Image forming apparatus, terminal device, and method of transmitting information

Abstract

To enhance the convenience of the user when displaying a part or all of an operation image of the image forming apparatus from the terminal device via the network to perform an operation.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a communication unit 14; a display unit 12 configured to display an operation image; a transmission processor 10a; and a reception processor 10b. The transmission processor 10a transmits display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit 12 to a terminal device 2 via the communication unit 14. The reception processor 10b receives the first information related to a communication time which is necessary for the terminal device 2 to acquire the display information, from the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 14. The transmission processor 10a transmits image information based on image quality information related to image quality corresponding to the first information to the terminal device 2 as the display information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a terminal device, and an information transmission method.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for stably and rapidly performing video transfer in a remote panel, which is a function of displaying an operation unit of an image forming apparatus via a network, without depending on the line speed of a public line or the geographical situation of the line.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the remote panel, regardless of the network configuration, the speed until the display of the remote panel switches may be delayed, resulting in a decrease in convenience. Note that the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot solve such a problem.

[0005] Therefore, when displaying and operating a part or all of the operation image of the image forming apparatus from the terminal device via the network, it is desired to develop a technology for shortening the time required for switching the display of the operation image and improving the convenience for the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit, a display unit that displays an operation image, a transmission processing unit that transmits display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit to a terminal device via the communication unit, and a reception processing unit that receives, from the terminal device via the communication unit, first information regarding a communication time required for communication for the terminal device to acquire the display information. The transmission processing unit transmits, to the terminal device, image information based on image quality information regarding an image quality corresponding to the first information as the display information.

[0007] A terminal device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an operation unit, a communication unit, a reception processing unit that receives, from the image forming apparatus via the communication unit, display information based on an operation image displayed on an image forming apparatus side display unit that is a display unit of the image forming apparatus, a display unit that displays a remote operation image based on the display information received by the reception processing unit, a storage unit that stores a communication time required for communication for the image forming apparatus to acquire the display information, and a transmission processing unit that transmits, to the image forming apparatus via the communication unit, first information regarding the communication time. The reception processing unit receives, from the image forming apparatus, image information based on image quality information regarding an image quality corresponding to the first information as the display information, and the display unit displays the remote operation image based on the image information.

[0008] An information transmission method according to one aspect of the present invention is such that an image forming apparatus including a communication unit and a display unit that displays an operation image executes a transmission process of transmitting, to a terminal device via the communication unit, display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit, and the image forming apparatus executes a reception process of receiving, from the terminal device via the communication unit, first information regarding a communication time required for communication for the terminal device to acquire the display information. The transmission process transmits, to the terminal device, image information based on image quality information regarding an image quality corresponding to the first information as the display information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each figure is merely an example for explaining the embodiments of the present invention. Also, not all of the components described in the embodiments of the present invention are essential components of the present invention.

[0011] (Embodiment) Using FIG. 1, an image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a terminal device according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of such an image forming system.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as this system) can include an image forming apparatus 1, a terminal device 2, a reception server device 3, and a base server device 4. The terminal device 2 can be connected to the reception server device 3 via the network N. Also, the reception server device 3 can be connected to the base server device 4 via the network N. Further, the base server device 4 can be connected to the image forming apparatus 1 via the network N. Hereinafter, the description will be made assuming that the system 100 adopts such a network configuration example.

[0013] Note that in FIG. 1, for simplicity of explanation, the network connecting each device is represented by the same network N, but the connection form of each device is not limited to this, such as connecting some or all of the devices with different networks. Also, the system 100 can adopt a network configuration other than the above network configuration example. For example, if the system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 1 and a terminal device 2 connected to the image forming apparatus via the network N, it can be configured not to include the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4. Also, the system 100 may be a system in which the functions of the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4 are installed on the same server device, or may be a system including three or more server devices with further function distribution. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to communicate with the terminal device 2 via at least one information processing device such as at least one server device. In this case, the terminal device 2 is configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus 1 via at least one information processing device such as at least one server device.

[0014] This system enables the operation of the operation image of the image forming apparatus 1 from the terminal device 2. Such provision of the operation image provided from the image forming apparatus 1 to the terminal device 2 can also be referred to as a remote panel or the like. The reception server device 3 can be a server device that provides the reception processing of operations from the terminal device 2 to the terminal device 2. The base server device 4 can be a server device that provides the processing of operating the operation image of the image forming apparatus 1 based on the operations received by the reception server device 3 to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0015] [Schematic Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 1] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 can include a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, a display unit 12, an operation unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a printing unit 15.

[0016] The control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 can also be referred to as a controller and performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 1. The control unit 10 can include a transmission processing unit 10a and a reception processing unit 10b, the details of which will be described later.

[0017] The control unit 10 can be configured to include, for example, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a working memory, and a storage device that stores control programs, parameters, and the like. The control unit 10 can also be configured as a SoC (System on a Chip). As can be seen from these examples, the control unit 10 can be configured to store a control program in an executable state. However, the control unit 10 can also be configured to store a control program as a circuit configuration like an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or configured as a dedicated circuit. The transmission processing unit 10a and the reception processing unit 10b can be implemented as the above programs. The above programs can include programs for realizing the functions of the transmission processing unit 10a and the reception processing unit 10b while cooperating with the storage unit 11, the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, and the communication unit 14. Alternatively, the above programs can include programs for realizing the functions of the transmission processing unit 10a and the reception processing unit 10b while cooperating with the storage unit 11, the display unit 12, the operation unit 13, the communication unit 14, and the printing unit 15.

