Electronic apparatus, system and setting program

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus capable of facilitating setting of a value to a setting item by changing an operation of a setting item button, a system and a setting program.SOLUTION: In a case where a setting item button is operated, when the number of values to target setting items of the setting item button is 2 in which a visible state indicating a state of whether or not a value can be visually recognized as an option by a user is Visible indicating a state where the value can be visually recognized as an option by the user, an image processing device determines a toggle type which immediately switches a value to be set to a setting item without displaying options on a screen as an operation of the setting item button. When the number of values to the target setting items of the setting item button is 3 or more in which the visible state is Visible, the image processing device determines a radio type which displays options on the screen as an operation of the setting item button.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a system, and a setting program for setting values ​​for setting items. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for facilitating the setting of values ​​for various setting items for a job (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-309618 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-059774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional techniques do not facilitate setting values ​​for setting items by changing the operation of the setting item buttons, i.e., the setting item buttons, used to set values ​​for the setting items.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device, a system, and a setting program that can simplify the setting of values ​​for setting items by changing the operation of setting item buttons. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electronic device of the present invention comprises a value state management unit that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for a setting item of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines the operation of the button when a button for the setting item is operated; and a screen control unit that controls the screen of the electronic device, wherein the value states include a visibility state that indicates whether the value can be seen by a user as an option, and the visibility state includes Visible, which indicates a state in which the value can be seen by the user as the option, and the button operations include a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and wherein the button operation determination unit, when the button is operated and the visibility state is Visible, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

[0007] With this configuration, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, the electronic device of the present invention determines that the visibility state, which indicates whether a value is visible to the user as an option, is Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is visible to the user as an option, and when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, the electronic device determines that the operation of the setting item button is a toggle type that immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen, and when the visibility state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 3 or more, the electronic device determines that the operation of the setting item button is a radio type that displays options on the screen, so that when a setting item button is operated and the visibility state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type makes it easier to set a value for a setting item.

[0008] The electronic device of the present invention includes an extension function management unit that manages extension functions for the electronic device, and the value state management unit may set the visible state of a specific value to Visible when a specific extension function is assigned to the electronic device.

[0009] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the visible state of a specific value to Visible when a specific extended function is granted to the electronic device, so that the operation of the setting item button can be changed depending on whether or not a specific extended function is granted to the electronic device.

[0010] The electronic device of the present invention is provided with an extension function management unit that manages extension functions for the electronic device for each user, and the value state management unit may set the visibility state of a specific value to Visible when a specific extension function is granted to the user who is logged in to the electronic device.

[0011] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the visibility state of a specific value to Visible when a specific extended function is granted to a user who is logged in to the electronic device, so that the operation of the setting item button can be changed depending on whether a specific extended function is granted to a user who is logged in to the electronic device.

[0012] In the electronic device of the present invention, the state of the value includes a selection-related state indicating a state related to the selection of the value, and the selection-related state includes Disabled indicating a state in which the value cannot be selected, and when the button is operated and the screen control unit determines the radio type as the operation of the button, the screen control unit may display on the screen the option corresponding to the value for the setting item targeted by the button, for which the selection-related state is Disabled, in a state in which it cannot be selected.

[0013] With this configuration, when the electronic device of the present invention determines that the radio type is the operation of a setting item button when the setting item button is operated, it displays on the screen the options corresponding to the value of the setting item targeted by the setting item button whose selection-related state is Disabled in a state where they cannot be selected, thereby allowing the user to recognize values ​​that exist as options but are currently unable to be selected for some reason.

[0014] The electronic device of the present invention is provided with a prohibition management unit that manages prohibitions related to the values, and the prohibitions correspond to conditions under which selection of the value is prohibited and the value that is prohibited from being selected, and the condition is that a specific value is set for a specific setting item other than the setting item that is the target of the value that is associated with the condition in the prohibition, and the value state management unit may set the selection-related state of the value to Disabled in accordance with the prohibition.

[0015] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the value selection related state to Disabled in accordance with the prohibition, so that options corresponding to specific values ​​in accordance with the prohibition can be displayed on the screen in a state where they cannot be selected.

[0016] In the electronic device of the present invention, the visible state includes Not-Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is not visible to the user as an option, and the value state management unit may set the visible state of a specific value to Not-Visible when the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group.

[0017] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the visibility state of a specific value to Not-Visible when the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group, thereby making it possible to change the operation of the setting item button depending on whether the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group.

[0018] The electronic device of the present invention comprises a value state management unit that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for a setting item of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines the operation of the button when a button for the setting item is operated; and a screen control unit that controls the screen of the electronic device, wherein the value states include a selection-related state that indicates a state related to the selection of the value, and the selection-related state includes Active, which indicates a state in which the value can be selected and the value is selected, and Not-Active, which indicates a state in which the value can be selected and the value is not selected, and the operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and wherein the button operation determination unit, when the button is operated and the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

[0019] With this configuration, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, the electronic device of the present invention determines that the operation of the setting item button will be toggle type, which immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen, when the selection-related state, which indicates a state related to the selection of a value, is either Active, which indicates a state in which a value can be selected and a value has been selected, or Not-Active, which indicates a state in which a value can be selected but a value has not been selected, and when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two, and when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is three or more, the electronic device determines that the operation of the setting item button will be radio type, which displays options on the screen.Therefore, when a setting item button is operated and the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two, changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type makes it easier to set a value for a setting item.

[0020] The electronic device of the present invention includes an extension function management unit that manages extension functions for the electronic device, and the value state management unit may set the selection-related state of the specific value to Not-Active when a specific extension function is assigned to the electronic device.

[0021] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the selection-related state of a specific value to Not-Active when a specific extended function is granted to the electronic device, so that the operation of the setting item button can be changed depending on whether or not a specific extended function is granted to the electronic device.

[0022] The electronic device of the present invention includes an extension function management unit that manages extension functions for the electronic device for each user of the electronic device, and the value state management unit may set the selection-related state of the specific value to Not-Active when a specific extension function is granted to the user who is logged in to the electronic device.

[0023] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the selection-related state of a specific value to Not-Active when a specific extended function is granted to a user who is logged in to the electronic device, so that the operation of the setting item button can be changed depending on whether a specific extended function is granted to a user who is logged in to the electronic device.

[0024] The electronic device of the present invention is provided with a prohibition management unit that manages prohibitions related to the value, and the selection-related state includes Disabled, which indicates a state in which the value cannot be selected, and the prohibition corresponds to a condition under which selection of the value is prohibited and the value that is prohibited from being selected, and the condition is that a specific value is set for a specific setting item other than the setting item that is the target of the value that is associated with the condition in the prohibition, and the value state management unit may set the selection-related state of the value to Disabled in accordance with the prohibition.

[0025] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the value selection related state to Disabled in accordance with the prohibition, and therefore can change the operation of the setting item button in accordance with the prohibition.

[0026] In the electronic device of the present invention, the value state management unit may set the selection-related state of the specific value to be neither Active nor Not-Active when the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group.

