Information processing system and program

Abstract

To prevent a file from being uploaded in an incomplete state when uploading the file newly generated according to a user operation to a predetermined button displayed based on a web page.SOLUTION: A composite machine 10 includes a browser function part 11 for acquiring a Web page from a Web server 2 and displaying the Web page on an operation panel, and a browser control part 12 for setting a file name to a file selection tag in the Web page only when scan data are generated by scanning executed by changing the interpretation of a button operation corresponding to the file selection tag by a user to a scan instruction. When the file name is set in the file selection tag, the browser function unit 11 automatically starts the upload in the one stage operation, and starts the execution of the upload according to the operation of the transmission tag in the two stage operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] It is common to upload files to a web server using a web browser. The HTML (HyperText Markup Language) specification discloses a method for uploading files using form tags. In these, the user selects an existing file by selecting a file selection tag, and then selects a submit tag, which uploads the selected file via the browser.

[0003] Incidentally, it is common to upload files to a web server from a browser installed in a multifunction peripheral. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a technique in which, when a web page is displayed on a browser installed in a multifunction peripheral, the interpretation of a file selection tag is changed, and instead of allowing the user to select an existing file, a scan is performed to generate a new file, and the newly generated file is then uploaded using a transmission tag.

[0004] Incidentally, JavaScript (registered trademark) is one example of a programming language that runs on a web browser. By using JavaScript, it is possible to add movement to web pages and control the operation of buttons and other elements. For this reason, in recent years, there has been a trend toward an increasing number of websites that create web pages by combining HTML and JavaScript.

[0005] Furthermore, with the development of programming languages ​​that run on web browsers, such as the aforementioned JavaScript (hereafter referred to as "scripting languages"), it has become possible to upload files using scripting languages ​​when a file is selected in HTML, without using HTML form tags. By using these technologies, what previously required two steps of user operation (selecting a file and selecting to send) (i.e., two button presses by the user) can be reduced to a single step of file selection (i.e., one button press by the user), improving user operability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-024187 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-205056 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-149320 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When creating a new file in response to the user selecting a file selection tag, as in the web browser of the multifunction device mentioned above, and then uploading that file, the timing of setting the file name in the HTML is important.Unlike setting a file that already exists, a new file is created after the file selection tag is selected, so whether the user uploads the file with one button press or two button presses, if the file name is set in the HTML before the file generation is complete, a non-existent or incomplete file will be uploaded.

[0008] The present invention aims to prevent a file from being uploaded in an incomplete state when a newly generated file is uploaded in response to a user operation on a predetermined button displayed on a web page. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The information processing system of the present invention includes a processor, which starts generating a file in response to a user operation on a first button displayed based on a web page, and when it detects the end of the file generation, makes the file ready to be uploaded by setting the file name of the file within a specified tag on the web page.

[0010] The upload of the file is also characterized in that it is initiated in response to a user operation on a second button displayed based on the web page after the file name of the file has been set in the specified tag.

[0011] The processor is also characterized in that, while the generation of the file is not yet complete, it displays a message indicating that the file has not yet been generated, together with the second button.

[0012] The processor may also display an opaque display element superimposed on at least the display portion of the second button on the display screen while the generation of the file has not yet been completed.

[0013] The processor may also accept user operations on a display area other than the opaque display element on the display screen while the generation of the file is not yet complete.

[0014] The upload of the file is also characterized in that it is automatically started in response to the file name of the file being set in the predetermined tag.

[0015] The processor may also detect the completion of an automatically started upload by monitoring the execution status of the upload.

[0016] The processor is also characterized by receiving notifications of the start and end of uploading, which is performed in response to the file name of the file being set within the specified tag, from the web browser that processes the web page.

[0017] The program of the present invention enables a computer to realize the following functions: start generating a file in response to a user operation on a first button displayed based on a web page; and, upon detecting the end of the file generation, set the file name of the file within a specified tag on the web page, thereby making the file ready for upload. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the invention described in claim 1, when uploading a newly generated file in response to a user operation on a predetermined button displayed on a web page, it is possible to prevent the file from being uploaded in an incomplete state.

[0019] According to the invention as set forth in claim 2, the user can start uploading a file by his / her own operation.

[0020] According to the invention as set forth in claim 3, the user can be made to refrain from operating the second button.

[0021] According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, the second button can be made invisible so that it cannot be operated when file generation has not yet been completed.

[0022] According to the invention as set forth in claim 5, when the second button cannot be operated, the user can perform other operations on the display screen.

[0023] According to the invention as set forth in claim 6, the user does not need to perform any operation to upload a file.

[0024] According to the invention described in claim 7, the completion of upload can be detected by oneself without receiving notification from others.

[0025] According to the invention as set forth in claim 8, it is possible to detect the start and end of an upload that is automatically started.

