Terminal device, terminal device control method, and program

Abstract

A terminal device, a control method for a terminal device, and a program are provided that enable automatic update of an application to be controlled in a more suitable manner. [Solution] In an information processing system in which an image forming device and a mobile terminal are communicatively connected via a network, the CPU of the mobile terminal individually sets automatic updates for each of a series of applications running on the image forming device, and updates the automatic update settings for at least a portion of the series of applications as target applications based on at least one of application characteristics 1005 specific to the target application and environmental characteristics 1011 related to the image forming device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device, a control method for a terminal device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] As a method for expanding the functionality of so-called information processing devices such as image forming devices and image reading devices, there is a known method of downloading and installing additional application software (hereinafter also referred to as application) into the target device. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an image forming device communicates with a server to obtain information about the application, and then installs a new application or updates an already installed application. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-198013 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional technology, automatic updates (hereinafter also referred to as automatic updates) are not set individually for applications running on an information processing device, which can result in applications that should not be automatically updated being updated. On the other hand, if the automatic update setting is canceled, the user must update each application individually, which can require the user to perform cumbersome operations.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to enable automatic update of applications to be controlled in a more suitable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The terminal device of the present invention has a setting means for individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications running on a target device, and the setting means updates the automatic update settings based on at least one of the application characteristics specific to the target application and the environmental characteristics related to the target device, with at least a portion of the series of applications as the target application. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to control automatic updates of applications in a more suitable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an operation unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a mobile terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a mobile terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of a mobile terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software structure of an MFP utility. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of information of an MFP utility. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of a mobile terminal. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of a mobile terminal. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a correspondence table and a determination table. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of a mobile terminal. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the control flow of the MFP utility. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of a mobile terminal. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data flow in the information processing system. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data flow in the information processing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. An example of the system configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 101 corresponds to an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium such as paper, such as an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral). The mobile terminal 102 is a terminal device that has a communication function using mobile communication, a wireless network connection function, a web browser function, an imaging function, etc. The network 100 is a communication network that can be connected to the Internet 103. The image forming apparatus 101 may be connected to the network 100 via, for example, a wired transmission path. The mobile terminal 102 may also be connected to the network 100 by, for example, accessing an access point (not shown) of the network 100 via a wireless network. In this way, the image forming apparatus 101 and the mobile terminal 102 are communicatively connected via the network 100. Note that the above-described communication connection method is merely an example, and the method is not particularly limited as long as the image forming apparatus 101 and the mobile terminal 102 are communicatively connected.

[0012] The Internet 103 schematically shows a publicly known and publicly used Internet communication network. In the example shown in Fig. 1, an application distribution server 104 that provides Web services, an online storage 105, a cloud service server 106, and an IdProvider server 107 for authentication are connected to the Internet 103. The application distribution server 104 is connected to the mobile terminal 102 via the Internet 103 and the network 100, and performs authentication for the mobile terminal 102. Here, if a user account is registered in the mobile terminal 102, the mobile terminal 102 acquires a catalog of installable applications from the application distribution server 104 and displays the catalog in a predetermined display area. This allows the user to individually select applications from the presented catalog, thereby downloading and installing the applications individually from the application distribution server 104 to the mobile terminal 102. The online storage 105 stores various data including image files. Cloud service server 106 receives image data scanned by image forming apparatus 101, extracts text information from the image using OCR processing, and then executes a predetermined process. In addition, cloud service server 106 returns image data to image forming apparatus 101 in response to a request from image forming apparatus 101, and provides a service that causes image forming apparatus 101 to print out the image data. The IdProvider server 107 is a server for performing authentication when the image forming apparatus 101 and the mobile terminal 102 access the application distribution server 104, the online storage 105, and the cloud service server 106.

