Data processing apparatus, program, and control method

Abstract

To improve usability by selectively using either a file browser function implemented within an application or a file browser function provided by the operating system (OS) when selecting a file on a data processing apparatus.SOLUTION: Whether to use a file browser function within an application or a file browser function provided by the OS is controlled according to information about the OS.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus, a program, and a control method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the spread of mobile terminals, the cases where mobile terminals are adopted as business terminals of companies have increased. It is possible to instruct an image processing apparatus such as a multifunction device or a printer to execute processing from a mobile terminal installed with an application for instructing the execution of processing. For example, a user selects a file from a folder on the application of the mobile terminal, makes print settings, and then sends an instruction to execute printing to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus that has received the execution instruction executes the printing process according to the settings.

[0003] In order to have a function of selecting a file from a folder provided in the storage in the mobile terminal in the application, there are cases where it is implemented by installing a file browser function inside the application and cases where the file browser function provided by the operating system (OS) is used. Patent Document 1 discloses a method that has both the file browser function inside the application and the file browser function of the OS and switches which file browser function to use according to a user operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] If the configuration is such that the user switches between the file browser function within the application and the file browser function of the operating system (OS) as in the conventional case, it is troublesome for the user. Also, depending on changes in the OS specifications, etc., the file browser function that is convenient for the user may change.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a file selection method for an application that is convenient for the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A program for causing a computer of a data processing device on which an operating system (OS) operates to execute a control method, the control method including a control step of controlling whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using the file browser function of the program based on information about the OS.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] It is possible to provide a file selection method for an application that is convenient for the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Also, not all combinations of the features described in this embodiment are essential for the solution means of the present invention.

[0011] (Example 1) Hereinafter, this example will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing system in this example. In FIG. 1, the data processing device 101 is a data processing device used to send a print job or a scan job to the image processing device 104, and receives various operations from the user on the data processing device. The data processing device 101 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. 104 is an image processing device, and in addition to the scan function, it may be provided with a copy function, a print function, a fax transmission function, etc.

[0012] 103 is a LAN (Local Area Network) to which the data processing device 101 and the image processing device 104 are connected, and the data processing device 101 and the image processing device 104 communicate with each other via the LAN 103. 102 is a wireless LAN terminal. The wireless LAN terminal 102 is a parent device of a wireless LAN having a general network router function, and provides a wireless LAN within a home, an office, or the like. Also, by enabling the wireless LAN function, the data processing device 101 can participate in the LAN 103 via the wireless LAN terminal 102. When the data processing device 101 enters the wireless LAN area provided by the wireless LAN terminal 102, it can automatically participate in the network of the LAN 103 using the authentication information preset in the data processing device 101. Also, the data processing device 101 and the image processing device 104 can directly communicate without going through the wireless LAN terminal 102. Here, only one image processing device is shown, but the configuration is not limited to this, and a plurality of image processing devices may be connected to the LAN.

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the data processing device 101 in FIG. 1. The data processing device 101 may operate an operating system for a small terminal and a program for controlling calls and data communication. Alternatively, it may be a personal computer (PC) that does not include the voice / image control unit 206, the microphone / speaker / camera 213, the position detection control unit 210, the GPS sensor 216, the mobile phone data communication unit 212, etc., which will be described later.

[0014] Each component of the hardware is connected to the system bus 201. The ROM 203 stores the operating system in the data processing device 101 and an application for controlling calls and data communication, and is executable by the CPU 202. Examples of the application for controlling data communication include an application for exchanging various data with the image processing device 104, Mail software, and a web browser.

[0015] RAM 204 is a memory for executing programs and is a working memory area where an application executes programs. Also, RAM 204 is a memory for temporarily storing data etc. that an application must temporarily save when executing processes within a program. The storage device 209 is a non-volatile storage device, and stores various operation mode settings and operation logs etc. that need to be retained even after the data processing device 101 restarts.

[0016] The Network Controller 205 performs communication control by a wireless LAN communication unit 211 for participating in the network of the LAN 103 via the wireless LAN terminal 102 and a mobile phone data communication unit 212 for participating in the network provided by a mobile carrier.