[0026] According to the invention described in claim 9, when uploading a newly generated file in response to a user operation on a predetermined button displayed on a web page, it is possible to prevent the file from being uploaded in an incomplete state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a Web service system and a block configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a series of processes for generating and uploading scan data according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a sequence diagram continuing from FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen displayed on an operation panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a main screen of a cloud service displayed on an operation panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a submenu screen displayed on an operation panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 3D] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a scan parameter setting screen displayed on an operation panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 3E] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing screen displayed on the operation panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 3F]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a file generation completion screen displayed on the operation panel in the first embodiment. [Figure 3G] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a main screen displayed on the operation panel after upload processing is completed in the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a series of processes for generating and uploading scan data in the second embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a sequence diagram continuing from FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a submenu screen displayed on an operation panel in the third embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a scan parameter setting screen displayed on an operation panel in the third embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a submenu screen displayed on the operation panel after the scan process is completed in the third embodiment. [Figure 5D] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an uploading screen displayed on the operation panel in the third embodiment. [Figure 5E] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an upload completion screen displayed on the operation panel in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a series of processes for generating and uploading scan data in the third embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a sequence diagram continuing from FIG. 6A. [Figure 7A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a user information transmission screen displayed on an operation panel in a modification of the third embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user information transmission screen when user information is being input in the middle of being input in the third embodiment. [Figure 7C] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user information transmission screen when a file can be uploaded in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0029] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a Web service system and the block configuration of a multifunction peripheral 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which a Web server 2 and a multifunction peripheral 10 are connected via a network 4 such as the Internet. The Web server 2 is a server computer that provides Web services to the multifunction peripheral 10 as a client. The multifunction peripheral 10 is an example of an information processing system that uses the Web services provided by the Web server 2. There may be one or more Web servers 2 and one or more multifunction peripherals 10, but FIG. 1 shows only one of each, as long as each has the processing functions described below.

[0030] The multifunction peripheral 10 is a form of image forming device equipped with various functions such as a printing function, a copying function, a scanning function, etc., and with a built-in computer. The multifunction peripheral 10 in this embodiment can be realized with the same components as conventional devices. That is, the multifunction peripheral 10 includes at least ROM, RAM, a HDD as a storage means, an operation panel as a user interface, various mechanisms for realizing the functions installed in the multifunction peripheral 10, such as a scanner and a printer, a network interface for connecting to the network 4 and transmitting and receiving data to and from the web server 2, etc.

[0031] 1, the multifunction device 10 includes a browser function unit 11, a browser control unit 12, a job control unit 13, a job execution unit 14, a job status management unit 15, and a storage unit 16. Note that components not used in the description of this embodiment are omitted from the drawing.

[0032] The browser function unit 11 executes a web browser (hereinafter simply referred to as "browser") installed in the multifunction device 10, thereby executing various processes based on the browser function, as will be described later. The browser control unit 12 controls the execution of the browser by the browser function unit 11. The communication monitoring unit 121 in the browser control unit 12 monitors the communication processing in the web browser. More specifically, the communication monitoring unit 121 detects the end of the scan data upload process by monitoring the data communication between the browser function unit 11 and the web server 2.

[0033] The job execution unit 14 executes various jobs in response to requests from a user operating the operation panel. For example, when a scan is requested, the job execution unit 14 reads an original document set on the platen of the multifunction device 10 and generates the read image data (hereinafter also referred to as "scan data"). The job control unit 13 controls the execution of jobs executed by the job execution unit 14. The job status management unit 15 manages the execution status of jobs executed by the job execution unit 14. For example, the job status management unit 15 monitors the execution status of a job from the start to the end, and when the execution of the job is completed, records the execution details in a log. The memory unit 16 stores scan data and log files.

[0034] Each of the components 11 to 15 in the multifunction device 10 is realized by the cooperative operation of a computer installed in the multifunction device 10 and a program running on a CPU installed in the computer. The storage unit 16 is realized by an HDD installed in the multifunction device 10. Alternatively, RAM or an external storage means may be used via a network.

[0035] Furthermore, the programs used in the present embodiment can be provided not only by communication means but also by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB memory. The programs provided from the communication means or recording medium are installed on a computer, and various processes are realized by the computer's CPU sequentially executing the programs.

[0036] Furthermore, the multifunction peripheral 10 that constitutes the information processing system is illustrated as a single device, but may be realized by combining multiple computers or devices.

[0037] The web page used in this embodiment is created by combining HTML and JavaScript, an example of a language other than HTML. The web page used in this embodiment includes at least a file selection tag as a specific tag in HTML. The file selection tag is written in the format of an input tag with type="file". In this embodiment, the interpretation of the file selection tag is changed to perform scanning instead of file selection. Furthermore, when JavaScript detects that a file name has been set in the file selection tag, it automatically starts uploading.

[0038] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a user scans an original using the multifunction device 10 and wishes to upload the file of the scanned data to the Web server 2. When the user selects a file selection tag from the Web page that is displayed when the user selects to upload a file, the multifunction device 10 in this embodiment processes scan upload instead of file selection. A series of processes from the display of this Web page to file upload will be described using the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 2 and the screen transitions shown in FIG. 3.

[0039] First, in order to upload a scanned data file, the user selects the cloud service button 32 from the home screen 30 displayed on the operation panel of the multifunction device 10, as shown in Fig. 3A. An example of the cloud service main screen 40 displayed on the operation panel upon selecting this button is shown in Fig. 3B. In this embodiment, the identification information of the user who logs in to and uses the multifunction device 10 is assumed to be "User A."