[0013] Specifically, when the image forming apparatus 101 or the mobile terminal 102 accesses the application distribution server 104, the online storage 105, the cloud service server 106, or the like, the image forming apparatus 101 or the mobile terminal 102 is redirected to the IdProvider server 107. The image forming apparatus 101 or the mobile terminal 102 acquires authentication information by executing a login process in the IdProvider server 107. The image forming apparatus 101 or the mobile terminal 102 can use the acquired authentication information to access the application distribution server 104, the online storage 105, or the cloud service server 106, thereby becoming able to use the services.

[0014] The application distribution server 104, online storage 105, cloud service server 106, and IdProvider server 107 can be operated from outside the respective servers via a communication I / F. These servers have a CPU, RAM, ROM, storage, a communication I / F, etc., which are not shown. The image forming apparatus 101, the mobile terminal 102, the application distribution server 104, the online storage 105, the cloud service server 106, and the IdProvider server 107 are connected to each other via the Internet 103 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 101 transmits image data obtained by reading a document to a mobile terminal 102, an online storage 105, a cloud service server 106, and the like. The mobile terminal 102 can also install and execute an application for the image forming device 101 downloaded from the application distribution server 104. This application provides functions such as sending an image scanned by the image forming device 101 to the online storage 105, and acquiring an image stored in the online storage 105 and sending it to the image forming device 101 for printing. The mobile terminal 102 may also acquire information indicating the status of the image forming apparatus 101 using a communication protocol such as the HTTP protocol, and present the information to the user by displaying the information in a predetermined display area. The mobile terminal 102 may also be used to change various settings of the image forming apparatus 101, send data in the mobile terminal 102 to the image forming apparatus for printing, and acquire images scanned by the image forming apparatus 101.

[0016] An example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to FIG. The image forming apparatus 101 includes a control unit 210 , an operation unit 216 , a reading unit 218 , and a printing unit 220 . The control unit 210 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 212, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 213, and a storage 214. The control unit 210 also has an operation unit I / F (Interface) 215, a reading unit I / F 217, a printing unit I / F 219, an external storage I / F 221, and a communication unit I / F 223.

[0017] The CPU 211 controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 101. The CPU 211 loads a program stored in the ROM 212 or the storage 214 into the RAM 213 and executes it. An example of a program executed by the CPU 211 is a control program. The CPU 211 executes the control program to perform various controls of the image forming apparatus 101, such as reading control and printing control. The ROM 212 stores programs executed by the CPU 211. The ROM 212 can also store a boot program, font data, and the like. The RAM 213 is the main storage memory of the CPU 211. The RAM 213 is used as a work area for the CPU 211, a temporary storage area for expanding programs stored in the ROM 212 and the storage 214, etc. The RAM 213 can also be used as a storage area for temporarily storing image data. The storage 214 stores various data (e.g., image data, print data, address book, shortcut data, etc.), various programs, and various setting information. As the storage 214, for example, a storage device such as a flash memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or an eMMC (Embedded Multi Media Card) can be used.

[0018] The operation unit I / F 215 is an interface that connects the operation unit 216 and the control unit 210. The operation unit 216 can be realized by an input device such as a hard key or a touch panel. The touch panel is configured by attaching a touch panel sheet to a display. The operation unit 216 accepts operations from the user via the hard key, and displays a screen and accepts operations on the screen via the touch panel. The reading unit I / F 217 is an interface that connects the reading unit 218 and the control unit 210. The reading unit 218 reads a document and generates image data. The image data generated by the reading unit 218 is transmitted to an external device or printed on a printing sheet. The printing unit I / F 219 is an interface that connects the printing unit 220 and the control unit 210. The CPU 211 transfers image data to be printed (image data to be printed) to the printing unit 220 via the printing unit I / F 219. The printing unit 220 prints an image on a sheet fed from a paper feed cassette (not shown). As a method for printing an image, for example, an electrophotographic method that prints an image using toner, an inkjet method that prints an image using ink, or the like can be applied. The external storage I / F 221 is an interface that connects the external storage device 222 and the control unit 210. The CPU 211 stores image data in the external storage device 222 via the external storage I / F 221. An example of the external storage I / F 221 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface. Furthermore, an example of the external storage device 222 is a USB memory, an SD card, or the like.