[0018] The storage unit 11 is, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or other memory. A part of the memory included in the control unit 10 may be regarded as the storage unit 11. The storage unit 11 can also be regarded as a part of the control unit 10.

[0019] The display unit 12 is a part for displaying information. The display unit 12 can display an operation image, which is a user interface (UI) image, as information. This operation image can be stored in the storage unit 11. The display unit 12 is constituted by, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 12 can also be configured to include a display and a drive circuit for driving the display.

[0020] The operation unit 13 is a part that receives operations and inputs by the user, and can also be referred to as an operation reception unit. The operation unit 13 can be provided with a touch panel or a touch sensor mounted on the display unit 12. In this case, when the user performs a touch operation on the operation image displayed on the display unit 12, the operation unit 13 can receive an operation corresponding to the area where the touch operation was performed. Such a display unit 12 that displays an operation image and an operation unit 13 provided with a touch panel or a touch sensor mounted on the display unit 12 can constitute the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 1. In addition, the operation unit 13 may be provided with, for example, a group of physical buttons. A part of the group of physical buttons can also be configured to be able to receive operations on the operation image. Of course, a part or all of the group of physical buttons can also be configured to receive operations independent of the operation image.

[0021] The communication unit 14 can be one or more communication interfaces for the image forming apparatus 1 to communicate with a plurality of external devices by wire or wirelessly in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol including a predetermined communication standard. This external device is, for example, a device having a communication function such as a personal computer (PC), a server device, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. In the above network configuration example, this external device in the case of performing communication regarding processing related to the operation image will include the base server device 4.

[0022] The communication unit 14 can transmit display information for displaying an operation image on the terminal device 2 to the terminal device 2 via the base server device 4 and the reception server device 3. Note that this display information may be the operation image itself. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish from the operation image to be displayed on the display unit 12, the operation image to be displayed on the display unit 22 of the terminal device 2 based on this display information is referred to as a remote operation image. Also, the communication unit 14 can receive an operation event received by the terminal device 2 from the terminal device 2 via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4.

[0023] In addition, the communication unit 14 can receive a print target file from an external device. The external device that transmits the print target file can be a terminal device other than the terminal device 2. However, the communication unit 14 may be configured to be able to receive the print target file directly from the terminal device 2 or via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4.

[0024] The printing unit 15 executes printing on a medium based on, for example, a print target file received from a terminal device other than the terminal device 2 or the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 14, or a print target file obtained by reading an image with a scanner (not shown). Thereby, an image indicated by the print target file is formed on the medium. Any printing method can be applied to the printing unit 15, such as an inkjet printing method, a laser printing method, etc. When the image forming apparatus 1 employs an inkjet printing method, it can be referred to as an inkjet printer, and when it employs a laser printing method, it can be referred to as a laser printer.

[0025] [Schematic Configuration of Terminal Device 2] The terminal device 2 can be a device equipped with a communication function such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC. The terminal device 2 is not limited to being portable and may be an installed device. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the terminal device 2 can include a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, a display unit 22, an operation unit 23, and a communication unit 24.

[0026] The control unit 20 of the terminal device 2 can also be referred to as a controller and controls the entire terminal device 2. Although the details will be described later, the control unit 20 can include a reception processing unit 20a, a transmission processing unit 20b, and a determination unit 20c.

[0027] The control unit 20 can be configured to include, for example, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU or GPU, a working memory, and a storage device that stores control programs, parameters, and the like. The control unit 20 can also be configured as a SoC. As can be seen from these examples, the control unit 20 can be configured to store the control program in an executable state. However, the control unit 20 can also be configured to store the control program as a circuit configuration like an FPGA, or configured as a dedicated circuit. The reception processing unit 20a and the transmission processing unit 20b, or the reception processing unit 20a, the transmission processing unit 20b, and the determination unit 20c can be implemented as the above program. The above program can be a program for realizing the functions of the reception processing unit 20a and the transmission processing unit 20b, or the functions of the reception processing unit 20a, the transmission processing unit 20b, and the determination unit 20c while cooperating with the storage unit 21, the display unit 22, the operation unit 23, and the communication unit 24.

[0028] The storage unit 21 is, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or other memory. A part of the memory included in the control unit 20 may be regarded as the storage unit 21. The storage unit 21 can also be regarded as a part of the control unit 20.

[0029] The display unit 22 is a part for displaying information and is configured by, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 22 can also be configured to include a display and a drive circuit for driving the display.

[0030] The operation unit 23 is a part that receives operations and inputs by the user and can also be referred to as an operation reception unit. The operation unit 23 can be realized by, for example, any one or more of physical buttons, a touch panel or touch sensor mounted on the display unit 12, a pointing device, and a keyboard. In a configuration where the operation unit 23 includes a touch panel or touch sensor, including the display unit 12 and the touch panel, it can also be referred to as the operation panel of the terminal device 2.

[0031] The communication unit 24 can be one or more communication interfaces for the terminal device 2 to communicate with one or more external devices by wire or wirelessly in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol including a predetermined communication standard. In the above network configuration example, this external device in the case of performing communication regarding the operation image will include the reception server device 3.

[0032] The communication unit 24 can receive display information for displaying a remote operation image on the terminal device 2 from the image forming apparatus 1 via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4. As described above, this display information may be the remote operation image itself. Also, the communication unit 24 can transmit the operation event received by the operation unit 23 to the image forming apparatus 1 via the base server device 4 and the reception server device 3.

[0033] In addition, the communication unit 24 may be configured to be able to transmit a print target file to the image forming apparatus 1 directly or via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4.