[0040] When the browser function unit 11 in the multifunction device 10 receives a user instruction to display a web page by selecting the cloud service button 32 on the home screen 30 (step S111), the browser function unit 11 sends a request to obtain the web page to the web server 2 (step S112).

[0041] In response to a request from the multifunction peripheral 10, the Web server 2 transmits a Web page for displaying the service screen 40 to the multifunction peripheral 10 (step S21).

[0042] The browser function unit 11 in the multifunction device 10 obtains the web page corresponding to the cloud service obtained from the web server 2 as described above, and displays the main screen (hereinafter also referred to as the "service screen") 40 of the cloud service shown in FIG. 3B on the operation panel (step S113).

[0043] Next, the user selects the "+ Add New" button 42 on the service screen 40, and an example of the submenu screen 44 is shown in FIG. 3C. The submenu screen 44 is superimposed on the service screen 40 as shown in FIG. 3C, and displays a list of newly added functions provided by the cloud service. The user selects the desired "Upload File" button 46 from the submenu screen 44. This button 46 is included in the web page mentioned above. <input type="file"> The button 46 corresponds to a tag (hereinafter also referred to as a "file selection tag"), and selection of the button 46 is a selection operation of the file selection tag. When the file selection tag is selected by the user in this manner, the browser function unit 11 accepts the selection operation (step S114).

[0044] In response to the selection of a file selection tag, browser control unit 12 normally displays a file selection screen, but in this embodiment, the browser control unit 12 accepts the user's operation as a scan instruction and causes browser function unit 11 to display a scan parameter setting screen in response to the user's operation. Browser function unit 11 displays the scan parameter setting screen in accordance with the instruction from browser control unit 12 (step S115). An example of scan parameter setting screen 50 thus displayed on the operation panel is shown in FIG. 3D.

[0045] After setting the desired parameters on the scan parameter setting screen 50, the user selects the start button 52. Note that although the user may set the file name of the file generated by scanning, as shown by the dashed line 54, this example shows a case where the user has selected to use the function of the multifunction device 10 to automatically assign a file name.

[0046] While the example in FIG. 3D illustrates a user setting desired parameters, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the scanning process may be automatically started with the initially set parameters without displaying FIG. 3D. Alternatively, predetermined parameters may be acquired from an external server and the scanning process may be started with the predetermined parameters.

[0047] When the user selects the start button 52, the browser function unit 11 passes the selected parameters to the browser control unit 12 (step S116). However, if "automatic assignment" is selected for the file name, as in this example, the browser function unit 11 generates a file name according to a predetermined rule and includes it in the parameters to be passed to the browser control unit 12.

[0048] Note that the predetermined rule for naming the file name is not a feature of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the file name includes, for example, the date and time when the file was named or when file generation was completed.

[0049] As described above, the user operations required to execute the file upload function are completed. Thereafter, the browser function unit 11 may display a processing screen 60, as illustrated in FIG. 3E, on the operation panel to notify the user that the user's scan instruction has been successfully accepted and the scan process has begun. The processing screen 60 displays the automatically assigned file name, as indicated by the dashed line 62. At this time, parentheses may be added, for example, as shown in FIG. 3E, to distinguish automatically assigned file names from non-automatically assigned file names. Furthermore, if the scan data file has not yet been created, the file name may be displayed in a different display format from other parameters, for example, by graying out the file name text, to indicate this. The browser function unit 11 may continue to display the processing screen 60 on the operation panel until the file upload process is completed or until the user selects the cancel button 64.

[0050] When the file generation is complete, the screen may transition to a file generation completion screen 70 as shown in Fig. 3F. When the file generation completion screen 70 is displayed, the user may know that the file generation is complete and select a close button 72 to display the service screen 40. An example of the service screen 40 that is displayed after the process is completed is shown in Fig. 3G.

[0051] When the browser control unit 12 receives the scan parameters sent from the browser function unit 11 together with the notification of the instruction to start scanning, the browser control unit 12 retains the file name of the scan data included in the scan parameters (step S121). That is, since the file name of the scan data is included in the scan parameters sent from the browser function unit 11, the browser control unit 12 retains the file name internally at this stage without setting it in the file selection tag in the browser function unit 11, even though the file name has been set before the scan is executed. The browser control unit 12 then requests the execution of scanning by sending the scan parameters to the job control unit 13 (step S122). Note that the file name may be retained after the scan execution request.

[0052] Thereafter, browser control unit 12 monitors the operation of job control unit 13. More specifically, browser control unit 12 monitors the execution of the scan process to know whether the generation of a file of the scan data by the scan process has been completed (step S123).

[0053] In response to the scan execution request from the browser control unit 12, the job control unit 13 instructs the job execution unit 14 to execute a scan (step S131).