[0017] The audio / video control unit 206 is used, for example, when a call application is launched and the user is making a phone call. The microphone / speaker 213 performs input / output of audio data, and the audio / video control unit 206 mediates between the audio data and the audio data control program. Also, the audio / video control unit 206 mediates between the image data generated by imaging with the camera 213 and the image data control program.

[0018] The display control unit 207 controls the information output on the display 214 of the data processing device 101. The input control unit 208 controls the information indicated by the user via the buttons or touch panel 215 of the data processing device 101. By using these audio / video control unit 206, display control unit 207, and input control unit 208, the applications operating on the data processing device 101 provide network communication information and various information of the data processing device 101 to the user.

[0019] The position detection control unit 210 acquires the position information of the data processing device 101 from the GPS sensor 216 and provides it on the operating system. These controls are controlled by an operating system (OS) running on the CPU 202.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus 104 in FIG. 1. This example shows an example of a multi-function peripheral (MFP) having a scanner function and a printer function.

[0021] In FIG. 3, 301 is an I / O and includes a LAN communication unit 314. The LAN communication unit 314 can communicate with the data processing device 101 via a network (LAN) 103 or the like. For example, the image data generated by scanning with the image processing device 104 is transmitted to the data processing device 101 via the LAN. A plurality of I / Os 301 may be mounted to support a plurality of connection forms. Through this I / O 301, the image processing device 104 passes the device ID and the scanned image to the data processing device 101. Also, from the data processing device 101, various control commands are received and processed. The I / F control unit 302 performs control to issue a device ID for processing systems such as scanners, printers, or faxes mounted on the image processing device 104. The RAM 303 is a primary storage device and is used to store external data such as control commands acquired by the I / O 301 and image data (or image data, hereinafter referred to as an image) read by the scanner engine 313. Further, the RAM 303 is used to store an image before being passed to the printer engine 306 developed by the printer controller 310. The RAM control unit 304 performs the allocation management of the RAM 303. The image data stepping circuit 305 is a device that outputs the image developed by the printer controller 310, the image captured by the scanner engine 313 and developed in the RAM 303 in accordance with the rotation of the printer engine 306. The printer engine 306 is a device that develops an image on an output medium such as paper. The main controller 308 performs various controls on the printer engine 306 via the engine I / F 307. Also, the main controller 308 is a control-required module and performs appropriate distribution processing of the control language received from the data processing device 101 via the I / O 301 to the scanner controller 309 and the printer controller 310. Further, the main controller 308 controls the printer engine 306 and the scanner engine 313 in response to instructions from each controller and the user interface 312. The scanner controller 309 decomposes the scan control command received from the data processing device 101 into internal execution commands interpretable by the main controller 308.Also, the image read by the scanner engine 313 is changed to a scan control command. The printer controller 310 decomposes the PDL (Page Description Language) received as a print job from the data processing device 101 into internal execution instructions including a developed image interpretable by the main controller 308. The developed image is conveyed to the printer engine and printed on an output medium such as paper.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the software configuration of the data processing device 101 shown in FIG. 1. The processing of each component is realized by the CPU 202 executing programs stored in the ROM 203, the storage device 209, etc.

[0023] The OS 410 is basic software for controlling the overall operation of the data processing device 101. It is composed of, for example, Android (registered trademark) provided by Google.

[0024] 401 is an application executed on the data processing device 101 and is installed in the ROM 203 as an application operating on the OS 410. The application 401 is an application that issues print instructions and scan instructions to the image processing device. For example, it is an application that selects a file such as image data stored in the storage device on the data processing device 101 and issues a print instruction for the selected file to the image processing device 104. It also has a function of issuing a scan instruction to the image processing device 104 and a function of storing an image captured by the camera 213 provided in the data processing device 101. The UI unit 402 is the UI unit of the application 401 and provides a user interface for setting and executing the functions of the application for the user. The image processing device search unit 403 is a search unit for the image processing device and searches for network devices on the LAN 103 in which the data processing device 101 participates and network devices that can communicate directly. More specifically, it searches for an image processing device that can be instructed to print and scan by the data processing device 101. The control unit 404 controls various processes performed by the application 401. For example, the control unit 404 generates a print job or a scan job and transmits the generated job to a communicable image processing device. It also performs processes such as storing data generated in the application 401. The file storage unit 405 stores files and the like generated and acquired by the application 401. For example, it receives and stores image data generated by scanning by the image processing device 104 from the image processing device 104. The data stored in the file storage unit 405 may be stored in the common storage area of the data processing device 101 so that it can be referenced and used by applications other than the application 401, or may be stored in the unique storage area of the application 401 so that it cannot be referenced and used by applications other than the application 401.