[0027] With this configuration, the electronic device of the present invention sets the selection-related state of a specific value to neither Active nor Not-Active when the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group, thereby making it possible to change the operation of the setting item button depending on whether the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group.

[0028] The system of the present invention comprises a value state management unit that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for a setting item of an electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines the operation of the button when a button for the setting item is operated; and a screen control unit that controls the screen of the electronic device, wherein the value states include a visibility state that indicates whether the value can be seen by a user as an option, and the visibility state includes Visible, which indicates a state in which the value can be seen by the user as the option, and the button operations include a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and wherein the button operation determination unit, when the button is operated and the visibility state is Visible, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

[0029] With this configuration, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, the system of the present invention determines that the visibility state, which indicates whether the value is visible to the user as an option, is Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is visible to the user as an option, and when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, the system determines that the operation of the setting item button is a toggle type that immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen, and when the visibility state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 3 or more, the system determines that the operation of the setting item button is a radio type that displays options on the screen, so that when a setting item button is operated and the visibility state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type makes it easier to set a value for a setting item.

[0030] The system of the present invention comprises a value state management unit that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for a setting item of an electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines the operation of the button when a button for the setting item is operated; and a screen control unit that controls the screen of the electronic device, wherein the value states include a selection-related state that indicates a state related to the selection of the value, and the selection-related state includes Active, which indicates a state in which the value can be selected and the value is selected, and Not-Active, which indicates a state in which the value can be selected and the value is not selected, and the button operations include a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and wherein the button operation determination unit, when the button is operated and the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

[0031] With this configuration, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, the system of the present invention determines that the operation of the setting item button will be toggle type, which immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen, if the selection-related state, which indicates a state related to the selection of a value, is either Active, which indicates a state in which a value can be selected and a value has been selected, or Not-Active, which indicates a state in which a value can be selected but a value has not been selected, and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two; and when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is three or more, the system determines that the operation of the setting item button will be radio type, which displays options on the screen.Therefore, when a setting item button is operated and the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two, changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type makes it easier to set a value for a setting item.

[0032] The setting program of the present invention realizes in the electronic device a value state management unit that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for a setting item of the electronic device, a button operation determination unit that determines the operation of the button when a button for the setting item is operated, and a screen control unit that controls the screen of the electronic device, wherein the value states include a visibility state that indicates whether the value can be viewed by the user as an option, and the visibility state includes Visible that indicates a state where the value can be viewed by the user as the option, and the button operations include a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and wherein the button operation determination unit, when the button is operated and the visibility state is Visible, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

[0033] With this configuration, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, an electronic device that executes the setting program of the present invention determines the operation of the setting item button to be a toggle type that immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen when the visible state, which indicates whether the value is visible to the user as an option, is Visible, which indicates a state where the value is visible to the user as an option, and when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, and the visible state is Visible, the electronic device determines the operation of the setting item button to be a radio type that displays options on the screen when the visible state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 3 or more, thereby making it easier to set a value for a setting item by changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type.

[0034] The setting program of the present invention realizes in the electronic device a value state management unit that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for a setting item of the electronic device, a button operation determination unit that determines the operation of the button when a button for the setting item is operated, and a screen control unit that controls the screen of the electronic device, wherein the value states include selection-related states that indicate states related to the selection of the value, and the selection-related states include Active, which indicates a state in which the value can be selected and the value is selected, and Not-Active, which indicates a state in which the value can be selected and the value is not selected, and the button operations include a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and wherein the button operation determination unit, when the button is operated and the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

[0035] With this configuration, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, an electronic device that executes the setting program of the present invention determines the operation of the setting item button to be toggle type, which immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen, if the selection-related state, which indicates a state related to the selection of a value, is either Active, which indicates a state in which a value can be selected and a value has been selected, or Not-Active, which indicates a state in which a value can be selected but a value has not been selected, and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two; and when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is three or more, the electronic device determines the operation of the setting item button to be radio type, which displays options on the screen.Therefore, when a setting item button is operated and the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two, changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type makes it easier to set a value for a setting item. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] The electronic device, system, and setting program of the present invention can facilitate setting values ​​for setting items by changing the operation of setting item buttons. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an image processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention when configured as an MFP. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of default state information shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of value state information shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing an example of extended function provision information shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a diagram showing an example of extended function value correspondence information shown in FIG. 1; FIG. [Figure 6]2 is a diagram showing an example of prohibition information shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the image processing device shown in FIG. 1 when a setting screen is displayed. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for a scanned image cloud upload job displayed in the operation shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the image processing device illustrated in FIG. 1 when a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of the "toggle type" shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of the "radio type" shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen in which the value displayed in the value display area of ​​the scan direction button has been changed in the operations shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen for the setting item "scanning direction" displayed during the operations shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. [Figure 14] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen for the setting item "file format" displayed during the operations shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. [Figure 15] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen in which the value displayed in the value display area of ​​the file format button has been changed through the operations shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. [Figure 16] 1 when a value for a setting item is changed. FIG. [Figure 17] 17 is a flowchart of the non-selectable value identification process shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] 10 is a sequence diagram of an example, different from the example shown in FIG. 9, of the operation of the image processing device when a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an image processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention when configured as an MFP. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of extended function provision information shown in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of user management information shown in FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of group management information shown in FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the image processing device shown in FIG. 19 when a setting screen is displayed. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0039] (First embodiment) First, the configuration of an image processing device as an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0040] The image processing device according to this embodiment may be configured, for example, by an image forming device such as a dedicated printer or an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), or by an image reading device such as a dedicated scanner or an MFP.

[0041] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing device 10 configured as an MFP.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the image processing device 10 is a computer that includes an operation unit 11, which is an operation device such as a button through which various operations are input; a display unit 12, which is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays various information; a printer 13, which is a printing device that prints images on a recording medium such as paper; a scanner 14, which is a reading device that reads images from a document; a communication unit 15, which is a communication device that communicates with an external device via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, or directly via a wired or wireless connection without using a network; a fax communication unit 16, which is a fax device that communicates with an external facsimile machine (not shown) via a communication line such as a public telephone line; a memory unit 17, which is a non-volatile memory device such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various information; and a control unit 18 that controls the entire image processing device 10.

[0043] The storage unit 17 stores a setting program 17a for setting values ​​for setting items of the image processing device 10. The setting program 17a may be installed in the image processing device 10 during the manufacturing stage of the image processing device 10, or may be additionally installed in the image processing device 10 from an external storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or may be additionally installed in the image processing device 10 from a network.

[0044] The storage unit 17 can store default state information 17b that indicates the default states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for various setting items of the image processing device .

[0045] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the default state information 17b.

[0046] The default state information 17b shown in Fig. 2 indicates, for each value, a job, a setting item for the job, a value, a visibility state indicating whether the value is visible to the user as an option for the setting item, and a selection-related state indicating a state related to the selection of the value. Some values ​​are omitted from the default state information 17b shown in Fig. 2.