[0054] In this embodiment, job execution is recorded in a log. Therefore, the job control unit 13 notifies the job status management unit 15 that a scan job will be executed, along with issuing a scan execution instruction to the job execution unit 14. As a result, the job execution unit 14 executes the scan process in accordance with the scan parameters sent with the execution instruction (step S141). Note that the scan process executed in accordance with the instruction generates a file of the scan data, so the scan process corresponds to a file generation process. Meanwhile, upon receiving a notification from the job control unit 13, the job status management unit 15 starts recording a log when a job (hereinafter referred to as a "scan upload job") for the scan process and the upload process of the file generated by the scan is started (step S151). When initially setting up the log, the job status management unit 15 sets the scan upload job to a state in which scanning has started. Then, the job status management unit 15 changes the job status of the scan upload job from the start of scanning to scanning in progress (step S152).

[0055] When the scanning started as described above is completed, the job execution unit 14 notifies the job control unit 13 of the completion of the scanning (step S142). The job control unit 13 detects that the scanning is completed by receiving the notification from the job execution unit 14 (step S132). Note that the browser control unit 12, which monitors the operation of the job control unit 13, also knows that the scanning is completed.

[0056] Next, the job execution unit 14 generates a file for saving the read image data generated by scanning, and when the generation of this file is completed, the job execution unit 14 notifies the job control unit 13 that the file generation is completed (step S143).

[0057] In this embodiment, the file name of the file generated by the scan process is set in advance on the scan parameter setting screen 50 shown in Fig. 3D, but if the file name has not been set, the job control unit 13 may inquire of the user about the file name upon detecting the completion of the scan process by the job execution unit 14, and acquire the file name in response to this inquiry. The file name acquired in this way will be set in the file selection tag by the process described below.

[0058] Upon receiving the notification from the job execution unit 14, the job control unit 13 detects that the file generation is complete (step S133). When the job control unit 13 detects that the file generation is complete, it notifies the job status management unit 15 of this (step S134). In response to the notification of the file generation completion, the job status management unit 15 changes the status of the scan upload job from "scanning" to "scan completed" (step S153). Then, the job control unit 13 notifies the job status management unit 15 of the start of execution of the subsequent upload process (step S135). The job status management unit 15 changes the status of the scan upload job from "scan completed" to "uploading" (step S154).

[0059] On the other hand, browser control unit 12 detects the completion of file generation by monitoring the operation of job control unit 13. Note that in this embodiment, browser control unit 12 monitors the operation of job control unit 13 in step S123, thereby becoming aware of the completion of generation of the scan data file, but for example, job control unit 13 may notify browser control unit 12 together with job status management unit 15 in step S134.

[0060] In response to detecting the completion of file generation, browser control unit 12 sets the file name of the stored scan data in the file selection tag (step S124). In this embodiment, regardless of when the file name of the scan data file is set, the file name of the scan data is set in the file selection tag after the file generation is completed.

[0061] Next, after setting the file name, the communication monitoring unit 121 in the browser control unit 12 starts monitoring the communication by the upload process (step S125). Strictly speaking, the file path may be set in the file selection tag, but in this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, it will be described as setting the "file name".

[0062] On the other hand, when the file name is set in the file selection tag, the JavaScript that is written as part of the web page and realizes the upload function detects that a file name has been set in the file selection tag (corresponding to the event being fired (step S117) in Figure 2B), and automatically starts the upload process of the scan data corresponding to the set file name (step S118).

[0063] Then, the Web server 2 receives the file uploaded by the browser function unit 11 (step S22).

[0064] By the way, when uploading a file, the conventional two-step user operation of selecting a file and selecting to send it (for example, using a file selection tag to select a file and a form tag "submit" to select to send it) occurs a page transition in the browser, and the file upload is completed when the page transition is complete. Therefore, it is possible to detect the completion of the file upload by monitoring the page transition status of a normal browser.

[0065] In contrast to the two-step operation described above, in the case of a one-step operation in which a file is uploaded using a scripting language that runs on the browser, for example, if a scripting language such as JavaScript is used to complete the upload through a single operation of file selection, the browser does not transition between pages, so it is not possible to detect the upload status from the state of the page transition. For example, since Figure 3B and Figure 3G have the same URL, it is not possible to detect the upload status from the state of the page transition.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, a communication monitoring unit 121 is provided in the browser control unit 12, and a process (step S125) is added in which the browser control unit 12 monitors the communication between the browser and the Web server 2 after setting a file name in the file selection tag. The system then determines that an upload is in progress when communication starts, and determines that the upload process has ended when communication stops. If the end of the upload process can be detected, a log of the scan upload job can be recorded, as will be described later, and this can also be used to control the display on the operation panel.

[0067] As described above, the browser control unit 12 detects the end of the upload process by monitoring the communication status during the upload process. For example, after setting a file in an HTML tag, the browser control unit 12 monitors HTTP post communication between the browser function unit and the currently displayed web server.

[0068] Incidentally, in order to detect the end of the upload process, the communication monitoring unit 121 only needs to start monitoring at least before the upload process ends. Since the end timing of the upload process is uncertain, monitoring basically starts around the time the upload process starts. In other words, although the file name setting is illustrated first in FIG. 2B, communication monitoring may start first.

[0069] As described above, when the communication monitoring unit 121 detects the end of the upload of the scan data, the browser control unit 12 notifies the job control unit 13 of the completion of the upload (step S126).