[0025] For example, when the application 401 is launched for the first time or the like, a folder corresponding to the file storage unit 405 is automatically generated. Thereafter, the image data generated by the processing of the application 401, for example, the image data (scan data) generated by scanning by the image processing apparatus 104, and the image data (capture data) generated by imaging with a camera are saved in the generated folder.

[0026] The file browser unit 406 browses the files stored in the storage such as the storage device of the data processing apparatus 101. For example, the file browser unit 406 provides a list of files stored in the storage device 209 in order to allow the user to select the print data to be transmitted to the image processing apparatus 104. As methods for allowing the user to select photo and document files etc. stored on the data processing apparatus 101 or the like in this file browser function, mainly the following two types of methods are conceivable.

[0027] The first method is to create a UI screen for the file list inside the application and let the user make a selection. In this method, since the vendor or developer of the application implements the file browser function independently, a file browsing function specialized for the application can be provided. For example, a list within a pre-specified folder (e.g., within the folder that the application uses as the default save destination or selection destination) can be displayed on the default selection screen. On the other hand, a mechanism for accessing cloud storage, external memory cards, etc. must be implemented, which requires design effort and cost. Also, every time an API for accessing cloud storage, external memory cards, etc. is updated, the application must be modified, resulting in application maintenance costs. Furthermore, the usability may decrease due to changes in the OS specifications. Henceforth, the file browser function in this method will be referred to as the in-app file browser function, and the screen displayed by the file browser function in this method will be referred to as the in-app file selection screen. That is, the file selection screen using the file browser function of the application is referred to as the in-app file selection screen. The in-app file selection screen is only used in the corresponding application.

[0028] The second method is to use the file browsing function provided by the OS. In this case, the application can call the file browsing function of the OS and obtain the file selected by the file browsing function of the OS. Therefore, on the application side, without implementing the mechanism for accessing an external memory card or accessing cloud storage, the mechanism provided by the OS side is utilized to select a file. In this method, the file browsing function provided by the OS is designed on the premise that it can be called from various applications, and detailed settings specific to an application cannot be made. Here, an example of the file browsing function provided by the OS is the Photo Picker, which is a photo selection screen provided in Android. The Photo Picker extracts and displays a list of files in a predetermined file format (here, the image format) from the files stored in the storage such as the storage device 209 of the data processing device 101. Hereinafter, the file browser function in this method is referred to as the OS-provided file browser function, and the screen displayed by the file browser function in this method is referred to as the OS-provided file selection screen. That is, the file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS is referred to as the OS-provided file selection screen. The OS-provided file selection screen is used by multiple applications.

[0029] In addition to the application 401, other applications are also installed in the OS of the data processing device 101. For example, the application 420 is an application having the same functions as the application 401, and is assumed to have a file browser unit 421. The applications installed in the data processing device 101 are not limited to these, and other applications may be installed.

[0030] Using FIG. 5, the screen transition from selecting a photo file for printing in the application 401 to printing the selected file will be described.

[0031] The menu screen 501 is the home screen of the application 401, for example, the top menu screen displayed immediately after starting the application 401. The menu screen 501 accepts a selection operation of a function to be executed from the user. The document printing button 502 is a button for giving a document printing instruction to the image processing apparatus. When the document printing button 502 is selected, it is a screen displayed by the processing of the file browser unit 406, and the screen transitions to a screen for selecting a document to be printed.

[0032] The photo printing button 503 is a button for giving a photo printing instruction to the image processing apparatus for a photo. When the photo printing button 503 is selected, it is a screen displayed by the processing of the file browser unit 406, and the screen transitions to a screen for selecting a photo to be printed.