[0047] An example of a job in the default state information 17b is a job for uploading a scanned image to the cloud (hereinafter referred to as a "scanned image cloud upload job").

[0048] For example, if the job is a scanned image cloud upload job, the setting items in the default state information 17b include "color mode," which indicates the color mode of the scanned image, "resolution," which indicates the scan resolution, "scan side," which indicates whether one side or both sides of the document are to be scanned, "scan orientation," which indicates the orientation of the document set relative to the scanner, and "file format," which indicates the file format of the scanned image.

[0049] For example, if the job is a scanned image cloud upload job and the setting item is "color mode," the values ​​in default status information 17b include "auto color," which indicates that whether the scanned image is a color image or a black and white image is automatically determined based on the color of the pixels in the scanned image, "color," which indicates that the scanned image is a color image, and "black and white," which indicates that the scanned image is a black and white image. For example, if the job is a scanned image cloud upload job and the setting item is "scan orientation," the values ​​in default status information 17b include "top side up," which indicates that the document is set with the top side facing up relative to the scanner, "top side left," which indicates that the document is set with the top side facing left relative to the scanner, and "auto," which indicates that the orientation of the document set relative to the scanner is automatically determined by detecting the orientation of the characters in the scanned image. For example, when the job is a scanned image cloud upload job and the setting item is "file format," the values ​​in the default state information 17b include "PDF" indicating the PDF (Portable Document Format) format, "PDF (OCR)" indicating the PDF format with the results of OCR (Optical Character Recognition) applied to the scanned image, "TIFF" indicating the TIFF (Tag Image File Format) format, and "JPEG" indicating the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format.

[0050] The visibility states in the default state information 17b include "Visible," which indicates a state in which the value can be seen by the user as an option for the setting item, and "Not-Visible," which indicates a state in which the value cannot be seen by the user as an option for the setting item.

[0051] The selection-related states in the default state information 17b include "Active," which indicates a state in which a value can be selected and is selected; "Not-Active," which indicates a state in which a value can be selected but is not selected; and "Disabled," which indicates a state in which a value cannot be selected.

[0052] For each of the multiple setting items, there is one value whose selection-related state is Active. Values ​​whose selection-related state is Active, Not-Active, or Disabled have a visible state of Visible. Values ​​whose visibility state is Not-Visible have a selection-related state that is neither Active, Not-Active, nor Disabled.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage unit 17 can store value state information 17c that indicates the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for various setting items of the image processing device 10.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the value state information 17c.

[0055] The value state information 17c shown in Fig. 3 indicates the setting item, value, visibility state, and selection-related state for each value. Some values ​​are omitted from the value state information 17c shown in Fig. 3.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage unit 17 can store extended function provision information 17d that indicates extended functions provided to the image processing device .

[0057] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the extended function provision information 17d.

[0058] The extended function grant information 17d shown in Fig. 4 shows a list of extended functions granted to the image processing device 10. For example, the extended function grant information 17d shown in Fig. 4 shows that the "Scan Extension Kit", an extended function option for scanning, has been granted to the image processing device 10. Some values ​​are omitted from the extended function grant information 17d shown in Fig. 4.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage unit 17 can store extended function value correspondence information 17e that indicates the correspondence between extended functions for the image processing device 10 and values ​​for various setting items of the image processing device 10.

[0060] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the extended function value correspondence information 17e.

[0061] The extended function value correspondence information 17e shown in Fig. 5 indicates, for each extended function, the extended function for the image processing device 10 and the value that can be set for the setting item when the extended function is provided to the image processing device 10. For example, the extended function value correspondence information 17e shown in Fig. 5 indicates "automatic" for the setting item "scan orientation" of the scanned image cloud upload job and "PDF (OCR)" for the setting item "file format" of the scanned image cloud upload job as values ​​that can be set when the "Scan Extension Kit," an extended scan function option, is provided to the image processing device 10. Some values ​​are omitted from the extended function value correspondence information 17e shown in Fig. 5.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage unit 17 can store prohibition information 17f that indicates prohibitions regarding values ​​for various setting items of the image processing device 10.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the prohibition information 17f.

[0064] The prohibition information 17f shown in FIG. 6 indicates, for each prohibition condition, the conditions under which the selection of a specific value is prohibited (hereinafter referred to as "prohibition conditions") and the value that is prohibited from being selected. A prohibition condition is, for example, a condition in which a specific value is set for a specific setting item other than the setting item for which the selection of the value is prohibited. For example, the prohibition information 17f shown in FIG. 6 indicates that when "black and white" is set for the setting item "color mode" of a scanned image cloud upload job, "JPEG" is prohibited from being selected for the setting item "file format" of a scanned image cloud upload job. This is because JPEG format images cannot be expressed using only black and white, and always contain gray. Some values ​​are omitted from the prohibition information 17f shown in FIG. 6.

[0065] 1 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs and various data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as a memory used as a work area for the CPU of control unit 18. The CPU of control unit 18 executes programs stored in storage unit 17 or the ROM of control unit 18.

[0066] By executing the setting program 17a, the control unit 18 realizes a screen control unit 18a that controls the screen displayed on the display unit 12 of the image processing device 10, a button operation determination unit 18b that determines the operation of a setting item button (hereinafter referred to as a "setting item button") when the button for the setting item is operated, a prohibition management unit 18c that manages prohibitions regarding values ​​for the setting item, an extension function management unit 18d that manages extension functions for the image processing device 10, and a value state management unit 18e that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for the setting item.

[0067] Next, the operation of the image processing device 10 will be described.

[0068] First, the operation of the image processing device 10 when the added extended function is changed will be described.

[0069] For example, the user can purchase a "Scan Extension Kit" for the image processing device 10, thereby providing the image processing device 10 with the "Scan Extension Kit."

[0070] The extended function management unit 18d updates the extended function grant information 17d when there is a change in the extended function granted to the image processing device 10. For example, when a "Scan Extension Kit" is granted to the image processing device 10, the extended function management unit 18d adds "Scan Extension Kit" to the extended function grant information 17d.

[0071] Next, the operation of the image processing device 10 when displaying the setting screen will be described.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the image processing device 10 when displaying the setting screen.

[0073] A user can instruct the image processing device 10 to display a setting screen for a specific job of the image processing device 10 via the operation unit 11. In the following, an example will be described in which the user instructs the image processing device 10 to display a setting screen for a scanned image cloud upload job.

[0074] When the screen control unit 18a is instructed to display the setting screen for the scanned image cloud upload job, it requests the value state management unit 18e to provide values ​​whose selection related states are Active for each of the setting items of the scanned image cloud upload job, as shown in FIG. 7 (S101).

[0075] Upon receiving the request in S101, the value state management unit 18e generates value state information 17c for the scanned image cloud upload job by duplicating information related to the scanned image cloud upload job in the default state information 17b (S102).

[0076] When the process of S102 is completed, the value state management unit 18e requests the extended function management unit 18d to provide values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the scanned image cloud upload job (S103).

