Information processing system, program, and control method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system, a program, and a control method capable of making use time of a user in a congested situation shorter than that in a non-congested state situation.SOLUTION: When processing requests from a plurality of users are detected, a first operation mode is shifted to a second operation mode in which the number of operation procedures required from authentication of a user to execution of the processing is smaller than that in the first operation mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, a program, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes an information processing device that, when a user is authenticated, presents the user's usage status and controls whether or not to present the user's usage status based on the number of processing requests made by people other than the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-034341 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing system, a program, and a control method that can shorten the user's usage time during peak hours compared to non-peak hours. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The information processing system of the first aspect includes a processor, and when the processor detects processing requests from multiple users, it transitions from a first operating mode to a second operating mode that requires fewer operational steps from user authentication to processing execution than the first operating mode.

[0006] In a second aspect of the information processing system, in the information processing system of the first aspect, the processor transitions to the second operation mode when the number of requested processes is equal to or greater than a set threshold.

[0007] An information processing system of a third aspect is the information processing system of the first aspect, wherein the processor transitions to the second operation mode when the number of authenticated user switches per set time period is equal to or greater than a set threshold.

[0008] In a fourth aspect of the information processing system, in the information processing system of the first aspect, the processor, in the second operating mode, sets the screen that is first displayed on the display unit after authenticating the user to be the operation screen for the processing requested by the user.

[0009] In a fifth aspect of the information processing system, in the information processing system of the first aspect, the processor displays, on the home screen in the second operating mode, controls that are set to be hidden in the first operating mode.

[0010] In a sixth aspect of the information processing system, in the fifth aspect of the information processing system, the processor, in the second operating mode, displays on the home screen, among the operators that are set to be hidden in the first operating mode, those operators whose frequency of use is equal to or greater than a set threshold.

[0011] In a seventh aspect of the information processing system, in the information processing system of the fifth aspect, the processor displays, on the home screen during the second operation mode, operators that have been set in advance by the user from among the operators that are set to be hidden in the first operation mode.

[0012] An information processing system of an eighth aspect is the information processing system of the first aspect, wherein when the processor performs a preview display of processing in the second operating mode, the preview display has a lighter processing load than the preview display in the first operating mode.

[0013] An information processing system of a ninth aspect is the information processing system of the eighth aspect, wherein when the processor displays a preview of processing in the second operating mode, the preview is displayed at a lower resolution than the preview displayed in the first operating mode.

[0014] In an information processing system of a tenth aspect, in the information processing system of the eighth aspect, when the processor performs a preview display of processing in the second operating mode, the preview display is performed using a layout display that displays only the layout of the display image.

[0015] The program of the eleventh aspect causes a computer to execute a step of transitioning from a first operating mode to a second operating mode, which requires fewer operational steps from user authentication to execution of processing than the first operating mode, when processing requests from multiple users are detected.

[0016] In the control method of the twelfth aspect, when processing requests from multiple users are detected, the control method transitions from a first operation mode to a second operation mode that requires fewer operational steps from user authentication to processing execution than the first operation mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the information processing system of the first aspect, the usage time of the user can be made shorter during busy times than during non-busy times.

[0018] According to the information processing system of the second aspect, it is possible to transition to the second operation mode depending on the number of requested processes.

[0019] According to the information processing system of the third aspect, it is possible to transition to the second operation mode in accordance with the number of times the authenticated user is switched per set time period.

[0020] According to the information processing system of the fourth aspect, it is possible to allow the user to perform processing operations immediately after authentication.

[0021] According to the information processing system of the fifth aspect, during busy times, it is possible to operate controls that are set to be hidden during non-busy times more efficiently than during non-busy times.

[0022] According to the information processing system of the sixth aspect, during busy times, it is possible to operate the controls whose frequency of use is equal to or greater than the threshold value more efficiently than during non-busy times.

[0023] According to the information processing system of the seventh aspect, during busy times, operations on the operating elements set in advance by the user can be performed more efficiently than during non-busy times.

[0024] According to the information processing system of the eighth aspect, the time required for preview display can be made shorter during busy times than during non-busy times.

[0025] According to the information processing system of the ninth aspect, the processing load of the preview display can be reduced by lowering the resolution.