[0033] The scan button 504 is a button for giving a scan instruction to the image processing apparatus. When the user selects the scan button 504 and then selects the scan execution button after making various settings, the image processing apparatus executes a scan process and returns the generated image data to the data processing apparatus 101. The file storage unit 405 performs a process of storing the acquired image data in a predetermined folder.

[0034] The image processing apparatus information 508 displays information on the image processing apparatus that the application 401 instructs for printing or scanning. Here, the icon and the device name of the image processing apparatus are displayed.

[0035] The registration / switching button 507 is a button for registering and switching the image processing apparatus that is the target of the instruction. When the registration / switching button 507 is selected, the image processing apparatus search unit 403 searches for image processing apparatuses on, for example, the LAN 103.

[0036] The in-app file selection screen 511 is a screen that is displayed when the photo printing button 503 is selected, and it is a screen for selecting a photo file to be printed. The in-app file selection screen 511 is a screen displayed by the file browser function inside the application 401, and a list of photo files stored in the storage is displayed. For example, photo files contained in a predetermined folder of the storage device 209 are listed by default.

[0037] The cloud button 512 is a display item for selecting a photo file to be printed from the cloud storage. The filter button 513 is a button for changing the conditions of the files to be listed and filtering the files to be displayed.

[0038] The photo file 515 is a thumbnail of the photo files contained in the target folder. The check mark 516 is a display item that is displayed on the thumbnail so that the photo files selected by the user can be identified. The number 517 is a display item indicating the number of files selected by the user.

[0039] When the next button 518 is selected, it transitions to the print instruction screen 521. At this time, the files selected by the user on the in-app file selection screen 511 become the print targets.

[0040] The print instruction screen 521 is a screen for giving an instruction to execute printing to the image forming apparatus. The image 522 shows a preview image of the file to be printed. When there are multiple files to be printed, the user can preview the next file by operating. The deselection button 523 is a button for deselecting the file to be printed. The print setting button 524 is a button for performing print settings. The print button 525 is a button for sending a print job including the selected file to the target image processing apparatus.

[0041] The photo acquisition destination selection screen 531 is a screen that is displayed when the photo print button 503 is selected, and is a screen for selecting the destination from which to acquire the photo file to be printed. When the photo print button 503 is selected, depending on the conditions, the in-app file selection screen 511 or the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531 is switched and displayed. For example, starting from Android version 14, an application needs to obtain permission from the user for each file in order to access files in storage. That is, if the configuration is such that a file is selected from the in-app file selection screen 511 in Android version 14, the user has to perform a permission operation every time a file is selected, which is troublesome. On the other hand, when selecting a file on the OS-provided file selection screen, the user's permission is not required every time a file is selected. Therefore, the OS (Android) version of the data processing device on which the application 401 operates is determined. If the version is less than 14, the in-app file selection screen 511 is displayed when the photo print button 503 is selected. If the version is 14 or later, the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531 is displayed when the photo print button 503 is selected. That is, if there are no restrictions on the file access of the application as described above due to the OS specifications, a user-friendly file selection screen such as the in-app file selection screen 511 is provided. If there are restrictions on the file access of the application due to the OS specifications, by using the file selection screen provided by the OS via the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531, it is no longer necessary to request a permission operation from the user each time. Also, depending on the OS specifications, although there are restrictions on the file access of the application, it may be possible to access all files by obtaining the user's permission only once. In such a case where permission only needs to be obtained once, either the in-app file selection screen may be provided, or the file selection screen provided by the OS may be provided.

[0042] Return to the description of FIG. 5. The photo acquisition destination selection screen 531 includes a smartphone internal button 532 whose photo file acquisition destination is within the data processing device 101, a cloud service button 533 whose photo file acquisition destination is the cloud service 1, and another app button 534 whose photo file acquisition destination is an app different from the application 401.

[0043] The OS-provided file selection screen 541 is a screen that is displayed when the smartphone internal button 532 is selected, and is a screen for selecting a photo file to be printed. The OS-provided file selection screen 541 is a screen provided by the OS, for example, the Photo Picker screen provided by Android. The photo file 542 is a thumbnail of the photo files included in the target folder. The check mark 543 is a display item that is displayed on the thumbnail so that the photo file selected by the user can be identified.