[0034] [Schematic Configuration of Reception Server Device 3 and Base Server Device 4] The reception server device 3 and the base server device 4 can each be a server computer having a function of receiving operations and at least managing a remote panel, although their details are omitted. Each server computer can include a control unit, a communication unit, and a storage unit (not shown).

[0035] This control unit can be configured to include, for example, an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU or GPU, a working memory, and a storage device that stores control programs, parameters, etc. This control unit can also be configured as a SoC. As can be seen from these examples, this control unit can be configured to store a control program in a state where it can be executed. However, this control unit can also be configured to store a control program as a circuit configuration like an FPGA, or configured as a dedicated circuit.

[0036] The control unit of the reception server device 3 receives display information from the image forming device 1 via the base server device 4 and transmits the display information to the terminal device 2. Also, the control unit of the reception server device 3 receives an operation event from the terminal device 2 and transmits the operation event to the image forming device 1 via the base server device 4. The control unit of the reception server device 3 can implement functions related to the transmission and reception of such information as, for example, a program.

[0037] The control unit of the base server device 4 receives display information from the image forming device 1 and transmits the display information to the terminal device 2 via the reception server device 3. Also, the control unit of the base server device 4 receives an operation event from the terminal device 2 via the reception server device 3 and transmits the operation event to the image forming device 1. The control unit of the base server device 4 can implement functions related to the transmission and reception of these information as, for example, a program.

[0038] The above communication unit can be one or more communication interfaces for the server computer to communicate with one or more external devices by wire or wirelessly in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol including a predetermined communication standard. In the above network configuration example, the communication unit in the reception server device 3 can communicate with the terminal device 2 and the base server device 4 as external devices. In the above network configuration example, the communication unit in the base server device 4 can communicate with the image forming device 1 and the reception server device as external devices.

[0039] The above-mentioned storage unit is, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or other memory. A part of the memory included in the control unit may be regarded as this storage unit. In other words, the storage unit in the server computer can also be regarded as a part of the control unit in the server computer.

[0040] In the above network configuration example, the storage unit in the reception server device 3 stores information for managing communication with the base server device 4, information for managing communication with a specific terminal device 2, and the like. By managing communication with a specific terminal device 2, access to the reception server device 3 from a terminal device that is not stored, that is, an unregistered terminal device, can be restricted.

[0041] In the above network configuration example, the storage unit in the base server device 4 stores information for managing communication with the reception server device 3, device information of a specific image forming device 1, information for managing communication with the image forming device 1, and the like. By managing communication with a specific image forming device 1, access to the reception server device 3 from an image forming device that is not stored, that is, an unregistered image forming device, can be restricted.

[0042] [Specific Configuration of this System 100] The details of the control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described together with the details of the terminal device 2. In this system 100, as a general flow, the terminal device 2 accesses the reception server device 3 and receives display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 1, and based on the display information, a remote operation image is displayed on the display unit 22. Then, a user operation on the remote operation image is received by the operation unit 23 of the terminal device 2, and an operation event indicating the user operation is transmitted to the reception server device 3. The reception server device 3 transmits the operation event to the image forming apparatus 1 via the base server device 4. The image forming apparatus 1 receives the operation of the operation image based on the received operation event, and thereby can change the operation image and the remote operation image by transition to the next operation image, the next remote operation image, etc.

[0043] First, a configuration example on the image forming apparatus 1 side will be described. As described above, the control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 can include a transmission processing unit 10a and a reception processing unit 10b.

[0044] The transmission processing unit 10a transmits display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit 12 to the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 14. In the above-described network configuration example, the transmission of such display information by the transmission processing unit 10a is executed via the base server device 4 and the reception server device 3. Since the display information is the information displayed on the screen of the display unit 12, it can also be referred to as screen information. Also, the display information can be displayed on the display unit 22 of the terminal device 2 using, for example, a web browser or the like, and in that case, the display information can also be referred to as web screen information. As in this example, the transmission processing unit 10a may transmit the display information as information to be displayed on the browser of the terminal device 2.

[0045] The receiving processing unit 10b receives, from the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 14, first information regarding the communication time required for the communication for acquiring display information. As will be described later, this first information is used to generate or select display information for displaying a remote operation image. In the above-described network configuration example, the reception of such first information by the receiving processing unit 10b is executed via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4. Note that, since the receiving processing unit 10b acquires the first information from the terminal device 2, it can also be referred to as an acquisition processing unit.

[0046] Further, the receiving processing unit 10b can be configured to receive, from the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 14, an operation event received by the terminal device 2. In the above-described network configuration example, the reception of such an operation event by the receiving processing unit 10b is executed via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4. This operation event is an event indicating an operation received via an operation image displayed based on the display information transmitted to the terminal device 2.

[0047] The image forming apparatus 1 has a function of remotely providing an operation panel to the terminal device 2 by transmitting such display information and receiving an operation event by the transmitting processing unit 10a and the receiving processing unit 10b, that is, has a function of providing a remote panel. However, the operation of the operation image by the operation event is not essential in the present embodiment. In the present system 100, the system excluding the processing related to such an operation becomes a system that remotely monitors the operation image displayed on the display unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 1 among the functions of the remote panel.

[0048] The transmitting processing unit 10a in the present embodiment further has the following characteristics. That is, the transmitting processing unit 10a transmits, to the terminal device 2, image information based on image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the first information as display information. An example of the process in which the transmitting processing unit 10a transmits the image information as display information to the terminal device 2 will be described later. Hereinafter, this process is referred to as an image information transmission process.