[0077] When the extension function management unit 18d receives the request in S103, it identifies values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the scanned image cloud upload job from among the values ​​associated in the extension function value correspondence information 17e with the extension functions associated in the extension function grant information 17d for the image processing device 10 (S104).

[0078] When the process of S104 is completed, the extended function management unit 18d notifies the value state management unit 18e of the value identified in S104 (S105).

[0079] Upon receiving the notification in S105, the value state management unit 18e updates the value state information 17c so as to set the visibility state and selection-related state of the value notified in S105 to Visible and Not-Active, respectively (S106).

[0080] When the process of S106 ends, the value state management unit 18e notifies the screen control unit 18a of the values ​​whose selection-related states are Active in the value state information 17c (S107).

[0081] Upon receiving the notification in S107, the screen control unit 18a displays a setting screen for the scanned image cloud upload job on the display unit 12 based on the information notified in S107 (S108).

[0082] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen 20 for a scanned image cloud upload job displayed in the operation shown in FIG.

[0083] 8 includes setting item buttons. That is, the setting screen 20 includes a file name button 21 as a setting item button for the setting item "file name" that indicates the file name of the scanned image, a color mode button 22 as a setting item button for the setting item "color mode," a resolution button 23 as a setting item button for the setting item "resolution," a scan plane button 24 as a setting item button for the setting item "scan plane," a scan orientation button 25 as a setting item button for the setting item "scan orientation," and a file format button 26 as a setting item button for the setting item "file format."

[0084] The setting item buttons have value display areas that display the currently set values. That is, the file name button 21, color mode button 22, resolution button 23, scan plane button 24, scan orientation button 25, and file format button 26 have value display areas 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a, respectively.

[0085] In S108, the screen control unit 18a displays the values ​​notified in S107 for the setting items "color mode," "resolution," "scan surface," "scan orientation," and "file format" in the value display areas 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a, respectively.

[0086] The setting item button for a setting item, in which the user selects one value from a number of pre-prepared values, can operate as a "radio type" that displays the options for values ​​to be set for the setting item on the screen of the image processing device 10, or as a "toggle type" that immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item, like an electric switch that switches on and off with a single click, without displaying the options for values ​​to be set for the setting item on the screen of the image processing device 10.

[0087] The setting screen 20 includes a scan button 27 for starting a scan according to the settings on the setting screen 20 .

[0088] Next, the operation of the image processing device 10 when a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen will be described.

[0089] The user can press a setting item button on the setting screen displayed on the display unit 12. The following description will be given taking as an example a case where the user presses a setting item button on the setting screen 20 shown in FIG.

[0090] Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram of an example of the operation of the image processing device 10 when a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram of the "toggle type" shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram of the "radio type" shown in Fig. 9.

[0091] 9 to 11, when a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen 20, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that a setting item (hereinafter referred to as a "target setting item") corresponding to the pressed setting item button has been selected (S121). For example, when the color mode button 22 is pressed, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that the setting item "color mode" has been selected; when the resolution button 23 is pressed, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that the setting item "resolution" has been selected; when the scan plane button 24 is pressed, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that the setting item "scan plane" has been selected; when the scan orientation button 25 is pressed, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that the setting item "scan orientation" has been selected; and when the file format button 26 is pressed, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that the setting item "file format" has been selected.

[0092] When the button operation determination unit 18b receives the notification in S121, it requests the value state management unit 18e to provide the number of values ​​for the setting item notified of its selection in S121, i.e., the target setting item, whose visibility state is Visible in the value state information 17c (S122).

[0093] Upon receiving the request in S122, the value state management unit 18e identifies the number according to the request in S122 based on the value state information 17c (S123).

[0094] When the process of S123 ends, the value state management unit 18e notifies the button operation determination unit 18b of the number determined in S123 (S124).

[0095] When the button operation determination unit 18b receives the notification in S124 and the number notified in S124 is 2, the button operation determination unit 18b requests a list of values ​​for the target setting item that are visible in the value state information 17c from the value state management unit 18e (S131). For example, when the "Scan Extension Kit" is not provided to the image processing device 10, the values ​​for the setting item "scan orientation" that are visible in the value state information 17c are two: "top side facing up" and "top side facing left."

[0096] Upon receiving the request in S131, the value state management unit 18e notifies the button operation determination unit 18b of a list according to the request in S131 (S132). The value state management unit 18e includes the selection-related state for each value in the list notified in S132.

[0097] When the button operation determination unit 18b receives the notification in S132, it requests the screen control unit 18a to display the value notified in S132 that the selection-related state is Not-Active in the value display area of ​​the setting item button of the target setting item (S133).

[0098] When receiving the request in S133, the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area of ​​the setting item button of the target setting item to the value targeted by the request in S133 (S134).

[0099] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the setting screen 20 in which the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan direction button 25 has been changed in the operations shown in FIGS.

[0100] When the scan orientation button 25 is pressed while the setting screen 20 shown in Figure 8 is displayed on the display unit 12, if the values ​​for the setting item "scan orientation" in the value state information 17c that are visible are "top side facing up" whose selection related state is Active and "top side facing left" whose selection related state is Not-Active, the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 to "top side facing left" in S134, as shown in Figure 12, without displaying the option screen described below. When the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" is "top side up," the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 is different from the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" of the scan image cloud upload job. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the screen control unit 18a displays the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 in a color, for example, blue, that is different from the color used when the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 is the same as the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" of the scan image cloud upload job. Note that the screen control unit 18a can identify the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" of the scan image cloud upload job based on the default state information 17b.

[0101] As shown in Figures 9 to 11, when the processing of S134 is completed, the screen control unit 18a requests the value state management unit 18e to change the selection related state of the value before the change in S134 to Not-Active and change the selection related state of the value after the change in S134 to Active for the target setting item (S135).

[0102] Upon receiving the request in S135, the value state management unit 18e updates the value state information 17c in accordance with the request in S135 (S136).

[0103] When the scan orientation button 25 is pressed while the setting screen 20 shown in Figure 12 is displayed on the display unit 12, if the values ​​for the setting item "scan orientation" in the value state information 17c that are in the visible state are "top side facing up" whose selection related state is Not-Active and "top side facing left" whose selection related state is Active, the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 to "top side facing up" in S134, as shown in Figure 8, without displaying the option screen described below. When the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" is "top side facing up," the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 is the same as the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" for the scanned image cloud upload job. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the screen control unit 18a displays the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 in the color used when the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 is the same as the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" for the scanned image cloud upload job, for example, in black. Note that the screen control unit 18a can identify the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" for the scanned image cloud upload job based on the default state information 17b.

[0104] When the button operation determination unit 18b receives the notification in S124 and the number notified in S124 is three or more, the button operation determination unit 18b requests a list of values ​​for the target setting item that are visible in the value state information 17c from the value state management unit 18e (S141). For example, if the image processing device 10 is equipped with the "Scan Extension Kit," the values ​​for the setting item "Scan Orientation" that are visible in the value state information 17c are "Top Side Up," "Top Side Left," and "Automatic." Also, for example, if the image processing device 10 is not equipped with the "Scan Extension Kit," the values ​​for the setting item "File Format" that are visible in the value state information 17c are "PDF," "TIFF," and "JPEG."