[0044] When the add button 544 is selected, it transitions to the print instruction screen 521. At this time, the file selected by the user on the OS-provided file selection screen 541 becomes the print target. When printing is executed on the print instruction screen 521, a print job including the file selected on the OS-provided file selection screen 541 is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.

[0045] The condition setting screen 551 is a screen that is displayed when the filter button 513 is selected, and is a screen for setting the conditions of the files to be displayed on the in-app file selection screen 511. Here, as an example, an example of setting the date when the file was generated as a condition is shown. The date search button 522 is a button for setting whether or not the condition of the file to be displayed is the generation date of the file. When the date search button 522 is valid, the condition of the file to be displayed is the generation date of the file. The start date 553 and the end date 554 are display items for setting the start and end dates of the generation date of the file to be displayed, respectively. Files generated between the start date 553 and the end date 554 will be displayed on the in-app file selection screen 511. Also, an import button 555 for importing files from other applications is displayed on the condition setting screen 551. When the import button 555 is selected, files imported from other applications can be printed. In this way, on the in-app file selection screen 511, it is possible to have browser functions unique to the application, such as filtering the files to be displayed by date or accessing the cloud. On the other hand, on the OS-provided file selection screen 541, unique browser functions such as filtering by date cannot be provided. Here, date filtering is shown as an example of a function unique to the application, but it is not limited to this, and the file list may be sorted by the generation date and time, or not only the file thumbnail but also the file name, file size, and generation date and time may be displayed.

[0046] Using the flowchart of FIG. 7, the process of selecting a photo file for printing in the application 401 and printing the selected file will be described. Each step in FIG. 7 is realized by the CPU 202 executing a program stored in the ROM 203 or the storage device 209.

[0047] In step S701, the UI unit 402 accepts the selection of the photo printing button 503. Then in S702, the control unit 404 obtains the version of the OS on which the application 401 operates, that is, the OS operating on the data processing device 101, and determines whether the obtained version is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the version is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S721; otherwise, the process proceeds to S703. Here, for example, if the OS is Android 14 or higher, the process proceeds to S721; if it is less than Android 13, the process proceeds to S703. Here, the version of the OS is used for the determination, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which it is determined whether there are certain restrictions on access to the OS file.

[0048] In S703, the file browser unit 406 displays an in-app file selection screen. In S704, the file browser unit 406 obtains photo files included in the storage device 209 etc. of the data processing device 101. Then in S705, the file browser unit 406 displays the obtained photo files in a list. Here, for example, the in-app file selection screen 511 is displayed.

[0049] In S706, the control unit 404 determines whether an instruction to select a file from the cloud has been received from the user. For example, it determines whether the cloud button 512 has been selected. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to S710; if it has not been selected, the process proceeds to S707. In S710, the control unit 404 connects to the cloud service and accepts the user's selection operation from the list of files stored in the cloud storage. When the selection of a file is accepted, the file may be set as the file to be printed and the process may proceed to S709 or S727.

[0050] At S707, the control unit 404 determines whether it has received an instruction from the user to select a file from another application. For example, it determines whether the capture button 555 has been selected. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to S711; if not, the process proceeds to S708. At S711, the control unit 404 launches another application and accepts the user's selection operation from the list of files that the other application has. When the selection of a file is accepted, the process may proceed to S709 or S727 with the file being the file to be printed.

[0051] At S708, the control unit 404 determines whether a file has been selected on the in-app file selection screen. If it is determined that a file has been selected, the process proceeds to S712; otherwise, the process proceeds to S709. At S712, the UI unit 402 displays a check mark 516 on the thumbnail of the file selected at S708, and the process proceeds to S709.

[0052] At S709, the control unit 404 determines whether the next button 518 has been selected on the in-app file selection screen. If the next button 518 has been selected, the process proceeds to S727; otherwise, the process returns to S706.

[0053] At S721, the UI unit 402 displays the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531. At S722, the control unit 404 determines whether the cloud service button 533 has been selected on the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to S710; otherwise, the process proceeds to S723. At S723, the control unit 404 determines whether the other app button 534 has been selected on the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to S711; otherwise, the process proceeds to S724. At S723, the control unit 404 determines whether the in-phone button 532 has been selected on the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to S725; otherwise, the process returns to S721.

