a reception-enabled state. When the transmission of the call station identification signal is completed, the process proceeds to S1813.

[0138] [S1813:Non-standard function signal] In S1813, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 transmits a non-standard facilities (NSF) signal to the image forming apparatus 100 to notify the image forming apparatus 100 of receivable settings and capabilities. When the transmission of the non-standard facilities signal is completed, the process proceeds to S1814.

[0139] [S1814: Non-standard function setting signal] In S1814, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits a non-standard facilities set-up (NSS) signal to the image forming apparatus 130 based on the non-standard facility signal received in S1813. When transmitting the non-standard facility set-up signal, transmission settings and capabilities of the image data to be transmitted are transmitted. When transmitting signals other than control signals, such as signals of sender information such as a patient name and contact information, and signals of document type information, these signals are added to the non-standard facility set-up signal and transmitted. When transmission of the non-standard facility set-up signal is completed, the process proceeds to S1815.

[0140] [S1815: Training signal] In S1815, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits a training signal to the image forming apparatus 130, and adjusts the reception state of the modem 222. When the transmission of the training signal is completed, the process proceeds to S1816.

[0141] [S1816: Ready to receive] In S1816, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 130 notifies the image forming apparatus 100 that the modem 222 is ready to receive. When the notification of the completion of the reception preparation is completed, the process proceeds to S1817.

[0142] [S1817: Sending image data] In S1817, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 100 transmits the image data to the image forming apparatus .

[0143] In this embodiment, the image data is transmitted by FAX, but the image forming apparatus may be connected via the Internet to transmit the image data. Image data may be transmitted via the Internet using, for example, email, file sharing software, or communication software for chatting. For example, in the case of email, various data such as sender information and image data are transmitted and received using communication standards such as SMB (Server Message Block) and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). In this case, various files can be transmitted and received, including not only image files with extensions such as tif and jpg, but also text files such as txt, compressed files such as zip, and application files such as pdf, doc, xls, and ppt.

[0144] The patient information is not limited to those described in the present embodiment, but may include any attribute information such as gender, age, address, and blood type.

[0145] It should be noted that the user described in this embodiment is not limited to a human being, but may be, for example, a robot or a similar device that can perform operations equivalent to those of a human being, or another information processing device such as a PC that issues input instructions to an information processing device such as the image forming apparatus in this embodiment.

[0146] The keyboard for inputting information to the image forming apparatus may be displayed on the display unit 225 of the operation unit 216 of the image forming apparatus, or may be provided as physical buttons on the operation unit 216. The image forming apparatus may also be provided with a microphone, and information may be acquired from the user by voice input in addition to inputting information from the keyboard.

[0147] The image forming apparatus may be provided with a sensor and configured to recognize a gesture, such as a hand sign, made by a user and start a predetermined process.

[0148] According to this embodiment, the image forming device can identify a patient registered in a hospital's electronic medical record system, a pharmacy system, etc., based on the patient information of the sender received by the image forming device through FAX reception. Specifically, the patient information registered in the system is acquired, the acquired patient information is set as the file name of the image file generated by the image forming device, and the image file is sent to storage, making it possible to easily associate the received image data with an individual.

[0149] <Other embodiments> The present invention can be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium. Then, one or more processors in the computer of the system or device can read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 100 Image forming device (sender) 110 Electronic Medical Record System 120 base station 130 Image forming device (receiving side) 140 Pharmacy System 141 File Storage

Claims

1. A receiving means for receiving image data and information on a source of the image data from an external device; A generating means for generating a file from the received image data; a setting means for acquiring identification information corresponding to the received transmission source information from a database, and setting a name including the identification information to the generated file; 13. An information processing device comprising:

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the received source information is registered in the database, the setting means sets a name including the identification information corresponding to the source information to the generated file, and when the received source information is not registered in the database, the setting means sets a name including the received source information to the name of the generated file.

3. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus transmits the file to a storage location based on the name of the file set by the setting means.

4. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information processing apparatus transmits the file to a storage location based on the name of the file set by the setting means.

5. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the identification information is included in the name of the file set by the setting means, the information processing apparatus transmits the file to a storage location in which the identification information is set in the name.

6. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the identification information is included in the name of the file set by the setting means, the information processing apparatus transmits the file to a storage location in which the identification information is set in the name.

7. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said information processing apparatus instructs a storage medium to generate a save location for said file based on the name of said file set by said setting means.

8. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said information processing apparatus instructs a storage medium to generate a save location for said file based on the name of said file set by said setting means.

9. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sender information is a sender's name.

10. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the source information is a source number.

11. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means receives said image data and said sender information of said image data by FAX.

12. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means receives said image data and said sender information of said image data by email.

13. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means receives said sender information of said image data by an NSS signal.

14. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setting means acquires the identification information corresponding to the received source information from said database outside said information processing apparatus.

15. 15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit that prints an image based on the image data on a sheet of paper.

16. a receiving step of receiving image data and information on a source of the image data from an external device; A generating step of generating a file from the received image data; a setting step of acquiring identification information corresponding to the received transmission source information from a database, and setting a name including the identification information to the generated file; 13. An information processing method comprising:

17. a receiving step of receiving image data and information on a source of the image data from an external device; A generating step of generating a file from the received image data; a setting step of acquiring identification information corresponding to the received transmission source information from a database, and setting a name including the identification information to the generated file; 2. A program for causing an information processing device to execute an information processing method comprising:

Images