[0049] The image forming apparatus 1 can return display information corresponding to the first information and cause the terminal device 2 to display a remote operation image based on the display information by receiving such first information by the transmission processing unit 10a and the reception processing unit 10b and transmitting the display information as a response thereto.

[0050] The image information transmission processing will be described. When the reception processing unit 10b receives the first information, the transmission processing unit 10a may detect the first information and execute the image information transmission processing. Alternatively, the reception processing unit 10b may be configured to receive, from the terminal device 2, information including a request regarding image quality information as the first information. In this case, when the reception processing unit 10b receives the first information including a request regarding image quality information, the transmission processing unit 10a may execute the image information transmission processing as a response to the request.

[0051] The image information to be transmitted by the transmission processing unit 10a is information based on image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the first information. And this image information can be the one stored as a remote operation image in the storage unit 11, or the one generated from the remote operation image, or the one generated from the operation image stored in the storage unit 11 for display on the display unit 12. That is, the transmission processing unit 10a may generate or select the image information for displaying the remote operation image on the terminal device 2 based on the image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the first information.

[0052] As described above, the first information is information regarding the communication time and may include the communication time itself. That is, the reception processing unit 10b may be configured to receive, from the terminal device 2, information including the communication time as the first information. In this case, as the image information transmission processing, the transmission processing unit 10a may transmit to the terminal device 2 the image information generated or selected based on the image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the received communication time. Also, if the communication time and the image information are associated in advance, the transmission processing unit 10a can also transmit to the terminal device 2 the image information generated or selected corresponding to the communication time as the image information transmission processing.

[0053] Alternatively, the first information may be information including image quality information determined based on the communication time. That is, the reception processing unit 10b may be configured to receive, from the terminal device 2, information including the image quality information determined based on the communication time as the first information. In this case, the transmission processing unit 10a may transmit, as the image information transmission processing, the image information generated or selected based on the received image quality information to the terminal device 2.

[0054] Next, a configuration example on the terminal device 2 side will be described. As described above, the control unit 20 of the terminal device 2 can include a reception processing unit 20a and a transmission processing unit 20b.

[0055] The reception processing unit 20a receives, via the communication unit 24, the display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 1 from the image forming apparatus 1. In the above-described network configuration example, the reception of such display information by the reception processing unit 20a is executed via the base server device 4 and the reception server device 3. Note that, since the reception processing unit 20a acquires the display information from the image forming apparatus 1, it can also be referred to as an acquisition processing unit.

[0056] Then, the display unit 22 displays a remote operation image based on the display information received by the reception processing unit 20a. Also, as described above, the display information can be displayed on the display unit 22 using, for example, a web browser or the like. As in this example, the reception processing unit 20a may receive the display information as information to be displayed on the browser of the terminal device 2.

[0057] Further, the transmission processing unit 20b can be configured to transmit the operation event received by the operation unit 23 to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication unit 24. In the above-described network configuration example, the transmission of such an operation event by the transmission processing unit 20b is executed via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4. Examples of this operation event include events such as click operations and touch operations on the operation image displayed on the display unit 22 by a pointing device. Hereinafter, the pointing device will be referred to as a mouse, and the operation by the mouse will be referred to as a mouse operation for explanation purposes.

[0058] The terminal device 2 is provided with a function of remotely enjoying the operation panel from the image forming apparatus 1 by receiving such display information and transmitting operation events by the reception processing unit 20a and the transmission processing unit 20b, that is, a function of enjoying a remote panel. However, as described above, the operation of the operation image by the operation event is not essential in the present embodiment.

[0059] The transmission processing unit 20b and the reception processing unit 20a in the present embodiment further have the following characteristics. That is, the transmission processing unit 20b transmits the first information regarding the communication time to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication unit 24. For this purpose, the storage unit 21 stores the communication time. This communication time is the time required for the communication for acquiring the display information from the image forming apparatus 1 as described above, and can be calculated from the communication start time and the communication end time when the reception processing unit 20a actually attempts to acquire the display information. An example of the process in which the transmission processing unit 20b transmits the first information to the image forming apparatus 1 will be described later. Hereinafter, this process will be referred to as the first information transmission process.

[0060] The reception processing unit 20a receives, as display information, image information based on image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the first information, from the image forming apparatus 1. The display unit 22 will display a remote operation image based on the image information received in this manner. Of course, the reception of the image information by the reception processing unit 20a is also to be executed via the communication unit 24. In the above-described network configuration example, such reception of the image information by the reception processing unit 20a is also executed via the base server device 4 and the reception server device 3.

[0061] The terminal device 2 can display, on the display unit 22, a remote operation image based on display information corresponding to the first information, by performing such transmission of the first information by the transmission processing unit 20b and reception of the image information as a response to the transmission.

[0062] The first information transmission process will be described. In a configuration where the reception processing unit 10b in the image forming apparatus 1 detects the first information when receiving the first information and executes the image information transmission process, the first information transmission process may be a process of simply transmitting information regarding the communication time as the first information. Alternatively, the transmission processing unit 20b can also be configured to transmit, as the first information transmission process, information including a request regarding the image quality information to the image forming apparatus 1 as the first information. In this case, when the reception processing unit 10b in the image forming apparatus 1 receives the first information including the request regarding the image quality information, the transmission processing unit 10a executes the image information transmission process as a response to the request.