[0054] In S725, the file browser unit 406 instructs the OS 410 to display an OS-provided file selection screen. For example, here the file browser unit 406 instructs the OS 410 to display the Photo Picker screen.

[0055] In S726, the control unit 404 determines whether there is a transmission of a photo file from the OS 410. If there is a transmission, it proceeds to S726; otherwise, it repeats the process of S726. Here, when the user selects a file on the OS-provided file selection screen 541 and the add button 544 is selected, the selected file is transmitted from the OS 410 to the application 401.

[0056] In S727, the control unit 404 copies the photo file selected by the user to a memory area available for the application 401. In S728, the control unit 404 converts the selected photo file into Bitmap data. Then the UI unit 402 displays a preview screen of the selected file. In S730, the control unit 404 determines whether the print button 525 has been selected. If it has been selected, it proceeds to S731; otherwise, it returns to S729.

[0057] In S731, the control unit 404 transmits a print job including the file selected by the user to the target image processing apparatus 104. The image processing apparatus 104 that has received the print job prints the photo file selected by the user based on the print settings included in the print job.

[0058] Through the processing of the above flowchart, if the version of the OS of the data processing device 101 is less than a predetermined value and there is no restriction on file access, a user-friendly file browsing function is provided by displaying the file selection screen within the application. If the version of the OS is greater than or equal to the predetermined value and there is a restriction on file access, the annoyance of obtaining permission approval every time the user selects a file is avoided by displaying the file selection screen provided by the OS. That is, it becomes possible to provide an appropriate file selection screen based on information regarding the OS on which the application operates.

[0059] In the above example of the flowchart, the version of the OS is determined in S702, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to determine whether the OS can display the Photo Picker screen. If the OS can display the Photo Picker screen, the process proceeds to S721. If the OS cannot display the Photo Picker screen, the process proceeds to S703. Depending on the version of the OS, there are some that do not support the Photo Picker. Therefore, it is also possible to provide an appropriate file selection screen by this determination. Also, it is not limited to the configuration of determining whether the OS can display the Photo Picker screen. It may be configured to determine whether the file browser function provided by the OS can be used.

[0060] Also, in the above example of the flowchart, in S725, the file browser unit 406 is configured to instruct the OS 410 to display the OS-provided file selection screen, but it is not limited to this. The file browser unit 406 may be configured to call the photo selection application of the data processing device 101. Here, the photo selection application is, for example, Google Photo (registered trademark), etc. It may be configured to receive the file selected by the photo selection application in S726.

[0061] FIG. 6 is an example of a screen when selecting a document file to be printed in the application 401. It is a screen displayed when the document print button 502 is selected by the user on the menu screen 501. When the document print button 502 is selected, a document acquisition destination selection screen (not shown) is displayed, and the user selects the acquisition destination of the document file. Assume that this document acquisition destination selection screen has the same configuration as the photo acquisition destination selection screen 531. When the cloud service button for setting the acquisition destination of the document file as the cloud service is selected, the document file is acquired from the cloud. When the smartphone internal button for setting the acquisition destination of the document file within the data processing device 101 is selected, the file selection screen 610 is displayed.

[0062] The file selection screen 610 is a file browser screen provided by the OS. Here, an example of the screen of SAF (Storage Access Framework) in Android is shown. Different from the screen of Photo Picker, the SAF screen does not display a list of photo files included in the storage, but shows the folder hierarchy and is configured such that the user selects the desired file while selecting a folder. Also, the screen of SAF cannot specify the screen to be opened by default from the application 401. Here, as an example, assume that the "Root" directory is opened. The file selection screen 610 displays the directory name 611 and a list of folders (612 to 617) included in the "Root" directory.

[0063] The file selection screen 620 is a screen that is displayed when the "App 401" folder button 616 is pressed. The file selection screen 620 displays a list of data (621 to 623) contained in the "App 401" folder and a button 624 to return to the previous directory. When a file is selected on the file selection screen 620, the screen transitions to a print instruction screen as shown in the print instruction screen 521, and the printing of the selected document file can be instructed to the image processing apparatus. The file selection screens 610 and 620 are screens provided by the OS and are file selection screens that utilize the file browser function of the OS. Even if the version of the OS is 14 or higher on the file selection screens 610 and 620, permission is not requested from the user every time a file is selected.