[0026] According to the information processing system of the tenth aspect, the processing load of the preview display can be reduced by the layout display.

[0027] According to the program of the eleventh aspect, the user's usage time can be made shorter during peak hours than during non-peak hours.

[0028] According to the control method of the twelfth aspect, the usage time of the user can be made shorter during busy times than during non-busy times. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a screen transition in a normal mode. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining screen transitions in a crowded mode. [Figure 6]10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining screen transitions in normal mode. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining screen transitions in a crowded mode. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a preview screen in a normal mode. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a preview screen in a crowded mode. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow when a job is executed in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow when a preview is displayed in the image forming apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an image forming system according to the present embodiment;

[0031] 1, the image forming system of this embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 10, a plurality of user terminals 20, an authentication server 30, and a print server 31. The image forming apparatus 10, the plurality of user terminals 20, the authentication server 30, and the print server 31 are interconnected by a network 40 such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0032] The image forming apparatus 10 is a so-called multifunction device that has multiple functions such as a copy function, a print function, a fax function, and a scan function. The image forming apparatus 10 is an example of an information processing system in the technology of the present disclosure.

[0033] The user terminal 20 is a terminal for using the functions of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0034] The authentication server 30 is a server for authenticating users who use the image forming apparatus 10.

[0035] The print server 31 is a server for storing and managing print jobs for the image forming apparatus 10 transmitted from a plurality of user terminals 20.

[0036] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of image forming apparatus 10. As shown in Fig. 2, image forming apparatus 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, a storage device 13 such as a hard disk drive, a communication interface (abbreviated as IF) 14, a user interface (abbreviated as UI) device 15, a scanner 16, and a print engine 17. These components are connected to one another via a control bus 18.

[0037] The CPU 11 is a processor that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 by executing predetermined processes based on a program stored in the RAM 12 or the storage device 13. While the present embodiment has been described as the CPU 11 reading and executing a program stored in the RAM 12 or the storage device 13, this is not limiting. The program may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. For example, the program may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disc such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or in a semiconductor memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a memory card. The program may also be acquired from an external device via a communication line connected to the communication IF 14.

[0038] The communication IF 14 transmits and receives data to and from external devices via the network 40. The UI device 15 has a touch panel and physical buttons with predetermined functions set thereon, and receives instruction inputs from the user. The scanner 16 reads an original document loaded in the image forming apparatus 10 as image data. The print engine 17 prints an image on a recording medium such as printing paper through processes such as charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing.

[0039] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a control unit 51, an operation input unit 52, a display unit 53, a data transmission / reception unit 54, an authentication unit 55, a storage unit 56, an image reading unit 57, and an image output unit 58.

[0040] The control unit 51 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10, and controls the reading of the document image by the image reading unit 57 and the output of print data from the image output unit 58 based on instructions input from the user.

[0041] The operation input unit 52 inputs information on various operations performed by the user. The display unit 53 is controlled by the control unit 51 and displays various information to the user. The data transmission / reception unit 54 transmits and receives data to and from external devices such as the user terminal 20. The authentication unit 55 performs authentication processing for a user who attempts to use the image forming apparatus 10.

[0042] The storage unit 56 stores various data such as programs for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 10. The image reading unit 57 reads an original image from a loaded original under the control of the control unit 51. The image output unit 58 outputs an image onto a recording medium such as printing paper under the control of the control unit 51.

[0043] The image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment is shared by multiple users. Each user requests a job from their respective user terminal 20, and when it is their turn, they move to the front of the image forming apparatus 10, perform an authentication operation, and execute the requested job. Therefore, if the image forming apparatus 10 is congested due to a concentration of job requests from multiple users, the user currently using the image forming apparatus 10 may feel a psychological burden.

[0044] To solve such problems, the control unit 51 of the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment detects job requests from multiple users, and when it detects that congestion is occurring, it transitions from normal mode to congestion mode, which requires fewer operational steps from user authentication to job execution than normal mode.

[0045] The normal mode is an example of a first operation mode in the technology of the present disclosure, and the congestion mode is an example of a second operation mode in the technology of the present disclosure.