[0063] As described above, the first information is information regarding the communication time, and may include the communication time itself. That is, the transmission processing unit 20b may be configured to transmit, as the first information transmission processing, information including the communication time to the image forming apparatus 1 as the first information. In this case, the transmission processing unit 10a of the image forming apparatus 1 transmits, as the image information transmission processing, the image information generated or selected based on the image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the received communication time to the terminal device 2. Then, the reception processing unit 20a receives this image information, and the display unit 22 displays a remote operation image based on this image information. Further, if the image forming apparatus 1 associates the communication time and the image information in advance, the transmission processing unit 10a of the image forming apparatus 1 can also transmit, as the image information transmission processing, the image information generated or selected corresponding to the communication time to the terminal device 2. Then, the reception processing unit 20a receives this image information, and the display unit 22 displays a remote operation image based on this image information.

[0064] Alternatively, the first information may be information including the image quality information determined based on the communication time. For such determination, the control unit 20 may include a determination unit 20c. The determination unit 20c may determine the image quality information based on the communication time stored in the storage unit 21. Then, the transmission processing unit 20b may transmit, as the first information transmission processing, information including the image quality information to the image forming apparatus 1 as the first information.

[0065] [Processing Example of the Present System 100] The configurations of the image forming apparatus 1 and the terminal device 2 have been described above. Next, a process in which the remote operation image is changed according to the first information in the above configuration will be described with specific examples.

[0066] In the terminal device 2, the receiving processing unit 20a can be configured to receive, from the image forming apparatus 1, image information with lower image quality when the communication time is longer than a predetermined time, compared to when it is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time. From the perspective of the image forming apparatus 1 side, the transmitting processing unit 10a can be configured to transmit, to the terminal device 2, image information with lower image quality when the communication time is longer than the predetermined time, compared to when it is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time.

[0067] Such determination processing using the predetermined time as a threshold value may be executed on the terminal device 2 side or on the image forming apparatus 1 side. For example, the determination unit 20c may execute the determination processing using this predetermined time as a threshold value, and the transmitting processing unit 20b may transmit the first information to the image forming apparatus 1 side based on the determination result. Alternatively, the transmitting processing unit 10a of the image forming apparatus 1 may execute the determination processing using this predetermined time as a threshold value.

[0068] By adopting such determination processing, the system 100 can automatically reduce the image quality of the remote operation image displayed on the display unit 22 when the time required to acquire image information from the image forming apparatus exceeds the predetermined time. As a result, the system 100 can reduce the communication data volume and perform efficient communication.

[0069] The processing flow of the terminal device 2 involving such determination processing will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing of the terminal device 2 in the system 100. The processing example in FIG. 2 shows an example of an update process for periodically updating a remote operation image for an operation image displayed on the image forming apparatus 1 in the terminal device 2. Here, an example is given where the image information transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 is a remote operation image to be displayed on a browser that can be displayed on the display unit 22 of the terminal device 2.

[0070] As this update process, the terminal device 2 performs loop processing of the processes shown in steps S22 to S29 at a fixed period (steps S21s, S21e). This period is not limited, but for example, it can be set to an interval between 0.3 seconds and 0.5 seconds.

[0071] In this loop process, first, the determination unit 20c reads from the storage unit 22 the communication time required for the acquisition of the previous image information, and determines whether the communication time exceeds the predetermined time using the predetermined time as a threshold value (step S22).

[0072] If the result in step S22 is YES, the determination unit 20c determines the image quality level to be requested to the image forming apparatus 1 side as the speed priority level (step S23). The predetermined time may be determined in advance, for example, as 0.5 seconds. In this case, if the communication time for image acquisition is longer than 0.5 seconds, it is regarded as an environment with a slow communication speed, and the process of step S23 can be executed. Here, the speed priority level can be set as a level that tolerates a decrease in the image quality of the remote operation image with priority given to the communication speed. For example, when the image quality level can be changed in increments from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 10, the speed priority level may be determined in advance as, for example, image quality level 3. Thereby, in an environment with a slow communication speed, by reducing the image quality of the remote operation image and decreasing its data size, the accompanying communication time can be reduced and efficient communication can be performed.

[0073] On the other hand, if the result in step S22 is NO, the determination unit 20c determines the image quality level to be requested to the image forming apparatus 1 side as the image quality priority level (step S24). Here, the image quality priority level can be set as a level that tolerates a decrease in the communication speed with priority given to the image quality of the remote operation image. For example, in the above example where the image quality level can be changed from 1 to 10, the image quality priority level may be determined in advance as image quality level 10.

[0074] After the process of step S23 or after the process of step S24, the reception processing unit 20a or the transmission processing unit 20b records the communication start time in the storage unit 22 (step S25). In step S25, for example, the communication start time can be recorded as a variable on the browser. The communication start time recorded in step S25 can be used to obtain the time required for the acquisition of the remote operation image, that is, the communication time.

[0075] Next, the transmission processing unit 20b starts communication to transmit, as the first information, information for requesting image acquisition with the image quality information specified as a parameter to the image forming apparatus 1 (step S26). This communication is communication for image acquisition performed with the image forming apparatus 1. Also, the image quality information here can be exemplified by the image quality level described above. Therefore, in step S26, it is preferable to perform transmission after setting to include the image quality level determined in step S23 or step S24 as at least one parameter of the first information. Note that the order of step S25 and step S26 is not limited.

[0076] Next, the reception processing unit 20a determines whether or not there is a response from the image forming apparatus 1 (step S27). This response is, for example, a return of a remote operation image. If the result in step S27 is NO, wait for this response.