[0064] Using the flowchart of FIG. 8, the process of selecting a document file for printing in the application 401 and printing the selected file will be described. Each step in FIG. 8 is realized by the CPU 202 executing a program stored in the ROM 203 or the storage device 209.

[0065] In step S801, the UI unit 402 accepts the selection of the document print button 502.

[0066] In S802, the UI unit 402 displays a document acquisition destination selection screen. In S803, the control unit 404 determines whether the cloud service button is selected on the document acquisition destination selection screen. If it is selected, the process proceeds to S830. If not, the process proceeds to S804. In S830, the control unit 404 connects to the cloud service and accepts the user's selection operation from the list of files stored in the cloud storage. When the selection of a file is accepted, the process may proceed to S806 or S807 with the selected file as the file to be printed.

[0067] In S804, the control unit 404 determines whether the smartphone internal button is selected on the document acquisition destination selection screen. If it is selected, the process proceeds to S805. If not, the process returns to S802.

[0068] In S805, the file browser unit 406 instructs the OS 410 to display an OS-provided file selection screen. For example, here the file browser unit 406 instructs the OS 410 to display the SAF screen.

[0069] In S806, the control unit 404 determines whether there is a transmission of a document file from the OS 410. If there is a transmission, it proceeds to S807; otherwise, it repeats the process of S806. Here, when the user selects a file on the file selection screen 620, the selected file is transmitted from the OS 410 to the application 401.

[0070] In S807, the control unit 404 copies the document file selected by the user to a memory area available to the application 401. In S808, the control unit 404 converts the selected document file into JPEG data. Then in S809, the UI unit 402 displays a preview screen of the selected file. In S810, the control unit 404 determines whether the print button 525 has been selected. If it has been selected, it proceeds to S811; otherwise, it returns to S809.

[0071] In S811, the control unit 404 transmits a print job including the file selected by the user to the target image processing apparatus 104. The image processing apparatus 104 that has received the print job prints the document file selected by the user based on the print settings included in the print job.

[0072] When selecting a file for document printing by the processing of the above flowchart, regardless of the OS version or the like, the SAF screen is uniformly displayed. By doing so, when using the file browser function within the application, there is a possibility that the usability may decrease due to changes in the OS specifications or the like. However, by making it the uniform SAF screen, it becomes possible to prevent the decrease in usability.

[0073] As described above, when selecting a photo, the configuration is such that whether to display an in-app file selection screen or an OS-provided file selection screen is switched according to the version of the OS of the data processing device 101. On the other hand, when selecting a document, regardless of the version of the OS, it is configured to always display the OS-provided file selection screen. However, not limited to this configuration, when selecting a photo or a document, it may be configured to switch whether to display an in-app file selection screen or an OS-provided file selection screen according to the version of the OS of the data processing device 101. Furthermore, when selecting a photo or a document, it may be configured to always display the OS-provided file selection screen. Also, in the example of the flowchart in FIG. 7, the example where the OS-provided file selection screen is the Photo Picker is shown, but it may be the screen of the SAF.

[0074] (Other Embodiments) Further, the present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the program. In this case, the computer program and the storage medium storing the computer program constitute the present invention.

[0075] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs.

[0076] (Configuration 1) A program for causing a computer of a data processing device on which an operating system (OS) operates to execute a control method, wherein the control method has a control step of controlling, based on information regarding the OS, whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using a file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using a file browser function of the program.

[0077] (Configuration 2) The program according to Configuration 1, wherein the information about the OS is information on the version of the OS.

[0078] (Configuration 3) The program according to Configuration 1 or 2, wherein the information about the OS is information indicating whether the OS can provide a predetermined file selection screen.

[0079] (Configuration 4) The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the files to be displayed on the second file selection screen can be filtered based on the file date information.

[0080] (Configuration 5) The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein when the OS is a predetermined version, the control step instructs to display the first file selection screen, and when the OS is not the predetermined version, the control step instructs to display the second file selection screen.

[0081] (Configuration 6) When selecting a photo file, the control step controls whether to instruct to display the first file selection screen or the second file selection screen based on the information about the OS, and when selecting a document file, regardless of the information about the OS, the control step instructs the OS to display a file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS. The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5.