[0046] Regarding the detection of congestion, the control unit 51 may determine that congestion has occurred and transition to congestion mode if the number of requested jobs is equal to or greater than a set threshold, if the number of authenticated user switches per set time period is equal to or greater than a set threshold, or if the number of requested jobs per set time period is equal to or greater than a set threshold.

[0047] In the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 51 may be configured to change the screen that is first displayed on the display unit 53 after authenticating the user in the congestion mode to the operation screen for the job requested by the user.

[0048] To explain a specific example, in normal mode, the control unit 51 displays a home screen as the screen that is first displayed on the display unit 53 after authentication on the authentication screen, as shown in Fig. 4. In the technology disclosed herein, the home screen is a basic screen that is displayed normally, and allows various settings and the selection of various jobs.

[0049] The home screen displays, for example, job icons for selecting various jobs, a job information display icon for displaying information about jobs currently being requested, etc. The icons are an example of controls in the technology of the present disclosure.

[0050] In normal mode, when a user wants to execute printing, the user first touches the job information display icon on the home screen to display a user list screen that displays a list of users who are currently requesting jobs.

[0051] Next, the user touches his / her own user name on the user list screen to display a user job list screen that displays a list of jobs currently being requested by the authenticated user.

[0052] Next, the user touches the document that the user wants to print on the user job list screen to display a print execution screen.

[0053] Finally, the user touches the print icon on the print execution screen, which displays the print acceptance screen and executes printing of the selected document.

[0054] In this way, in the normal mode, after the user is authenticated, he or she must go through three screens before the print execution screen is displayed.

[0055] In contrast, in the congestion mode, the control unit 51 displays a user job list screen, which displays a list of jobs currently being requested by the authenticated user, as the first screen to be displayed on the display unit 53 after authentication on the authentication screen, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0056] The user touches the document that the user wants to print on the user job list screen to display the print execution screen.

[0057] Next, the user touches the print icon on the print execution screen, whereupon a print acceptance screen is displayed and printing of the selected document is executed.

[0058] In this way, in the crowded mode, the user only needs to go through one screen from the time of authentication until the time the print execution screen is displayed.

[0059] If the authenticated user has only one job currently being requested, the print execution screen may be displayed directly on the display unit 53 as the first screen displayed after authentication, instead of the user job list screen.

[0060] In addition, in order to simplify the display on the home screen, unnecessary icons can be hidden, but the control unit 51 may also display icons on the home screen in crowded mode that are set to be hidden in normal mode.

[0061] In this case, the control unit 51 may display, in the crowded mode, on the home screen, icons that are set to be hidden in the normal mode and whose frequency of use is equal to or exceeds a set threshold value.

[0062] Furthermore, in the crowded mode, the control unit 51 may display, on the home screen, icons that are set to be hidden in the normal mode and that have been set in advance by the user.

[0063] To give a specific example, in normal mode, the control unit 51 displays only the copy icon on the home screen as shown in FIG. 6. However, when the user wants to send an email, the user first inputs an instruction to add an icon on the home screen, causing the icon list screen to be displayed.

[0064] Next, the user touches the email sending icon on the icon list screen as an icon that the user wants to add, and inputs a confirmation instruction on the home screen, whereby the email sending icon is added to the home screen.

[0065] Finally, the user touches the email sending icon on the home screen, which displays an email sending screen for executing email sending.

[0066] On the other hand, in the congestion mode, the control unit 51 displays the print icon, fax icon, and email send icon, which have been set to be hidden, in addition to the copy icon on the home screen, as shown in FIG.

[0067] This allows the user to immediately touch the mail sending icon even when the user wants to send a mail, the icon of which is set to be hidden in the normal mode.

[0068] Furthermore, when displaying a preview of a job in the busy mode, the control unit 51 may perform a simple preview display that imposes a lighter processing load than the standard preview display in the normal mode.

[0069] In this case, when displaying a simple preview of a job in the busy mode, the control unit 51 may display a simple preview with a lower resolution than the standard preview display in the normal mode.

[0070] Furthermore, when the control unit 51 performs a preview display of a job in the congestion mode, the preview display may be performed using a layout display that displays only the layout of the display image.