[0077] When the result in step S27 is YES, the reception processing unit 20a records the communication end time in the storage unit 22 (step S28). In step S28, for example, the communication end time can be recorded as a variable on the browser. The communication end time recorded in step S28 can be used to obtain the time required for acquiring the remote operation image, that is, the communication time. By storing this communication time together with the communication start time recorded in step S25 in the storage unit 21, it can be referred to at the time of determination in step S22.

[0078] After step S28, the reception processing unit 20a causes the browser to display the remote operation image acquired by the response (step S29). Note that the order of step S28 and step S29 is not limited.

[0079] As described with reference to FIG. 2, even when there is no operation by the user, the terminal device 2 can perform image update periodically in the background in order to display the change of the operation image of the image forming apparatus 1 in real time as a remote operation image. And since the communication time required for such periodic image update processing is also recorded, determination processing based on this communication time can be performed.

[0080] Further, the communication time may be recorded as the communication time when requesting a remote operation image with a predetermined data amount or within a range of data amounts, such as the communication time when requesting a remote operation image with a predetermined image quality level. The predetermined image quality level may be the highest image quality level. Alternatively, in the determination process for determining the communication time as a threshold value, the threshold value may be changed according to the image quality level or according to the data amount. Alternatively, the communication time may be calculated as the communication time per data amount and the threshold value may be fixed. Also, although this communication time has been described on the premise that it is the time required for one communication, statistical values such as the average value for a predetermined number of times or the maximum value for a predetermined number of times can also be used.

[0081] Next, the processing flow of the image forming apparatus 1 executed corresponding to the processing of the terminal device 2 as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a processing example of the image forming apparatus 1 in the present system 100.

[0082] First, the reception processing unit 10b of the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether there has been communication from the terminal device 2 (step S31). If there is no communication, it waits for communication. If there is communication, that is, if the result in step S31 is YES, the reception processing unit 10b analyzes the communication content (step S32). This analysis also includes the extraction of the image quality level included in the first information described above.

[0083] Upon receiving this analysis result, the transmission processing unit 10a designates the image quality level of the remote operation image to be transmitted to the terminal device 2 (step S33). Next, the transmission processing unit 10a generates a remote operation image with the designated image quality level (step S34). As described above, in step S34, a remote operation image corresponding to the image quality level may be selected from a group of pre-stored images. Further, the transmission processing unit 10a generates communication content including the generated remote operation image (step S35). Then, the transmission processing unit 10a transmits the generated communication content to the terminal device 2 (step S36). After step S36, the process returns to step S31 to wait for the next communication from the terminal device 2.

[0084] Note that in FIGS. 2 and 3, only an example in which the determination process is executed on the terminal device 2 side is given. On the other hand, when the determination process is performed on the image forming apparatus 1 side, for example, when analyzing the communication content in step S32, it may be determined whether the communication time is longer than a threshold value based on the first information regarding the communication time. Then, in step S33, the image quality level may be designated according to the determination result.

[0085] Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8, an overall processing example related to the update of the remote operation image in the present system 100 will be described with examples of remote operation images. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing example when the terminal device 2 of the present system 100 acquires a remote operation image with the highest image quality level. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a processing example when the terminal device 2 of the present system 100 acquires a remote operation image with the lowest image quality level. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the remote operation image with the highest image quality level displayed on the terminal device 2 in the processing example of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the remote operation image with a medium image quality level displayed on the terminal device 2 in the present system 100. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the remote operation image with the lowest image quality level displayed on the terminal device 2 in the processing example of FIG. 5.

[0086] First, by receiving the provision of the remote panel, the terminal device 2 reads out the communication time at the time of receiving the provision from the storage unit 22 (step S41). This communication time may be, for example, the previous communication time, but it may be set as a default value initially.

[0087] Next, the terminal device 2 sets the image quality level according to the communication time and requests the reception server device 3 to acquire the remote operation image (step S42). In FIG. 4, an example is given where the communication time is shorter than a predetermined time and the image quality level is set to 10. Therefore, in the request of step S42, as a result, it is requested to acquire the remote operation image 60H in FIG. 6, which is the remote operation image with the highest image quality level 10. The remote operation image 60H will be described later.

[0088] The reception server device 3 that has received the request to acquire the remote operation image transmits the request to the base server device 4 (step S43). The base server device 4 that has received the request transmits the request to the image forming device 1 (step S44).

[0089] The image forming device 1 generates a remote operation image for the terminal device 2 according to the image quality level 10 and transmits it to the base server device 4 (step S45). In this example, the remote operation image 60H corresponding to the image quality level 10 is generated. The base server device 4 that has received the image information transmits the communication content including the remote operation image 60H to the reception server device 3 (step S46). The reception server device 3 that has received this communication content transmits the communication content to the terminal device 2 (step S47).

[0090] The terminal device 2 displays the remote operation image 60H based on the received communication content (step S48). If some remote operation image was being displayed at the time of step S41, it will be updated to the remote operation image 60H in step S48.

[0091] The remote operation image 60H can include a background image 62H including a gradation pattern 62pH. Further, the remote operation image 60H can include an icon group 61 indicating each function such as copy and scan in the image forming apparatus 1. The icon group can include, for example, an icon 61a of the copy function. In addition, when the remote operation image 60H is not a home image, it can include a home button 63 to return to the home image. Further, the remote operation image 60H may include a button 64 for transitioning to an operation image indicating a print job or the current state of the image forming apparatus 1, a button 65 for performing an interrupt process, a button 66 for selecting a media tray, and an information bar 67 for displaying various information. Of course, the example of the remote operation image 60H is not limited to this, and other buttons may be displayed, or an image that does not include some or all of the illustrated buttons and icons may be an operation image as long as it is an operation image. Further, in FIG. 6, an example is shown in which a mouse cursor 68 is displayed at a predetermined position in the remote operation image 60H and mouse operations are possible.