[0070] When the job control unit 13 receives the notification that the upload is complete, it notifies the job status management unit 15 of the upload completion (step S136). When the job status management unit 15 receives the notification that the upload is complete, it changes the status of the scan upload job from uploading to upload completed (step S154). Furthermore, since the scan upload job ends with the upload being completed, it changes the status of the scan upload job from upload completed to scan upload job upload completed, and saves the recorded content in the log (step S156).

[0071] As shown in Fig. 3G, a list of files stored in a folder ("Work" in Fig. 3G) prepared and selected for a user (User A) on the Web server 2 is displayed in a display area 40a on the right side of the service screen 40. As shown in the display example in Fig. 3G, a file 48 newly stored by this upload has been added to the list of files.

[0072] Then, the browser function unit 11 may separately display a message 49 indicating that the file has been added in the display area 40a, as shown in Fig. 3G. The message 49 is written as part of a Web page, for example, and is displayed by JavaScript that realizes the upload function.

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, even if a file selection tag is selected by the user, the file name is set in the file selection tag in response to detection of completion of file generation of the scan data to be uploaded. This makes it possible to prevent uploading of an empty or incomplete file, even if uploading is automatically started by the one-step operation.

[0074] As mentioned above, when a web page is written only in HTML, the screen display on the operation panel transitions to a screen informing the user that the upload process has completed when the upload process is complete. However, when the upload process is executed using JavaScript, JavaScript does not detect the completion of the upload process, so the screen display on the operation panel does not transition to another screen even when the upload process is complete. Furthermore, although the operation panel is equipped with buttons such as a home button, these buttons remain operable. Therefore, even if the web browser displaying the web page, in other words, the web browser executing the upload process, is using the operation panel, if a user operates a button such as the home button to change the display screen, the web browser is forced to close. In other words, if the web browser is executing the upload process when the user operates a button, the upload process will be terminated prematurely.

[0075] Therefore, in this embodiment, the Web browser executing the upload process is controlled so as not to be terminated as follows.

[0076] First, when the upload process is in progress, the browser control unit 12 displays on the operation panel a message indicating that the upload process is in progress and controls input / output to the operation panel so that user operations on the operation panel are not accepted. Alternatively, the user can be notified that the scan data is being uploaded by displaying, for example, a message indicating that the upload process is in progress on the operation panel. Alternatively, the operation panel may display a message indicating that user operations on the operation panel are not accepted because the upload process is in progress. Furthermore, even if the user operates the operation panel despite this, by controlling the operation not to be accepted, the web browser that is executing the upload process does not have to be terminated.

[0077] Furthermore, when the browser control unit 12 detects a user operation on the operation panel, it may allocate a dedicated window to the upload process to continue execution and make the operation panel operable. By allocating a dedicated window to the web browser executing the upload process, it is possible to separate it from the operation panel and continue execution in the background. This allows the multifunction device 10 to respond to user operations on the operation panel and maintain the execution state of the upload process without being affected by user operations. It is not necessary to display a message indicating that the upload process is in progress.

[0078] In the above description, a dedicated window is allocated to the upload process in response to detection of a user operation on the operation panel, but the upload process may be controlled to be executed in the background from the start of execution by automatically allocating a dedicated window when the upload process starts. In this case, the browser control unit 12 makes the operation panel operable from the start of execution of the upload process.

[0079] Embodiment 2 The button 46 shown in FIG. 3C is a file selection tag ( <input type="file"> The button 46 is displayed as a first button based on the file selection tag (tag). When a user operates this button 46, file generation starts in response to the user operation. Then, when the browser control unit 12 detects the end of file generation, it sets the file name of the file in the file selection tag (more specifically, "file"). This makes it possible to upload the file. As described in the first embodiment, in the case of a one-step operation in which a file is uploaded using a script language that runs on the browser, file upload starts automatically in response to the file name being set in the file selection tag.

[0080] However, unlike two-step user operations, one-step user operations cannot detect the completion of file upload, so in the first embodiment, a communication monitoring unit 121 is provided as shown in Fig. 1 to monitor the execution status of an automatically started upload, thereby enabling the browser control unit 12 to detect the completion of the upload.

[0081] Incidentally, the multifunction peripheral 10 may upload not only files generated by scanning but also files transmitted via a network. That is, the browser function unit 11 may execute multiple uploads based on HTTP post communications simultaneously in parallel in response to multiple requests. In this case, the communication monitoring unit 121 in the first embodiment processes the post communications in the browser to monitor, and therefore cannot identify the upload to be monitored, i.e., the upload of a file generated by scanning, from among the concurrent uploads based on post communications.

[0082] Therefore, in this embodiment, the browser function unit 11 is provided with a function for identifying the upload to be monitored and notifying the browser control unit 12 of the start and end of the upload.

[0083] The system block configuration (FIG. 1) in this embodiment and the screen transitions (FIGS. 3A to 3G) when generating and uploading a file by scanning may be the same as those in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, a series of processes in this embodiment, from displaying a web page to uploading a file, will be explained using the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the same processes as those in FIG. 2 are assigned the same step numbers, and explanations will be omitted where appropriate. Incidentally, FIG. 2A and FIG. 4A are the same diagram.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 4B, the process from when the browser control unit 12 sets the file name of the scan data in the file selection tag (step S124) until JavaScript in the browser function unit 11 detects that the file name has been set in the file selection tag (step S117) may be the same as in embodiment 1.