[0071] The layout display is a display mode that displays only the type of text, drawing, etc. and its display area. Specifically, in normal mode, when a preview display of a document in which drawings and text are mixed is performed as shown in Fig. 8, in crowded mode, only the type of text, drawing, etc. and its display area are displayed as shown in Fig. 9.

[0072] Next, the flow of processing when a job is executed in the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0073] First, when a user requests printing in step SA01, the print server 31 stores the print job in step SC01.

[0074] Next, when the user performs an authentication operation from the image forming apparatus 10 in step SA02, the image forming apparatus 10 requests authentication of the user from the authentication server 30 in step SB01, and the authentication server 30 authenticates the user in step SD01.

[0075] Next, in step SB02, the image forming device 10 requests the print server 31 to send all of the user's print jobs stored therein, and the print server 31 then sends all of the stored print jobs to the image forming device 10 in step SC02.

[0076] Next, in step SB03, the image forming apparatus 10 determines whether the number of received print jobs exceeds a threshold value.

[0077] If it is determined in step SB03 that the number of print jobs does not exceed the threshold, image forming apparatus 10 determines in step SB07 that the situation is not congested and displays the home screen.

[0078] If it is determined in step SB03 that the number of print jobs exceeds the threshold, the image forming apparatus 10 determines in step SB04 that the apparatus is congested and changes from the normal mode to the congested mode.

[0079] Next, in step SB05, the image forming apparatus 10 determines whether or not there is a print job for the authenticated user.

[0080] If it is determined in step SB05 that there is a print job for the authenticated user, image forming apparatus 10 displays a user job list screen in step SB06.

[0081] If it is determined in step SB05 that there is no print job for the authenticated user, the image forming apparatus 10 displays the home screen in step SB07.

[0082] Next, the flow of processing during preview display in the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0083] First, when the user instructs preview display in step SA11, the image forming apparatus 10 determines in step SB11 whether or not it is in the congestion mode.

[0084] If it is determined in step SB11 that the mode is the congestion mode, the image forming apparatus 10 performs a simple preview display in step SB12.

[0085] If it is determined in step SB11 that the image forming apparatus 10 is not in the congestion mode, the image forming apparatus 10 performs standard preview display in step SB13.

[0086] [Variations] An image forming system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

[0087] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0088] Furthermore, the operations of the processor in each of the above embodiments may be performed not only by a single processor but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0089] In addition, in the above embodiment, the technology of the present disclosure is described as being applied to an image forming device that is a multifunction device, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can also be applied to various information processing systems, such as a scanner or a printer.

[0090] [Note] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiment.

[0091] (((1))) a processor; The processor: When processing requests from multiple users are detected, the first operation mode is switched to a second operation mode in which the number of operation steps required from user authentication to execution of processing is reduced compared to the first operation mode. Information processing system.

[0092] (((2))) The processor: If the number of requested processes is equal to or greater than a set threshold, the system transitions to the second operation mode. The information processing system according to (((1))).

[0093] (((3))) The processor: If the number of authenticated user switches per set time period is equal to or greater than a set threshold, the system transitions to the second operation mode. The information processing system according to (((1))).

[0094] (((4))) The processor: In the second operation mode, the screen that is first displayed on the display unit after the user is authenticated is set to an operation screen for the process requested by the user. 1. An information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to (((3))).

[0095] (((5))) The processor: In the second operation mode, the control that is set to be hidden in the first operation mode is displayed on the home screen. 1. An information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to (((3))).

[0096] (((6))) The processor: In the second operation mode, among the operators that are set to be hidden in the first operation mode, operators that are used more frequently than a set threshold are displayed on the home screen. The information processing system according to (((5))).

[0097] (((7))) The processor: In the second operation mode, among the operators that are set to be hidden in the first operation mode, operators that are set in advance by the user are displayed on the home screen. The information processing system according to (((5))).

[0098] (((8))) The processor: When a preview display of processing is performed in the second operation mode, a preview display with a lighter processing load than a preview display in the first operation mode is performed. 1. An information processing system according to any one of ((1))) to (((7))).

[0099] (((9))) The processor: When a preview display of processing is performed in the second operation mode, the preview display is performed at a lower resolution than the preview display in the first operation mode. The information processing system according to (((8))).