[0105] Upon receiving the request in S141, the value state management unit 18e notifies the button operation determination unit 18b of a list according to the request in S141 (S142). The value state management unit 18e includes the selection-related state for each value in the list notified in S142.

[0106] When the button operation determination unit 18b receives the notification in S142, it requests the screen control unit 18a to display a selection screen that allows the user to select one value from a plurality of values ​​(S143).

[0107] When the screen control unit 18a receives the request in S143, it displays an option screen corresponding to the request in S143 on the setting screen 20 (S144).

[0108] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the option screen 30 for the setting item "scanning direction" displayed during the operations shown in FIGS.

[0109] The option screen 30 shown in FIG. 13 is an option screen for the setting item "scan orientation" when the image processing device 10 is equipped with the "Scan Extension Kit." The option screen 30 includes value selection buttons for selecting a value. The option screen 30 shown in FIG. 13 includes a value selection button 31 for the value "top side facing up," a value selection button 32 for the value "top side facing left," and a value selection button 33 for the value "automatic." On the option screen 30, only the currently selected value selection button is a different color from the other value selection buttons. The option screen 30 shown in FIG. 13 shows a state in which the value selection button 31 is selected.

[0110] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a selection options screen 40 for the setting item "file format" displayed during the operations shown in FIGS.

[0111] The option screen 40 shown in FIG. 14 is an option screen for the setting item "File Format" when the image processing device 10 is not provided with the "Scan Extension Kit" and the value for the setting item "Color Mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job is "Black and White." The option screen 40 shown in FIG. 14 includes a value selection button 41 for the value "PDF," a value selection button 42 for the value "TIFF," and a value selection button 43 for the value "JPEG." The option screen 40 shown in FIG. 14 shows a state in which the value selection button 41 is selected. The screen control unit 18a grays out the value selection buttons for values ​​whose selection-related status is "Disabled" on the option screen, making them unselectable. As will be described later, when the value for the setting item "Color Mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job is "Black and White," the selection-related status of the value "JPEG" for the setting item "File Format" is "Disabled." Therefore, on the option screen 40 shown in FIG. 14, the value selection button 43 for the value "JPEG" whose selection-related status is "Disabled" is grayed out, making it unselectable.

[0112] 9 to 11, after the process of S144 is completed, when any of the value selection buttons is pressed on the option screen, the screen control unit 18a ends the display of the option screen (S145), and the setting screen 20 is displayed again on the display unit 12.

[0113] When the process of S145 ends, the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area of ​​the setting item button of the target setting item to the value corresponding to the pressed value selection button on the option screen (S146).

[0114] When the scan orientation button 25 is pressed while the setting screen 20 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 12, a choice screen 30 (see FIG. 13) is displayed, and when the value selection button 32 for "top side facing left" is pressed, the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 to "top side facing left" in S146, as shown in FIG. 12. When the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" is "top side facing up," the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 is different from the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" for the scanned image cloud upload job, and therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the screen control unit 18a displays the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 in a color, for example, blue, that is different from the color displayed when the value displayed in the value display area 25a of the scan orientation button 25 is the same as the default value for the setting item "scan orientation" for the scanned image cloud upload job. The screen control unit 18a can specify a default value for the setting item "scanning direction" of the scanned image cloud upload job based on the default state information 17b.

[0115] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the setting screen 20 in which the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 has been changed through the operations shown in FIGS.

[0116] When the file format button 26 is pressed while the setting screen 20 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 12, a choice screen 40 (see FIG. 14) is displayed. When the value selection button 42 for “TIFF” is pressed, the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 to “TIFF” in S146, as shown in FIG. 15. When the default value for the setting item “file format” is “PDF,” the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 is different from the default value for the setting item “file” for the scanned image cloud upload job. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, the screen control unit 18a displays the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 in a color different from the color displayed when the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 is the same as the default value for the setting item “file format” for the scanned image cloud upload job, for example, in blue. Note that the screen control unit 18a can identify the default value for the setting item “file format” for the scanned image cloud upload job based on the default state information 17b.

[0117] As shown in Figures 9 to 11, when the processing of S146 is completed, the screen control unit 18a requests the value state management unit 18e to change the selection related state of the value before the change in S146 to Not-Active and change the selection related state of the value after the change in S146 to Active for the target setting item (S147).

[0118] Upon receiving the request in S147, the value state management unit 18e updates the value state information 17c in accordance with the request in S147 (S148).

[0119] Next, the operation of the image processing device 10 when the value of a setting item is changed will be described.

[0120] FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the image processing device 10 when the value of a setting item is changed.

[0121] When the value for a setting item is changed by the operations shown in Figures 9 to 11, the prohibition management unit 18c requests all values ​​whose selection related status is Active for the job whose value for the setting item has been changed, from the value status management unit 18e, as shown in Figure 16 (S161).

[0122] When the value state management unit 18e receives the request in S161, it notifies the prohibition management unit 18c of all values ​​in the value state information 17c that are the target of the request in S161 (S162).

[0123] Upon receiving the notification in S162, the prohibition management unit 18c executes a non-selectable value specification process to specify a value whose selection-related state in the value state information 17c should be set to Disabled (S163).

[0124] FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the non-selectable value specification process shown in FIG.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 17, the prohibition management unit 18c determines whether or not there is any prohibited condition in the prohibition information 17f that has not yet been targeted in the current non-selectable value identification process shown in FIG. 17 (S171).

[0126] If the prohibition management unit 18c determines in S171 that there is a prohibited condition in the prohibition information 17f that has not yet been targeted in the current non-selectable value identification process shown in Figure 17, it targets only one prohibited condition from the prohibition information 17f that has not yet been targeted in the current non-selectable value identification process shown in Figure 17 (S172).

[0127] When the process of S172 ends, the prohibition management unit 18c determines whether the value received in S162 satisfies the prohibition condition of the current target (S173). For example, if the prohibition information 17f is as shown in Fig. 6, and the prohibition condition of the current target is a condition in which "black and white" is set for the setting item "color mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job, and the value received in S162 is "black and white" for the setting item "color mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job, the prohibition management unit 18c determines that the value received in S162 satisfies the prohibition condition of the current target.

[0128] When the prohibition management unit 18c determines in S173 that the value received in S162 satisfies the prohibition condition of the current target, it identifies the value associated with the prohibition condition of the current target in the prohibition information 17f as the value for which the selection-related status in the value state information 17c should be set to Disabled (S174). For example, if the prohibition information 17f is as shown in Fig. 6 and the prohibition condition of the current target is a condition in which "black and white" is set for the setting item "color mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job, the prohibition management unit 18c identifies the value "JPEG" for the setting item "file format" of the scanned image cloud upload job as the value for which the selection-related status in the value state information 17c should be set to Disabled.