[0085] In the present embodiment, the browser function unit 11 automatically starts uploading using a script language in response to a file name being set in the file selection tag, as described above. Because the script language is executed by the browser function unit 11, the browser function unit 11 can detect the start and end of communication implemented by the script language. In the present embodiment, when communication using this script language, for example, the post method of XmlHttpRequest in JavaScript, is executed and when it is completed, the browser control unit 12 is notified of this (step S2111).

[0086] That is, when the browser control unit 12 receives a notification from the browser function unit 11 that the upload has started, it notifies the job control unit 13 of the start of the upload (step S2121). Also, when the browser control unit 12 receives a notification from the browser function unit 11 that the upload has ended, it notifies the job control unit 13 of the end of the upload (step S2122).

[0087] According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect the start and end of uploading a file generated by scanning without confusing the upload of a file generated by scanning with other uploads. Also, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the communication monitoring unit 121 to perform communication monitoring as in the first embodiment, so it is possible to reduce the CPU load due to communication monitoring.

[0088] Embodiment 3 In this embodiment, a file is uploaded by a user through two-step operations. In the one-step operation, as described in the first and second embodiments, a file selection tag (<input type="file"> In contrast, in the two-step operation, the user only operates the file selection tag to set a file name for the file generated by scanning. In the two-step operation, the user also operates the send tag ( <input type="submit"> The upload is started in response to a user operation on a second button (i.e., two button operations) displayed based on the tag.

[0089] In one-step operation, the first button is pressed to start the file generation by scanning, but in embodiments 1 and 2, the file name is set in the file selection tag after the file generation is complete, preventing the upload from starting automatically before the file generation is complete.

[0090] In two-stage operation, if the second button on the display screen displayed together with the first button is hidden by overlaying another screen (page, window, etc.) after the first button is operated, from the time the first button is operated until the file generated by scanning is completed and the file name is set in the file selection tag, the user does not have to operate the second button. In Patent Document 1, which employs two-stage operation, the entire screen including the second button is hidden by another screen, thereby preventing the second button from being operated before scanning is completed.

[0091] However, although operations on the second button can be prevented by hiding the entire screen, operations on areas other than the second button are also prevented.

[0092] In this embodiment, even if the second button displayed based on the transmission tag is not hidden while the file generation is not complete, the file is prevented from being uploaded in an incomplete state.

[0093] The block configuration (FIG. 1) of the system in this embodiment may be the same as that in embodiment 1. Of course, when uploading a file using two-step operations, the communication monitoring function of communication monitoring unit 121 is not necessary, but providing communication monitoring unit 121 makes it possible to handle both web pages for one-step operations and web pages for two-step operations.

[0094] 5A to 5E are diagrams showing the transition of screens displayed on the operation panel of the multifunction device 10 in this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a series of processes for generating and uploading scan data in this embodiment. A series of processes from displaying a web page to uploading a file in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In FIG. 6, the same processes as in FIG. 2 are assigned the same step numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate. Incidentally, FIG. 2A and FIG. 6A are the same drawing.

[0095] 6B, the process up to when browser control unit 12 sets the file name of the scan data in the file selection tag (step S124) may be the same as in embodiment 1. However, the screen displayed on the operation panel up to that point is different, and this point will be explained below.

[0096] FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an example of a submenu screen 80 displayed on the operation panel when, for example, the "+Add New" button 42 on the service screen 40 shown in FIG. 3B is selected in this embodiment. The submenu screen 80 displays a file selection button 82 (first button) displayed based on a file selection tag and a send button 84 (second button) displayed based on a send tag. A display area is provided between the buttons 82 and 84. FIG. 5A shows an example in which a message 86 saying "Not Selected" is displayed in the display area. This message 86, as in the past, literally indicates that no file to be uploaded has been selected.

[0097] When the user selects the file selection button 82 from the submenu screen 80 shown in FIG. 5A (step S114), the browser function unit 11, in response to the user's operation, retrieves the scan parameter setting screen 90 shown in FIG. 5B from the Web server 2 and displays it (step S115). The user sets parameters including the file name of the file to be generated by scanning from the scan parameter setting screen 90. Note that the file name 94 is set by user specification or automatically assigned, as in the first embodiment. When the start button 92 is selected, the job execution unit 14 starts executing the scan (step S141).

[0098] While the scan is being performed, the scan parameter setting screen 90 shown in Fig. 5B may be displayed as is as the processing screen. Alternatively, the screen shown in Fig. 3E may be displayed as the processing screen. By doing so, the send button 84 is not displayed until the file generation by the scan is completed, so that the user does not need to operate it before the file generation is completed.

[0099] However, since the scan parameter setting has been completed, the screen display may be controlled to switch to another screen. For example, the display of scan parameter setting screen 90 may be stopped, and submenu screen 80 shown in FIG. 5A may be displayed again. This submenu screen 80 may be displayed as a processing screen. Incidentally, when the user selects the scan stop button 96 displayed on the scan parameter setting screen 90, the display of scan parameter setting screen 90 is terminated, and the screen displayed on the operation panel returns to submenu screen 80 shown in FIG. 5A.