[0092] Then, the terminal device 2 records the communication time t1 required until this update (step S49). Note that the order of steps S48 and S49 does not matter. The above-described processing is repeated, and the image quality level of the remote operation image displayed on the display unit 22 can be changed according to the communication time read in step S41.

[0093] For example, if as a result of the determination in step S22 of FIG. 2, the image quality level is set to the speed-priority image quality level 3 as in step S23, the remote operation image 60M in FIG. 7 is displayed. Also, two or more thresholds may be provided. Further, when the communication time is shorter, the remote operation image 60L in FIG. 8, which is the remote operation image with the lowest image quality level 1, may be displayed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the same processing as steps S41 to S49 in FIG. 4 is executed (steps S51 to S59), but in step S52, a request to acquire the remote operation image is made with the image quality level set to 1. In this case, the communication time t2 recorded in step S59 is shorter than the above-described communication time t1.

[0094] Further, the remote operation image 60M can include a background image 62M including a gradation pattern 62p, and other objects can be the same as those of the remote operation image 60H. The remote operation image 60L can include a background image 62L including a gradation pattern 62pL, and other objects can be the same as those of the remote operation image 60H. In FIGS. 6 to 8, it can be seen that the gradation patterns 62pH, 62pM, and 62pL are gradually coarsening in this order.

[0095] Here, an example in which only the background image is changed according to the image quality level has been given, but the resolution of the icon may also be changed. Further, although the change in the image quality level of the background image has been exemplified by the change in the resolution of the gradation pattern, changes in other visual effects can also be adopted. Also, the resolution of the icon, the resolution of the gradation pattern of the background image, other visual effects, etc. can be individually determined corresponding to the first information as parameters of the image quality level.

[0096] Also, when an operation event is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the image forming apparatus 1 side, it is also updated to a remote operation image corresponding to the operation event. Also in this case, the update of the remote operation image described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 can be similarly applied.

[0097] [Effects of the Present Embodiment] According to the present embodiment, when performing an operation by displaying a part or all of the operation image of the image forming apparatus 1 from the terminal device 2 via a network, the time required for switching the display of the remote operation image can be shortened regardless of the network configuration, and the convenience for the user can be improved. This is because, in the present embodiment, the data amount of the remote operation image is changed according to the communication time, enabling efficient communication. Also, as described above, since the operation event can be transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the image forming apparatus 1 side, it can be said that the reaction speed to such an operation event, that is, the reaction speed to the operation of the remote panel can also be improved.

[0098] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even in a network environment with a slow communication speed, such as when the communication path between the terminal device 2 and the image forming apparatus 1 is long regardless of their physical positions, the display switching speed of the remote panel for user operations can be improved. In particular, according to the present embodiment, without incurring hardware costs such as enhancing the server device or communication line, the display switching speed of the remote panel for user operations can be improved only by changing the programs of the terminal device 2 and the image forming apparatus 1. Also, for the lowest image quality level, since an administrator or the like can determine in advance what image quality level to set, the image forming apparatus 1 can provide only remote operation images with an image quality level that can ensure visibility at a minimum.

[0099] Next, the results of tests conducted under a predetermined system environment are shown. As the above-mentioned predetermined system environment, tests were conducted in an environment where the communication path between the terminal device 2 and the image forming apparatus 1 is a very long communication path passing through the overseas reception server device 3 and the base server device 4 from Japan. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the communication data size, communication time, and performance improvement ratio when the remote operation images of FIGS. 6 to 8 are transmitted in the present system 100. Here, the performance improvement ratio refers to the improvement ratio of the frame rate.

[0100] As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, for example, for the remote operation image 60H with the image quality level 10 set as the default, a 10% performance improvement was observed for the remote operation image 60M with the image quality level 3. Also, for the remote operation image 60L with the image quality level 1 compared to the remote operation image 60H, a 12% performance improvement was observed. Thus, in the present system 100, even in an environment with a slow communication speed, while ensuring the visibility of the remote operation image and without incurring hardware costs, the frame rate of the remote panel could be improved by approximately 10 to 12%.

[0101] Next, the application scenarios of the present system 100 will be described, and it will be explained that the above-described effects are beneficial. The provision of the remote panel can be used, for example, by an operator who is far away from the image forming apparatus 1. Examples of such operators include IT (Information Technology) administrators, service technicians, and reseller engineers. These operators can perform troubleshooting and training for end users without having to visit the site where the image forming apparatus 1 is installed. For example, as scenarios where the remote panel is used, the following scenarios (1) and (2) can be assumed.

[0102] (1) An IT administrator within the company where the image forming apparatus 1 is installed uses the terminal device 2 to directly access the image forming apparatus 1 from within the same intranet and use it. (2) A service technician or reseller engineer outside the company where the image forming apparatus 1 is installed uses the terminal device 2 to access the image forming apparatus 1 via the reception server device 3 and the base server device 4 and use it.

[0103] In the present embodiment, in any of such scenarios (1) and (2), the operator can comfortably and quickly perform processing by using the present system 100 with a high display switching speed of the remote panel.

[0104] [Another network configuration example of the image forming system] Using FIG. 10, another configuration example of the image forming system according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram showing another configuration example of the image forming system including the image forming apparatus and the terminal device according to the present embodiment.