[0129] The prohibition management unit 18c executes the process of S171 when it determines in S173 that the value received in S162 does not satisfy the prohibition condition targeted in S172, or when the process of S174 ends.

[0130] If the prohibition management unit 18c determines in S171 that there are no prohibited conditions in the prohibition information 17f that have not yet been targeted in the current non-selectable value identification process shown in Figure 17, it terminates the non-selectable value identification process shown in Figure 17.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 16, when the execution of the non-selectable value identification process shown in S163 is completed, the prohibition management unit 18c requests the value state management unit 18e to update the value state information 17c so that the selection-related state of the value identified in the non-selectable value identification process in S163 is set to Disabled in the value state information 17c (S164).

[0132] Upon receiving the request in S164, the value state management unit 18e updates the value state information 17c in accordance with the request in S164 (S165). That is, when the visibility state of a value for which the setting of the selection-related state has been requested in S164 to be Disabled is Visible, the value state management unit 18e sets the selection-related state of a value for which the setting of the selection-related state has been requested in S164 to Disabled in the value state information 17c. Furthermore, the value state management unit 18e sets the selection-related state of a value for which the setting of the selection-related state has not been requested in S164 to Not-Active in the value state information 17c, among values ​​for which the selection-related state has been Disabled in the value state information 17c. Therefore, for example, when the prohibition information 17f is as shown in FIG. 6 and the value for the setting item "color mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job is "black and white," the selection-related state of the value "JPEG" for the setting item "file format" becomes Disabled.

[0133] In the above, if the number of values ​​for the target setting item that are visible is three or more, the setting item button for the target setting item will operate as a "radio type" even if the number of values ​​for the selection-related state that are Active or Not-Active is limited to two due to a prohibition rule (see Figure 14). However, if the number of values ​​for the target setting item that are visible is three or more, and the number of values ​​for the selection-related state that are Active or Not-Active is limited to two due to a prohibition rule, the setting item button for the target setting item may operate as a "toggle type."

[0134] FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram of an example, different from the example shown in FIG. 9, of the operation of the image processing device 10 when a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen.

[0135] When a setting item button is pressed on the setting screen 20, the screen control unit 18a notifies the button operation determination unit 18b that the target setting item has been selected (S181), as shown in FIG. 18, similar to the processing of S121 (see FIG. 9).

[0136] When the button operation determination unit 18b receives the notification in S181, it requests the value state management unit 18e to count the number of values ​​for the setting item notified of its selection in S181, i.e., the target setting item, which have a visible state of Visible in the value state information 17c and a selection-related state of Active or Not-Active (S182).

[0137] Upon receiving the request in S182, the value state management unit 18e identifies the number according to the request in S182 based on the value state information 17c (S183).

[0138] When the process of S183 ends, the value state management unit 18e notifies the button operation determination unit 18b of the number determined in S183 (S184).

[0139] When the number notified to the button operation determination unit 18b in S184 is 2, the image processing device 10 executes the operation shown in FIG.

[0140] When the number notified to the button operation determination unit 18b in S184 is 3 or more, the image processing device 10 executes the operation shown in FIG.

[0141] For example, if the image processing device 10 does not have the "Scan Extension Kit," the three values ​​for the setting item "File Format" that are visible in the value status information 17c are "PDF," "TIFF," and "JPEG." Here, it is assumed that the selection-related state of "PDF" is Active and the selection-related state of "TIFF" is Not-Active. It is also assumed that the prohibition information 17f is as shown in FIG. 6 and the value for the setting item "Color Mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job is "Black and White." If the prohibition information 17f is as shown in FIG. 6 and the value for the setting item "Color Mode" of the scanned image cloud upload job is "Black and White," as described above, the selection-related state of the value "JPEG" for the setting item "File Format" becomes Disabled. When the file format button 26 is pressed while the setting screen 20 shown in Figure 8 is displayed on the display unit 12, the values ​​for the setting item "File format" in the value state information 17c that have a visible state of Visible and a selection related state of Active or Not-Active are "PDF" whose selection related state is Active and "TIFF" whose selection related state is Not-Active, so the screen control unit 18a changes the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 to "TIFF" in S134 as shown in Figure 15 without displaying the option screen 40 (see Figure 14). When the default value for the setting item "File format" is "PDF," the screen control unit 18a displays the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 in a color, for example, blue, different from the color when the value displayed in the value display area 26a of the file format button 26 is the same as the default value for the setting item "File format" of the scanned image cloud upload job, as shown in Figure 15.The screen control unit 18a can specify a default value for the setting item "file format" of the scanned image cloud upload job based on the default state information 17b.

[0142] As described above, the image processing device 10 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 9 determines, when a setting item button serving as a button for a setting item is operated, that the visibility state, which indicates whether or not a value can be viewed by a user as an option, is Visible, which indicates a state in which a value can be viewed by a user as an option, and when the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, the operation of the setting item button is toggle type, which immediately switches the value to be set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen; and when the visibility state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 3 or more, the operation of the setting item button is determined to be radio type, which displays options on the screen. Therefore, when a setting item button is operated and the visibility state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is 2, changing the operation of the setting item button to toggle type makes it easier to set a value for a setting item.

[0143] When the image processing device 10 performs the operation shown in FIG. 9, if a specific extended function is assigned to the image processing device 10, the visible state of a specific value is set to Visible (S106), and therefore the operation of the setting item button can be changed depending on whether or not a specific extended function is assigned to the image processing device 10.

[0144] When the image processing device 10 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 9 determines that the operation of the setting item button is radio type when the setting item button is operated, it displays on the screen the options corresponding to the value of the setting item targeted by the setting item button whose selection-related state is Disabled in a state that makes it impossible to select (see FIG. 14), thereby enabling the user to recognize values ​​that exist as options but are currently impossible to select due to some reason such as a prohibition.

[0145] The image processing device 10 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 9 sets the value selection related state to Disabled in accordance with the prohibition (S165), so that options corresponding to specific values ​​in accordance with the prohibition can be displayed on the screen in a state where they cannot be selected.

[0146] 18 , when a setting item button serving as a setting item button is operated, the image processing device 10 determines the behavior of the setting item button to be a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without displaying options on the screen when the selection-related state indicating a state related to value selection for the setting item button is either Active, indicating a state in which a value can be selected and a value is selected, or Not-Active, indicating a state in which a value can be selected and a value is not selected, and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two, and determines the behavior of the setting item button to be a radio type that displays options on the screen when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is three or more. Therefore, when a setting item button is operated, the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the setting item button is two, changing the behavior of the setting item button to a toggle type can facilitate setting a value for the setting item. The image processing device 10 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 18 may be able to further reduce the number of operations for setting a value for a setting item compared to the image processing device 10 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 9.

[0147] When the image processing device 10 performs the operation shown in FIG. 18, if a specific extended function is assigned to the image processing device 10, the selection-related state of a specific value is set to Not-Active (S106), and therefore the operation of the setting item button can be changed depending on whether or not a specific extended function is assigned to the image processing device 10.