[0100] In this embodiment, even if a file name is set on the scan parameter setting screen 90 before the scan is executed, the browser control unit 12 simply holds the file name in the file selection tag without setting it (step S121). Therefore, the display area of ​​the submenu screen 80 continues to display the message 86 "Not Selected," which is displayed when the submenu screen 80 is displayed, until a file name is set in the file selection tag (that is, until the scan generation is complete). However, after the scan execution has started, the display of the message 86 "Not Selected" functions as a message indicating that the file to be uploaded has not yet been generated.

[0101] The fact that the submenu screen 80 is displayed on the screen may mean that the Send button 84 is actually displayed on the screen and is operable. However, when the user sees the message 86 saying "Not Selected," the user can infer that the file name to be uploaded has not been set and therefore cannot be sent, and therefore will not operate the Send button 84. In this embodiment, the message 86 displayed on the submenu screen 80 inhibits the user from operating the Send button 84.

[0102] It should be noted that a message indicating that the generation of the file to be transmitted by scanning has not yet been completed may be superimposed on the message 86 "Not Selected" on the submenu screen 80.

[0103] Even if the send button 84 is pressed before the file generation is complete, an error message will be displayed by the browser because no file name has been set in the file selection tag, and the file will not be uploaded in its incomplete state.

[0104] Then, when the generation of the file is completed, the browser control unit 12 sets the file name in the file selection tag (step S124), which causes the browser function unit 11 to display the file name 88 of the generated file in the display area of ​​the submenu screen 80 as shown in Fig. 5C (step S3111).

[0105] Next, when the user selects the send button 84 from the submenu screen 80, the browser function unit 11 accepts the selection operation (step S3112). When the send button 84 is selected, the browser function unit 11 starts uploading the file, as in the conventional two-step operation (step S3113). Furthermore, the browser function unit 11 displays an uploading in progress screen 100, an example of which is shown in FIG. 5D, and notifies the browser control unit 12 of the start of upload. Upon receiving the notification from the browser function unit 11, the browser control unit 12 notifies the job control unit 13 of the start of upload (step S3121).

[0106] Thereafter, when the browser function unit 11 receives a notification from the Web server 2 that the upload has been completed (step S323), the browser function unit 11 displays the upload completion screen 110 illustrated in Fig. 5E and notifies the browser control unit 12 of the completion of the upload (step S3114). Upon receiving the notification from the browser function unit 11, the browser control unit 12 notifies the job control unit 13 of the completion of the upload (step S3122).

[0107] As described above, even when uploading a file generated by scanning is achieved through a two-step operation in which the user operates both the file selection button 82 and the send button 84, it is possible to prevent uploading a file that does not exist or is in an incomplete state.

[0108] A modification of this embodiment will now be described.

[0109] In the above explanation, the submenu screen 80 shown in Fig. 5A may be displayed as a processing screen while a scan is being performed. However, in this case, the send button 84 is actually displayed on the screen in an operable state.

[0110] Therefore, while the generation of the file is not yet complete, an opaque display element may be superimposed on the display screen on at least the display portion of the send button 84. This makes the send button 84 invisible, in other words, it is no longer operable by the user, making it possible to prevent uploading an empty or incomplete file.

[0111] As an example of displaying the send button 84 in a state where it cannot be seen, the processing screen 60 shown in FIG. 3E may be displayed as the processing screen, as described above. However, since the processing screen 60 covers the entire screen of the operation panel, it is not possible to display other information or allow the user to perform any operation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the display screen can be used effectively while scanning is in progress.

[0112] 7A to 7C are diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the operation panel of the multifunction peripheral 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7A shows an example of a display of a user information transmission screen 120. Similar to the submenu screen 80 shown in FIG. 3A, this user information transmission screen 120 displays a file selection button 82, a send button 84, and a message 86. In other words, similar to the submenu screen 80, the user information transmission screen 120 is displayed by selecting the "+Add New" button 42 on the service screen 40 shown in FIG. 3B, and like the submenu screen 80, it is a screen having file selection and transmission functions. The user information transmission screen 120 further includes a setting area 122 in a display area other than the display elements similar to those of the submenu screen 80. This setting area 122 displays input fields for setting user information, specifically, name, address, and gender.

[0113] This user information transmission screen 120 is displayed even after scanning is started from the scan parameter setting screen 90, and can accept user operations on the setting area 122. Therefore, instead of simply waiting for the completion of file generation, the user can set user information in an area other than where the buttons 82 and 84 are displayed, i.e., in the setting area 122. Note that even on the user information transmission screen 120, an opaque display element may be superimposed on the send button 84 to make it invisible.

[0114] 7B shows the user information transmission screen 120 when the user has not yet finished inputting the user information and the file generation has not yet finished. As shown in FIG. 7B, the user information transmission screen 120 displays a message 86 indicating that the file to be uploaded has not yet been generated.

[0115] 7C shows the user information transmission screen 120 when the user has finished inputting the user information and the file generation has been completed. As shown in FIG. 7C, the display in the predetermined display area has been updated from the message 86 to the file name 88, which indicates that the file generation has been completed.