[0019] The control unit 210 is connected to the network 100 via a communication unit I / F 223. As the network 100, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) can be applied. The communication unit I / F 223 is a communication interface for connecting the image forming apparatus 101 to the network 100, and controls the transmission and reception of data via the network 100. For example, the image forming apparatus 101 transmits and receives various internal setting information to and from the mobile terminal 102, and transmits image data to the online storage 105, via the communication unit I / F 223.

[0020] 3, an example of the configuration of the operation unit 216 of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described. The operation unit 216 includes a touch panel 300, a Data LED 306, and an Error LED 307. Touch panel 300 is displayed immediately after image forming apparatus 101 is started up. In the example shown in FIG. 3 , a home screen is displayed on touch panel 300. The home screen is a screen for receiving instructions from a user regarding the execution of each function of image forming apparatus 101. For example, the home screen may display a copy button for using a copy function that causes printing unit 120 to print an image based on image data generated by reading an original document with reading unit 118. The home screen may also display a fax button for using a fax function that transmits image data generated by reading an original document with reading unit 118 to a specified destination using a modem (not shown). The home screen may also display a scan button for using a send function that transmits image data generated by reading an original document with reading unit 118 to a specified destination via communication unit I / F 123. The transmission function may include an email function for attaching image data to an email and transmitting it, a folder transmission function for transmitting image data to be stored in a specified folder, or the like.

[0021] The home screen may also display a menu button 301, an address book button 302 for calling and displaying an address book, a cloud scan button 303 for sending an image to the online storage 105, and the like. A status check button 304 is a button for displaying and checking the operating status of the image forming apparatus 101 and the execution history of various jobs. The home key 305 is an electrostatic touch key, and is a button for switching the currently displayed screen to the home screen. The Data LED 306 lights up during data transmission, thereby notifying the user that the image forming apparatus 101 is transmitting data. The Error LED 307 lights up when an error occurs in the image forming apparatus 101 .

[0022] An example of the software configuration of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that, for convenience, the example shown in Fig. 4 mainly shows functions characteristic of the image forming apparatus 101 according to this embodiment, but does not limit the functions possessed by the image forming apparatus 101. The software of the image forming apparatus 101 is configured by an OS (Operating System) 401, a service layer 402, and an application layer 403, which are controlled by a CPU 211.

[0023] The OS 401 is basic software for the image forming apparatus 101. Each piece of software on the image forming apparatus 101 runs on the OS 401 as a process or a thread.

[0024] The service layer 402 has functions for controlling various hardware resources and is a group of software modules that provide an interface to allow applications in the upper application layer 403 to use these functions. As a specific example, the service layer 402 may include, for example, an operation unit manager 404 that provides functions related to the operation unit and a reading unit manager 405 that provides control functions for the reading unit. The service layer 402 may also include a printing unit manager 406 that provides control functions for the printing unit and a communication unit manager 407 that provides functions related to wired LAN, wireless LAN, and near-field wireless communication. The service layer 402 may also include a data management manager 410 that manages data in the ROM 212, RAM 213, storage 214, and external storage device 222, and an image processing controller 411 that performs image processing, format conversion, etc. The service layer 402 may also include an application sequence controller 408 that manages the sequence of jobs launched by applications in the application layer 403, and a job controller 409 that manages conflicts between jobs launched by applications.

[0025] The application layer 403 is a group of basic applications that run on the service layer 402. The application layer 403 may include, for example, a fax sending application 412, a copy application 413, a scan application 414, a print application 415, an operation unit home screen application 416, and the like. The application layer 403 may also include an additional application platform 417 for installing additional applications from outside the image forming apparatus 101 and for executing the applications. The basic applications directly implement their functions by using the interface of the service layer 402. For example, when the operation unit home screen application 416 starts the copy application 413, the touch panel 300 displays a copy setting screen using the operation unit manager 404. After settings are configured on the copy setting screen, the operation unit manager 404 notifies the copy application 413 of the setting information when it receives a job start instruction.