[0148] The image processing apparatus 10 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 18 sets the selection-related state of the value to Disabled in accordance with the prohibition (S165), and therefore can change the operation of the setting item button in accordance with the prohibition.

[0149] (Second embodiment) First, the configuration of an image processing device as an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0150] The configuration of the image processing device according to this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image processing device 10 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment, except for the matters described below. Of the components of the image processing device according to this embodiment, those components similar to those of the image processing device 10 are given the same reference numerals as those of the image processing device 10, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0151] FIG. 19 is a block diagram of an image processing device 210 according to this embodiment when configured as an MFP.

[0152] As shown in Figure 19, the configuration of the image processing device 210 is the same as that of the image processing device 10, except that instead of the setting program 17a and the extension function attachment information 17d, the image processing device 10 is provided with a setting program 217a for setting values ​​for setting items of the image processing device 210 and extension function attachment information 217d indicating extension functions attached to the image processing device 210, and the image processing device 10 is newly provided with user management information 217g for managing users and group management information 217h for managing groups to which users belong.

[0153] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of the extended function provision information 217d.

[0154] The extended function grant information 217d shown in Fig. 20 indicates, for each user, a user ID as user identification information and a list of extended functions granted to the user. For example, the extended function grant information 217d shown in Fig. 20 indicates that a user with a user ID of "U000001" has been granted the "Scan Extension Kit." Some values ​​are omitted from the extended function grant information 217d shown in Fig. 20.

[0155] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the user management information 217g.

[0156] The user management information 217g shown in Fig. 21 indicates, for each user, the user ID, password, and identification information of the group to which the user belongs (hereinafter, the group identification information will be referred to as "group ID"). For example, the user management information 217g shown in Fig. 21 indicates that for a user with a user ID of "U000001," the password is "01234567" and the group ID of the group to which the user belongs is "G001." The user management information 217g shown in Fig. 21 is drawn with some values ​​omitted.

[0157] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the group management information 217h.

[0158] The group management information 217h shown in Fig. 22 indicates, for each group, the group ID and the values ​​that the group is prohibited from setting for the setting item. For example, the group management information 217h shown in Fig. 22 indicates that for a group with a group ID of "G001," selecting "JPEG" for the setting item "File format" for a scanned image cloud upload job is prohibited. Some values ​​are omitted from the group management information 217h shown in Fig. 22.

[0159] The control unit 18 shown in Figure 19 executes the setting program 217a to realize a screen control unit 18a, a button operation determination unit 18b, a prohibition management unit 18c, an extension function management unit 218d that manages extension functions for the image processing device 210, a value state management unit 218e that manages the states of multiple values ​​that can be set for setting items, and a user management unit 218f that manages users.

[0160] Next, the operation of the image processing device 210 will be described.

[0161] The operation of the image processing device 210 is the same as that of the image processing device 10 (see FIG. 1) except for the operations described below. Of the operations of the image processing device 210, detailed descriptions of operations that are the same as those of the image processing device 10 will be omitted.

[0162] First, the operation of the image processing device 210 when there is a change in the extended function granted to the user will be described.

[0163] For example, the administrator of the image processing device 210 can purchase a "Scan Extension Kit" for any of the users, thereby providing the "Scan Extension Kit" to the users.

[0164] When there is a change in the extended function granted to a user, the extended function management unit 218d updates the extended function grant information 217d. For example, when the "Scan Extension Kit" is granted to a user whose user ID is "U000001," the extended function management unit 218d adds "Scan Extension Kit" to the extended function grant information 217d as an extended function for the user whose user ID is "U000001."

[0165] Next, the operation of the image processing device 210 when a user logs in will be described.

[0166] The user can request the image processing device 210 to log in by inputting a combination of the user's own user ID and password into the image processing device 210 via the operation unit 11 .

[0167] When a combination of a user ID and a password is input, the user management unit 218f of the image processing device 210 permits the user to log in if the same combination as the input combination is included in the user management information 217g.

[0168] Next, the operation of the image processing device 210 when displaying the setting screen will be described.

[0169] FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram of the operation of the image processing device 210 when displaying the setting screen.

[0170] The user can instruct the image processing device 210 to display a setting screen for a specific job of the image processing device 210 via the operation unit 11. In the following, an example will be described in which the user instructs the image processing device 210 to display a setting screen for a scanned image cloud upload job.

[0171] When an instruction to display the setting screen for the scanned image cloud upload job is given, the image processing device 210 executes the processes of S301 to S303, which are similar to the processes of S101 to S103 (see FIG. 7), as shown in FIG.

[0172] When the extension function management unit 218d receives the request in S303 from the value state management unit 218e, it identifies values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the scanned image cloud upload job from among the values ​​associated in the extension function value correspondence information 17e with the extension functions associated in the extension function grant information 17d for the logged-in user (S304).

[0173] When the process of S304 ends, the image processing device 210 executes the processes of S305 and S306 which are similar to the processes of S105 and S106 (see FIG. 7).

[0174] When the process of S306 is completed, the value state management unit 218e requests the user management unit 218f to set a value that is prohibited from being set for the setting item by the group to which the currently logged-in user belongs (S307).

[0175] Upon receiving the request in S307, the user management unit 218f identifies values ​​that are prohibited from being set for the setting items by the group to which the currently logged-in user belongs, based on the group management information 217h (S308).

[0176] When the process of S308 is completed, the user management unit 218f notifies the value state management unit 218e of the value identified in S308 (S309).

[0177] Upon receiving the notification in S309, the value state management unit 218e updates the value state information 17c so as to set the visibility state of the value notified in S309 to "Not-Visible" (S310).

[0178] When the process of S310 is completed, the image processing device 210 executes the processes of S311 and S312 which are similar to the processes of S107 and S108 (see FIG. 7).

[0179] As described above, the image processing device 210 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 9 sets the visibility state of a specific value to Visible (S306) when a specific extended function is granted to a user currently logged in to the image processing device 210, and therefore can change the operation of the setting item button depending on whether a specific extended function is granted to a user currently logged in to the image processing device 210.

[0180] The image processing device 210 that executes the operation shown in FIG. 9 sets the visibility state of a specific value to Not-Visible (S310) if the user currently logged in to the image processing device 210 belongs to a specific group, and therefore can change the operation of the setting item button depending on whether the user currently logged in to the image processing device 210 belongs to a specific group.

[0181] The image processing device 210 that performs the operation shown in FIG. 18 sets the selection-related state of a specific value to Not-Active (S306) when a specific extended function is granted to a user currently logged in to the image processing device 210, and therefore can change the operation of the setting item button depending on whether a specific extended function is granted to a user currently logged in to the image processing device 210.

[0182] The image processing device 210 that performs the operation shown in FIG. 18 sets the selection-related status of a specific value to neither Active nor Not-Active when the user currently logged in to the image processing device 210 belongs to a specific group (S310), and therefore can change the operation of the setting item button depending on whether the user currently logged in to the image processing device 210 belongs to a specific group.