[0082] (Configuration 7) When a button for selecting print data for instructing printing on an image forming apparatus is selected, if the OS satisfies a predetermined condition, the control step displays the second file selection screen, and if the OS does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control step displays a screen for selecting a file acquisition destination, and when a predetermined acquisition destination is selected on the screen, instructs the OS to display the first file selection screen. The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6.

[0083] (Configuration 8) The OS is Android (registered trademark). The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7.

[0084] (Configuration 9) The first file selection screen extracts and displays photo files. The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8.

[0085] (Configuration 10) On the first file selection screen, user permission is not required to access files. The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9.

[0086] (Configuration 11) The first file selection screen is used by a plurality of applications, and the second file selection screen is used by the program. The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 10.

[0087] (Configuration 12) The program is a program for instructing printing on an image forming apparatus, and the first file selection screen and the second file selection screen are screens for selecting print data. The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 11.

[0088] (Configuration 13) The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 12, wherein the second file selection screen includes display items for accessing a cloud service.

[0089] (Program 1) A program for causing a computer of a data processing device on which an operating system (OS) operates to execute a control method, wherein the control method has a control step of controlling, based on information regarding the OS, whether to display a file selection screen using the file browser function of the program, which displays a screen for selecting a file acquisition destination.

[0090] (Method 1) A control method for a computer of a data processing device on which an operating system (OS) operates, having a control step of controlling, based on information regarding the OS, whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using the file browser function of the program.

[0091] (Device 1) A data processing device on which an operating system (OS) operates, having control means for controlling, based on information regarding the OS, whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using the file browser function of the program.

Claims

1. A program for causing a computer of a data processing apparatus on which an operating system (OS) operates to execute a control method, the control method comprising: controlling, based on information about the OS, whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using a file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using a file browser function of the program. A program characterized by having a control step.

2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the information about the OS is information on the version of the OS.

3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the information about the OS is information indicating whether the OS can provide a predetermined file selection screen.

4. The program according to claim 1, wherein the files displayed on the second file selection screen can be filtered based on file date information.

5. The program according to claim 1, wherein when the OS is a predetermined version, the control step instructs to display the first file selection screen, and when the OS is not the predetermined version, the control step displays the second file selection screen. A program characterized by that.

6. When selecting a photo file, the control step controls whether to instruct the OS to display the first file selection screen or the second file selection screen based on information about the OS, and when selecting a document file, the control step Regardless of the information about the OS, the program according to claim 1, characterized in that the OS is instructed to display a file selection screen using a file browser function provided by the OS.

7. When a button for selecting print data for giving a print instruction to an image forming apparatus is selected, if the OS satisfies a predetermined condition, the control step displays the second file selection screen, and if the OS does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control step displays a screen for selecting a file acquisition destination, and when a predetermined acquisition destination is selected on the screen, the first file selection screen is displayed. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the OS is instructed to do so.

8. ​ The program according to claim 1, wherein the OS is Android (registered trademark).

9. The program according to claim 1, wherein the first file selection screen extracts and displays photo files.

10. The program according to claim 1, wherein the first file selection screen does not request user permission to access files.

11. The program according to claim 1, wherein the first file selection screen is used by a plurality of applications, and the second file selection screen is used by the program.

12. The program according to claim 1, wherein the program is a program for giving a print instruction to an image forming apparatus, and the first file selection screen and the second file selection screen are screens for selecting print data.

13. The program according to claim 1, wherein the second file selection screen includes display items for accessing a cloud service.

14. A program for causing a computer of a data processing apparatus on which an operating system (OS) operates to execute a control method, wherein the control method has a control step of controlling whether to display a file selection screen using the file browser function of the program, which displays a screen for selecting a file acquisition destination, based on information regarding the OS.

15. A control method for a computer of a data processing apparatus on which an operating system (OS) operates, having a control step of controlling whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using the file browser function of the program, based on information regarding the OS.

16. A data processing apparatus on which an operating system (OS) operates, having control means for controlling whether to instruct the OS to display a first file selection screen using the file browser function provided by the OS or to display a second file selection screen using the file browser function of the program, based on information regarding the OS.

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