[0100] (((10))) The processor: When a preview display of processing is performed in the second operation mode, the preview display is performed in a layout display that displays only the layout of the display image. The information processing system according to (((8))).

[0101] (((11))) a step of transitioning from a first operation mode to a second operation mode in which, when processing requests from a plurality of users are detected, the operation mode requires fewer operational steps from user authentication to execution of processing than the first operation mode; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

[0102] (((12))) When processing requests from multiple users are detected, the first operation mode is switched to a second operation mode in which the number of operation steps required from user authentication to execution of processing is reduced compared to the first operation mode. Control method.

[0103] The effects of the configuration described above will be described below.

[0104] According to the information processing system (((1))), the user's usage time can be made shorter during peak hours than during non-peak hours.

[0105] According to the information processing system (((2))), it is possible to transition to the second operation mode depending on the number of requested processes.

[0106] According to the information processing system of (((3))), it is possible to transition to the second operation mode in accordance with the number of times the authenticated user is switched per set time period.

[0107] According to the information processing system (((4))), processing operations can be performed immediately after authentication.

[0108] According to the information processing system (((5))), during busy times, it is possible to operate controls that are set to be hidden during non-busy times more efficiently than during non-busy times.

[0109] According to the information processing system (((6))), during busy times, it is possible to operate the controls whose frequency of use is equal to or greater than the threshold value more efficiently than during non-busy times.

[0110] According to the information processing system (((7))), during busy times, operations on the controls preset by the user can be performed more efficiently than during non-busy times.

[0111] According to the information processing system (((8))), the time required for preview display can be made shorter during busy times than during non-busy times.

[0112] According to the information processing system (((9))), the processing load of the preview display can be reduced by lowering the resolution.

[0113] According to the information processing system of (((10))), the processing load of the preview display can be reduced by using the layout display.

[0114] According to the program (((11))), the user's usage time can be shortened during peak hours compared to non-peak hours.

[0115] According to the control method (((12))), the usage time of the user can be made shorter during busy times than during non-busy times. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 10 Image forming device 11 CPU 12 RAM 13 Storage device 14 Communication Interface 15 User Interface Device 16 Scanner 17 Print Engine 18 Control Bus 20 User terminal 30 Authentication Server 31 Print Server 40 Network 51 Control section 52 Operation input section 53 Display section 54 Data transmission / reception unit 55 Authentication Department 56 Memory section 57 Image reading unit 58 Image output unit

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: When processing requests from multiple users are detected, the first operation mode is switched to a second operation mode in which fewer operation procedures are required from user authentication to execution of processing than in the first operation mode. Information processing system.

2. The processor: If the number of requested processes is equal to or greater than a set threshold, the system transitions to the second operation mode. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. The processor: If the number of authenticated user switches per set time period is equal to or greater than a set threshold, the system transitions to the second operation mode. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

4. The processor: In the second operation mode, the screen that is first displayed on the display unit after the user is authenticated is set to an operation screen for the process requested by the user. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

5. The processor: In the second operation mode, an operator that is set to be hidden in the first operation mode is displayed on the home screen. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

6. The processor: In the second operation mode, among the operators that are set to be hidden in the first operation mode, operators that are used more frequently than a set threshold are displayed on the home screen. The information processing system according to claim 5 .

7. The processor: In the second operation mode, among the operators that are set to be hidden in the first operation mode, operators that are set in advance by the user are displayed on the home screen. The information processing system according to claim 5 .

8. The processor: When a preview display of processing is performed in the second operation mode, a preview display with a lighter processing load than a preview display in the first operation mode is performed. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

9. The processor: When a preview display of processing is performed in the second operation mode, the preview display is performed at a lower resolution than the preview display in the first operation mode. The information processing system according to claim 8 .

10. The processor: When a preview display of processing is performed in the second operation mode, the preview display is performed in a layout display that displays only the layout of the display image. The information processing system according to claim 8 .

11. a step of transitioning from a first operation mode to a second operation mode in which fewer operation procedures are required from user authentication to execution of the process than in the first operation mode when processing requests from a plurality of users are detected; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

12. When processing requests from multiple users are detected, the first operation mode is switched to a second operation mode in which fewer operation procedures are required from user authentication to execution of processing than in the first operation mode. Control method.

Images