[0026] The copy application 413 reserves an area in the RAM 213 from the data management manager 410 in accordance with the setting information. The copy application 413 then notifies the reading unit manager 405 of setting information such as resolution, size, color information, and the area reserved in the RAM 213. The copy application 413 also notifies the printing unit manager 406 of setting information such as the number of copies, resolution, color information, and the area reserved in the RAM 213. The copy application 413 also notifies the application sequence controller 408 and job controller 409 of the operation sequences of the reading unit manager 405 and printing unit manager 406 to determine the operation timing. The reading unit manager 405 saves image data acquired from the reading unit 218 in accordance with the setting information in the reserved area of ​​the RAM 213 as the storage destination. The printing unit manager 406 also acquires image data stored in the RAM 213 and sends it to the printing unit 220 for printing. When printing is complete, the printing unit manager 406 notifies the job controller 409 of the completion of printing, and when it confirms the completion of the job, it launches the operation unit home screen application 416 and returns to the idle state.

[0027] The additional application platform 417 includes an additional application framework 418 for running additional applications. The additional application framework 418 includes an additional application management manager 419 , an additional application content manager 420 , an additional application job controller 421 , and a screen display framework 422 . The additional application management manager 419 manages applications added to the additional application platform 417. When the image forming apparatus 101 is started, the additional application management manager 419 checks the additional applications held by the image forming apparatus 101, notifies the operation unit home screen application 416, and requests that an icon for the additional application be displayed. Furthermore, when the additional application management manager 419 receives a request to add an additional application from the communication unit manager 407, it checks the capacity of the application addition area in the data management manager 410. Then, when the additional application management manager 419 confirms that there is sufficient capacity, it downloads and installs the application, and notifies the operation unit manager 404 of the icon for the added application to display it.

[0028] The additional application content manager 420, the additional application job controller 421, and the screen display framework 422 are used to realize the functions of the additional applications. Examples of the additional applications include smartphone scan 423, receipt scan 424, ID management application 425, cloud storage scan 426, cloud storage print 427, and MFP application store 428. As a specific example, the execution of cloud storage scan 426 will be described below. Assume that the operation unit home screen application 416 receives a touch operation on the cloud storage scan icon from the user. In this case, the additional application management manager 419 checks the application information for cloud storage scan with the additional application content manager 420. The additional application content manager 420 checks from the application information whether it is possible to deploy the application and secure the RAM 213 required for scanning. When RAM 213 has been secured, the additional application management manager 419 loads the cloud storage scan 426 application stored in the storage 214 into RAM 213. The loaded cloud storage scan 426 uses the screen display framework 422 to cause the operation unit manager 404 to display the setting screen for cloud storage scan 426 on the touch panel 300.

[0029] After the settings are configured on the cloud storage scan setting screen, when the operation unit manager 404 receives a job start instruction, it notifies the cloud storage scan 426 of the setting information via the screen display framework 422. The cloud storage scan 426 notifies the reading unit manager 405 of setting information such as resolution, size, color information, and the area allocated in RAM 213 in accordance with the setting information. The cloud storage scan 426 also notifies the communication manager 407 of setting information such as the destination address, path, login information, and area allocated in the RAM 213. The additional application job controller 421 notifies the application sequence controller 408 and job controller 409 of the operation sequence of the reading manager 405 and communication manager 407, and determines the operation timing.

[0030] The reading unit manager 405 stores the image data acquired from the reading unit 218 in accordance with the setting information in an area reserved in the RAM 213. The communication unit manager 407 then acquires the image data stored in the RAM 213, sends it to the communication unit I / F 223, and stores it in the online storage 105. The communication unit I / F 223 connects to the online storage 105 at the specified destination address, and after logging in using the login information, saves the image data in the specified path. When the online storage 105 completes saving the image data, it notifies the communication unit I / F 223 of the saving result. Then, when the communication unit I / F 223 notifies the job controller 409 of the saving completion, it executes job termination processing, notifies the additional application job controller 421 of the job completion, launches the operation unit home screen application 416, and returns to the idle state.