[0116] If the send button 84 is hidden by an opaque display element superimposed on it, the display element is removed to make it visible. The user can then select the send button 84 at the desired timing to start uploading the file generated by scanning.

[0117] The input and set user information can be handled in any way. For example, it may be uploaded to the Web server 2 like a file, or it may be stored internally. Alternatively, in consideration of the case where the input of the user information is not yet complete, the setting area 122 may continue to be displayed on the uploading screen so that the input of the user information can be continued.

[0118] In the above description, the multifunction peripheral 10 has been described as an example of an information processing system, but it is not limited to the multifunction peripheral 10, and the information processing system can be realized by linking a computer such as a PC with the multifunction peripheral 10 equipped with a scanner, or by attaching an external scanner to a PC, etc. Also, a web page can be obtained from a web server using a mobile device with a camera, and a newly generated file (for example, a newly captured still image, video, etc.) can be uploaded in response to a user operation on a predetermined button displayed on the web page.

[0119] In the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0120] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0121] (Addendum) (((1))) a processor; The processor: Initiating file generation in response to a user operation on a first button displayed on the web page; When the completion of the file generation is detected, the file name of the file is set in a predetermined tag in the web page, thereby making the file ready to be uploaded. An information processing system comprising: (((2))) The information processing system described in (((1))) is characterized in that the file upload is initiated in response to a user operation on a second button displayed based on the web page after the file name of the file is set within the specified tag. (((3))) The information processing system described in (((2))) is characterized in that the processor displays a message indicating that the file has not yet been generated, along with the second button, while the generation of the file has not yet been completed. (((4))) The information processing system described in (((2))) or (((3))) is characterized in that the processor superimposes an opaque display element on the display screen, at least on the display portion of the second button, while the generation of the file has not yet been completed. (((5))) The information processing system described in (((4))) is characterized in that the processor accepts user operations on the display area on the display screen other than the opaque display element while the generation of the file has not yet been completed. (((6))) The upload of the file is automatically started in response to the file name of the file being set in the predetermined tag. The information processing system according to (((1))) is characterized in that: (((7))) The information processing system according to (((6))) is characterized in that the processor detects the end of the upload by monitoring the execution status of the automatically started upload. (((8))) The information processing system described in (((6))) is characterized in that the processor receives notifications from the web browser processing the web page of the start and end of the upload that is performed in response to the file name of the file being set within the specified tag. (((9))) On the computer, a function of starting generation of a file in response to a user operation on a first button displayed on a web page; a function of setting a file name of the file in a predetermined tag on the web page when the completion of the file generation is detected, thereby making the file ready for upload; A program to achieve this.

[0122] According to the invention described in (((1))), when uploading a newly generated file in response to a user operation on a predetermined button displayed on a web page, it is possible to prevent the file from being uploaded in an incomplete state. According to the invention described in (((2))), the user can start uploading a file by his / her own operation. According to the invention described in (((3))), it is possible to cause the user to refrain from operating the second button. According to the invention described in (((4))), the second button can be made invisible so that it cannot be operated when file generation has not yet finished. According to the invention described in (((5))), when the second button cannot be operated, the user can perform other operations on the display screen. According to the invention described in (((6))), the user does not need to perform any operations to upload a file. According to the invention described in (((7))), it is possible to detect the end of uploading by oneself without receiving notification from others. According to the invention described in (((8))), it is possible to detect the start and end of an upload that is automatically started. According to the invention described in (((9))), when uploading a newly generated file in response to a user operation on a predetermined button displayed on a web page, it is possible to prevent the file from being uploaded in an incomplete state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 2 Web server, 4 Network, 10 Multifunction device, 11 Browser function unit, 12 Browser control unit, 13 Job control unit, 14 Job execution unit, 15 Job status management unit, 16 Memory unit, 121 Communication monitoring unit.

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: starting generation of a file in response to a user operation on a first button displayed on the web page; When the completion of the file generation is detected, the file name of the file is set in a predetermined tag in the web page, thereby making the file ready to be uploaded. An information processing system comprising:

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the upload of the file is initiated in response to a user operation on a second button displayed based on the web page after the file name of the file is set within the specified tag.

3. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the processor displays, together with the second button, a message indicating that the file has not yet been generated while the generation of the file has not yet been completed.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the processor superimposes an opaque display element on the display screen on at least the display portion of the second button while the generation of the file has not yet been completed.

5. 5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the processor accepts user operations on a display area other than the opaque display element on the display screen while the generation of the file has not yet been completed.

6. The upload of the file is automatically started in response to the file name of the file being set in the predetermined tag.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

7. 7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the processor detects the completion of an automatically started upload by monitoring the execution status of the upload.

8. The information processing system according to claim 6, characterized in that the processor receives notifications of the start and end of uploading, which is performed in response to the file name of the file being set within the specified tag, from the web browser that processes the web page.

9. On the computer, a function of starting generation of a file in response to a user operation on a first button displayed on the web page; a function of setting a file name of the file in a predetermined tag on the web page when the completion of the file generation is detected, thereby making the file ready for upload; A program to achieve this.

Images