[0183] (Third embodiment) First, the configuration of a system according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0184] FIG. 24 is a block diagram of a system 410 according to this embodiment.

[0185] As shown in Fig. 24, a system 410 includes an image processing device 420 as an electronic device. The system 410 may include at least one other image processing device as an electronic device in addition to the image processing device 420. The configuration of the image processing device according to this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image processing device 10 according to the first embodiment (see Fig. 1) or the image processing device 210 according to the second embodiment (see Fig. 19), except for the points described below.

[0186] The system 410 includes a device management system 430 that manages image processing devices. The device management system 430 may be configured with a single computer such as a PC (Personal Computer), or may be configured with multiple computers. For example, the device management system 430 may be configured with a cloud server.

[0187] The image processing device and the device management system 430 can communicate with each other via a network 411 such as a LAN or the Internet.

[0188] The device management system 430 may include components equivalent to some of the components of the image processing device 10 or the image processing device 210. For example, the device management system 430 may include components equivalent to the user management information 217g, the group management information 217h, and the user management unit 218f (see FIG. 19). The image processing device according to this embodiment does not include components of the image processing device 10 or the image processing device 210 that are equivalent to the components of the device management system 430.

[0189] The operation of the system 410 will now be described.

[0190] In the system 410, the image processing device and the device management system 430 cooperate to realize the operation of the image processing device 10 or the image processing device 210. [Explanation of symbols]

[0191] 10 Image processing devices (electronic devices) 17a Configuration program 18a Screen control section 18b Button operation determination section 18c Prohibition Management Department 18d Extended Function Management Department 18e Value and State Management Unit 22 Color mode button (button) 23 Resolution button (button) 24 Scan Plane Button (Button) 25 Scan direction button (button) 26 File Format Button (Button) 30, 40 Choice screen (screen) 210 Image processing devices (electronic devices) 217a Setting program 218d Extended Function Management Department 218e Value and State Management Unit 410 System 420 Image processing equipment (electronic equipment)

Claims

1. a value state management unit that manages the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines an operation of the button when the button for the setting item is operated; a screen control unit that controls a screen of the electronic device; Equipped with the state of the value includes a visibility state indicating whether the value is visible to a user as an option; the visibility state includes Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is visible to the user as the option; The operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, The electronic device is characterized in that, when the button is operated, the button operation determination unit determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the visible state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

2. an extended function management unit that manages extended functions for the electronic device; The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the value state management unit sets the visibility state of the specific value to Visible when the specific extended function is provided to the electronic device.

3. an extended function management unit that manages extended functions for the electronic device for each user; The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the value state management unit sets the visibility state of the specific value to Visible when the specific extended function is granted to the user who is logged in to the electronic device.

4. the state of the value includes a selection-related state indicating a state related to selection of the value; The selection-related state includes Disabled, which indicates a state in which the value cannot be selected; The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the button is operated and the screen control unit determines the radio type as the operation of the button, the option corresponding to the value for the setting item targeted by the button, whose selection-related state is Disabled, is displayed on the screen in a state in which it cannot be selected.

5. a prohibition management unit that manages prohibitions related to the value; The prohibition corresponds a condition under which selection of the value is prohibited to the value that is prohibited from being selected, and the condition is that a specific value is set for a specific setting item that is different from the setting item that is the target of the value associated with the condition in the prohibition; The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the value state management unit sets the selection-related state of the value to the Disabled state in accordance with the prohibition.

6. the visibility state includes Not-Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is not visible to the user as the option; The electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the value state management unit sets the visibility state of the specific value to Not-Visible when the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group.

7. a value state management unit that manages the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines an operation of the button when the button for the setting item is operated; a screen control unit that controls a screen of the electronic device; Equipped with the state of the value includes a selection-related state indicating a state related to selection of the value; the selection-related state includes an Active state indicating a state in which the value can be selected and the value is selected, and a Not-Active state indicating a state in which the value can be selected and the value is not selected; The operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, The electronic device is characterized in that, when the button is operated, the button operation determination unit determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

8. an extended function management unit that manages extended functions for the electronic device; The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that the value state management unit sets the selection-related state of the specific value to Not-Active when the specific extended function is assigned to the electronic device.

9. an extended function management unit that manages extended functions for the electronic device for each user of the electronic device; The electronic device described in claim 7, characterized in that the value state management unit sets the selection-related state of the specific value to Not-Active when the specific extended function is granted to the user who is logged in to the electronic device.

10. a prohibition management unit that manages prohibitions related to the value; The selection-related state includes Disabled, which indicates a state in which the value cannot be selected; The prohibition corresponds a condition under which selection of the value is prohibited to the value that is prohibited from being selected, and the condition is that a specific value is set for a specific setting item that is different from the setting item that is the target of the value associated with the condition in the prohibition; The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the value state management unit sets the selection-related state of the value to the Disabled state in accordance with the prohibition.

11. The electronic device described in claim 7, characterized in that the value state management unit sets the selection-related state of the specific value to neither Active nor Not-Active when the user currently logged in to the electronic device belongs to a specific group.

12. a value state management unit that manages the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines an operation of the button when the button for the setting item is operated; a screen control unit that controls a screen of the electronic device; Equipped with the state of the value includes a visibility state indicating whether the value is visible to a user as an option; the visibility state includes Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is visible to the user as the option; The operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, The system is characterized in that, when the button is operated, the button operation determination unit determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the visible state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

13. a value state management unit that manages the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines an operation of the button when the button for the setting item is operated; a screen control unit that controls a screen of the electronic device; Equipped with the state of the value includes a selection-related state indicating a state related to selection of the value; the selection-related state includes an Active state indicating a state in which the value can be selected and the value is selected, and a Not-Active state indicating a state in which the value can be selected and the value is not selected; The operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, The button operation determination unit, when the button is operated, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

14. a value state management unit that manages the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines an operation of the button when the button for the setting item is operated; a screen control unit that controls a screen of the electronic device; The electronic device is made to realize the above. the state of the value includes a visibility state indicating whether the value is visible to a user as an option; the visibility state includes Visible, which indicates a state in which the value is visible to the user as the option; The operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, The button operation determination unit, when the button is operated, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the visible state is Visible and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

15. a value state management unit that manages the states of a plurality of values ​​that can be set for the setting items of the electronic device; a button operation determination unit that determines an operation of the button when the button for the setting item is operated; a screen control unit that controls a screen of the electronic device; The electronic device is made to realize the above. the state of the value includes a selection-related state indicating a state related to selection of the value; the selection-related state includes an Active state indicating a state in which the value can be selected and the value is selected, and a Not-Active state indicating a state in which the value can be selected and the value is not selected; The operation of the button includes a radio type that causes the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, and a toggle type that immediately switches the value set for the setting item without causing the screen control unit to display the options on the screen, The button operation determination unit, when the button is operated, determines the toggle type as the operation of the button when the selection-related state is Active or Not-Active and the number of values ​​for the setting item targeted by the button is 2, and determines the radio type as the operation of the button when the number is 3 or more.

Images