[0031] An example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 102 will be described with reference to FIG. The mobile terminal 102 includes a control unit 510 , an operation unit 516 , a camera 518 , a speaker 520 , and a microphone 522 . The control unit 510 includes a CPU 511 , a ROM 512 , a RAM 513 , a storage 514 , an operation unit I / F 515 , a camera unit I / F 517 , a speaker unit I / F 519 , a microphone unit I / F 521 , and a communication unit I / F 523 .

[0032] The CPU 511 controls the entire mobile terminal 102, and reads and executes programs stored in the ROM 512 or the storage 514. Examples of the programs executed by the CPU 511 include control programs. By executing the control programs, the CPU 511 performs various types of control of the mobile terminal 102, such as communication control and camera control. The ROM 512 stores programs executed by the CPU 511. The ROM 512 can also store a boot program, font data, and the like. The RAM 513 is a main storage memory for the CPU 511. The RAM 513 is used as a work area for the CPU 511 and a temporary storage area for developing programs stored in the ROM 512. The storage 514 stores various programs (for example, application programs, etc.) and various data (for example, image data, an address book, music data, etc.) As the storage 514, for example, a storage device such as a flash ROM, such as an SD card, can be used.

[0033] The operation unit I / F 515 is an interface that connects the operation unit 516 and the control unit 510. The operation unit 516 can be realized by input devices such as hard keys and a touch panel. The operation unit 516 accepts user operations and also displays various information on a screen. The touch panel is configured as an integral part of the display, with transparent electrodes that form the touch panel vapor-deposited on the display. The camera unit I / F 517 is an interface that connects the camera 518 and the control unit 510. The speaker unit I / F 519 is an interface that connects the speaker 520 and the control unit 510. The microphone unit I / F 521 is an interface that connects the microphone 522 and the control unit 510. When an application stored in ROM 512 is executed, the operation of each of camera 518, speaker 520, and microphone 522 is controlled by control unit 510 in accordance with the program of the application.

[0034] The control unit 510 is connected to the network 100 via a communication unit I / F 523. As the network 100, for example, a LAN realized by Wi-Fi or the like can be applied. The communication unit I / F 523 controls transmission and reception of data via the network 100. For example, the mobile terminal 102 can be connected to the image forming apparatus 101, the application distribution server 104, the online storage 105, the cloud service server 106, and the IdProvider server 107 via the communication unit I / F 523. This enables the mobile terminal 102 to realize functions using these external devices.

[0035] An example of the software configuration of the mobile terminal 102 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that, for convenience, the example shown in Fig. 6 mainly shows functions characteristic of the mobile terminal 102 according to this embodiment, but does not limit the functions possessed by the mobile terminal 102. The mobile terminal 102 is configured with an OS 601, a service layer 602, an application framework 603, and an application layer 604, which are controlled by a CPU 511.

[0036] The OS 601 is the basic software of the mobile terminal 102. Each piece of software on the mobile terminal 102 runs as a process or thread on the OS 601. The OS 601 also provides libraries necessary for executing applications such as communication, operation, and display.

[0037] The service layer 602 has a graphics library 605 for performing 2D / 3D display using a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) (not shown), and a camera library 606 for controlling the camera. The service layer 602 may also include a hard key library 607 for controlling hard keys such as volume, and a personal authentication library 608 for controlling hardware that performs fingerprint authentication or face authentication. The libraries belonging to the service layer 602 correspond to libraries for hardware / software that are not supported by the OS 601.

[0038] The application framework 603 provides the functions necessary for application operation. The application status manager 609 manages the lifecycle of applications. The window manager 610 controls the screen state of each application. The content provider 611 manages data shared between applications. The UI management system 612 provides components such as buttons and text boxes that applications use to build a UI.