[0105] The image forming system according to this embodiment can be an image forming system 100A having a network configuration example as shown in FIG. 10. In the image forming system 100A, a terminal device 2 and an image forming device 1 are connected by a LAN (Local Area Network), and a communication control device 5 such as a router is connected to the LAN. This LAN can be, for example, the LAN of a company where the image forming device 1 is installed. The communication control device 5 is a device that controls communication between devices in this LAN and a network N1. A server device 6 such as a reception server device 3 or a base server device 4 is connected to the network N1. Of course, the network configuration applicable in this embodiment is not limited to those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10.

[0106] (Other Modification Examples) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist. For example, the image forming device applied to the image forming system according to this embodiment can be widely applied to a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine having these functions, etc., as can be understood from the remote operation images in FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0107] Also, each device provided in the image forming system according to the above-described embodiment can be provided with a hardware configuration as follows, for example. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device.

[0108] The device 1000 shown in FIG. 11 can include a processor 1001, a memory 1002, and an interface 1003. The interface 1003 can include an interface necessary according to the device, for example, a communication interface, a sensor, an interface with an input / output device, etc.

[0109] Processor 1001 may be, for example, a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit) also known as a microprocessor. Processor 1001 may include a plurality of processors. Memory 1002 is composed of, for example, a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The functions in each device are realized by the processor 1001 reading the program stored in the memory 1002 and executing it while exchanging necessary information via the interface 1003.

[0110] Also, when the above-described program is loaded into a computer, it includes a set of instructions (or software code) for causing the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, the computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or other memory technologies. Also, by way of example and not limitation, the computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or a communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, the transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0111] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited only to the configurations of the above embodiments, and of course includes various modifications, corrections, and combinations that can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention of the claims of the present patent application.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0112] 1... Image forming apparatus, 2... Terminal device, 3... Reception server device, 4... Base server device, 5... Communication control device, 6... Server device, 10... Control unit, 10a... Transmission processing unit, 10b... Reception processing unit, 11... Storage unit, 12... Display unit, 13... Operation unit, 14... Communication unit, 15... Printing unit, 20... Control unit, 20a... Reception processing unit, 20b... Transmission processing unit, 20c... Decision unit, 21... Storage unit, 22... Display unit, 23... Operation unit, 24... Communication unit, 60H, 60M, 60L... Remote operation images, 61... Icon group, 61a... Icon of copy function, 62H, 62M, 62L... Background images, 62pH, 62pM, 62pL... Gradation patterns, 63... Home button, 64, 65, 66... Buttons, 67... Information bar, 68... Cursor, 1000... Device, 1001... Processor, 1002... Memory, 1003... Interface, N... Network, N1... Network.

Claims

1. A communication unit, A display unit for displaying an operation image, A transmission processing unit that transmits display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit to a terminal device via the communication unit, A reception processing unit that receives, from the terminal device via the communication unit, first information regarding a communication time required for communication by the terminal device to acquire the display information, Comprising: The transmission processing unit transmits, as the display information, image information based on image quality information regarding an image quality corresponding to the first information to the terminal device. An image forming apparatus.

2. The reception processing unit receives, as the first information, information including a request regarding the image quality information from the terminal device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The reception processing unit receives, as the first information, information including the communication time from the terminal device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The reception processing unit receives, as the first information, information including the image quality information determined based on the communication time from the terminal device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. When the communication time is longer than a predetermined time, the transmission processing unit transmits, to the terminal device, the image information having a lower image quality than when the communication time is less than or equal to the predetermined time. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The transmission processing unit transmits the display information as information to be displayed on a browser of the terminal device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The communication unit communicates with the terminal device via at least one information processing device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

8. An operation unit, A communication unit, A reception processing unit that receives, from the image forming apparatus via the communication unit, display information based on an operation image displayed on an image forming apparatus side display unit that is a display unit of the image forming apparatus, A display unit that displays a remote operation image based on the display information received by the reception processing unit, A storage unit that stores a communication time required for communication to acquire the display information from the image forming apparatus, A transmission processing unit that transmits first information regarding the communication time to the image forming apparatus via the communication unit, Comprising: The reception processing unit receives, as the display information, image information based on image quality information regarding an image quality corresponding to the first information from the image forming apparatus, The display unit displays the remote operation image based on the image information. A terminal device.

9. The transmission processing unit transmits, as the first information, information including a request regarding the image quality information to the image forming apparatus. The terminal device according to claim 8.

10. The transmission processing unit transmits, as the first information, information including the communication time to the image forming apparatus. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9.

11. It includes a determination unit that determines the image quality information based on the communication time. The transmission processing unit transmits, as the first information, information including the image quality information to the image forming apparatus. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9.

12. When the communication time is longer than a predetermined time, the reception processing unit receives, from the image forming apparatus, the image information with lower image quality compared to the case where it is less than or equal to the predetermined time. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9.

13. The reception processing unit receives the display information as information to be displayed on the browser of the terminal device. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9.

14. The communication unit communicates with the image forming apparatus via at least one information processing apparatus. The terminal device according to claim 8 or 9.

15. An image forming apparatus including a communication unit and a display unit that displays an operation image executes a transmission process of transmitting, via the communication unit, display information based on the operation image displayed on the display unit to a terminal device. The image forming apparatus executes a reception process of receiving, via the communication unit, from the terminal device, first information regarding the communication time required for the terminal device to communicate for acquiring the display information. The transmission process transmits, as the display information, image information based on image quality information regarding the image quality corresponding to the first information to the terminal device. Information transmission method.

Images