[0039] The application management system 613 manages (e.g., installs, uninstalls, etc.) applications stored in the mobile terminal 102. The alert management manager 614 provides an alert function that notifies users of the occurrence of an event. The resource manager 615 manages resources such as text, graphics, and layout. The communication management system 616 provides access to communication and telephone functions.

[0040] The application layer 604 includes a group of applications that run on the mobile terminal 102, and may include, for example, standard applications and additional applications. The standard applications correspond to applications that are installed on the mobile terminal 102 in a factory default state. The standard applications may include, for example, a Home screen 630, a web browser 617, a store application 618, and a phone application 619. The additional applications correspond to applications that are downloaded from the application distribution server 104 and stored in the storage 514. In this embodiment, these applications may include an invoice scan application 620, a receipt scan application 621, a cloud print application 622, a cloud scan application 623, and an MFP utility 624.

[0041] FIG. 7A shows an example of a home screen displayed by a home screen 630 included in the standard applications of the mobile terminal 102. The operation unit 516 of the mobile terminal 102 is a touch panel, and when the user touches a displayed icon, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 starts the corresponding application. 7(A), the home screen displays icons 701 to 703 associated with standard applications such as a calling application, a web browser, and an application store. Also, icons 704 to 707 associated with additional applications such as an invoice scanning application, a receipt scanning application, a cloud printing application, and a cloud scanning application are displayed.

[0042] 8, an example of processing of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described, focusing on processing when an application is installed on the mobile terminal 102. Specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 8, the mobile terminal 102 accesses the application distribution server 104 in response to an instruction from a user, thereby installing the application on the mobile terminal 102.

[0043] In step S801, when the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a touch operation on the application store icon 703 on the home screen shown in FIG. 7A, the CPU 511 receives a notification of the coordinates of the touch position from a touch panel controller (not shown). In S802, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 detects that the application store icon 703 has been selected from the coordinates notified in S801, and starts the store application 618. In step S803 , when the store application 618 is launched, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 connects to the application distribution server 104 via the communication unit IF 523 . In S804, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a request for login information from the application distribution server 104.

[0044] In step S805, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 displays the login screen shown in FIG. 7B on the operation unit 516 in response to the request for login information received in step S804. In S806, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 accepts input of login information from the user via the operation unit 516 (in other words, the login screen displayed on the operation unit 516). In S807, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 notifies the application distribution server 104 of the login information input and accepted in S806. In S808, the application distribution server 104 notifies the mobile terminal 102 of a login permission response corresponding to the login information notified by the mobile terminal 102 in S807.

[0045] In S809, if the login is successful, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 requests the application distribution server 104 to download an application catalog. On the other hand, if the login is unsuccessful, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 returns to the processing of S805, which is related to the display of the login screen shown in FIG. 7B. In S810, the application distribution server 104 transmits a response of the application catalog to the mobile terminal 102 in response to the request received from the mobile terminal 102 in S809. In S811, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display a screen presenting the application catalog received from the application distribution server 104 in S809, as shown in FIG. 7C.

[0046] In S812, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 accepts a selection of an application from the user via the application catalog displayed on the operation unit 516, and then accepts an instruction for installation via the install button 708. For convenience, it is assumed here that an MFP utility has been selected as the target, and an instruction for installing the MFP utility has been accepted via the install button 708. In step S813, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display the installation screen shown in FIG. 7(D). In step S814, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 requests the application distribution server 104 to download the MFP utility, which is the application to be installed. In S815, the application distribution server 104 transmits to the mobile terminal 102 the installation package data of the application (MFP utility) requested by the mobile terminal 102 in S814. In S816, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 stores the installation package downloaded from the application distribution server 104 in S815 in the storage 514 or the RAM 513. Then, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 notifies the application management system 613 of the installation package information and installs the target application (MFP utility).

[0047] When the installation of the target application (MFP utility) is completed, in step S817, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display an installation completion screen shown in FIG. 7(E). In step S818, when the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a touch operation from the user on the OK button 709 on the installation completion screen, the CPU 511 adds an icon 710 of the MFP utility to the home screen as shown in FIG. 7(F). Then, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0048] 9, an example of the software structure of the MFP utility 624 will be described. The MFP utility 624 is a mobile terminal application that has management functions such as installing and updating additional applications for the image forming apparatus 101, and works in conjunction with the image forming apparatus 101 to provide functions such as scanning and printing. The MFP utility 624 includes (encloses) at least one or more installation packages for additional applications that can be executed on the additional application framework 418 of the image forming apparatus 101, and is distributed from the application distribution server 104. Therefore, by using the MFP utility 624, the user can install or update additional applications in the image forming apparatus 101 without having to separately obtain installation packages for the additional applications. Note that, for convenience of explanation, the example shown in Fig. 9 mainly shows functions specific to this embodiment, but this does not limit the functions that the MFP utility 624 has.

[0049] The MFP utility 624 is made up of an overall application setting unit 901 , a UI display management unit 902 , and a logic unit 903 . The overall application settings unit 901 is responsible for system settings when the MFP utility 624 runs on the mobile terminal 102. The system settings may include, for example, the application name, component information of the application, permission information required when accessing a protected area of ​​the mobile terminal 102, and terminal compatibility information used for the application. The UI display management unit 902 manages UI-related data such as UI images, layouts, and display settings of the application. The logic unit 903 performs cooperation with other applications, data processing, etc., and is composed of a UI control unit 904, a system notification control unit 905, a data processing logic unit 906, and a data management unit 907.

[0050] The UI control unit 904 uses the display settings of the UI images and layouts managed by the UI display management unit 902 to switch the display of the operation unit in accordance with user operations or information received from the data processing unit or system notification control unit. The system notification control unit 905 processes notifications received via the application framework 603 of the mobile terminal 102 from the OS 601, the service layer 602, or other applications in the application framework 603. The data processing logic unit 906 executes processing requested by the information received from the system notification control unit 905 and the UI control unit 904 in cooperation with the data management unit 907. The data processing logic unit 906 includes an MFP application cooperation unit 908, an MFP application management unit 909, and a device management unit 910. The data management unit 907 has application setting data 911, an installation package 912, and device management data 913. The installation package 912 is an installation package for an additional application that runs on the additional application framework 418 of the image forming apparatus 101. The data management unit 907 also manages data used by the application.

[0051] The MFP application cooperation 908 is a program for performing operations such as scanning and printing in cooperation with an additional application of the image forming apparatus 101. The MFP application management 909 is a program for managing the additional application of the image forming apparatus 101. The MFP application management 909 transmits additional application data and an install command to the image forming apparatus 101. The device management 910 controls the communication management system 616 of the mobile terminal 102 to search the network 100 for devices (the image forming apparatus 101 in this embodiment) that are compatible with the MFP utility 624, and performs processing to register them as linked devices. Note that this registered linked device information is linked to the device identification information and stored in the device management data 913. Information on additional applications installed in the image forming apparatus 101 by the MFP application management 909 is also linked to the linked device information and stored in the device management data 913. The application setting data 911 includes basic information and various operation setting data for the MFP utility 624.

[0052] An example of the data structure of each of the basic information of the MFP utility 624, the environmental characteristics information for each linked device, and the additional application information for each linked device will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The basic information of the MFP utility 624 is stored in application setting data 911. The environmental characteristics information for each linked device and the additional application information for each linked device are stored in device management data 913. For convenience, the example shown in Fig. 10 mainly shows data characteristic of this embodiment, but this does not limit the information that each data is to manage.

[0053] FIG. 10A shows an example of the data structure of basic information of the MFP utility 624. As basic information of the MFP utility 624, for example, various information such as ID 1002, name 1003, version 1004, and application characteristics 1005 is managed as information of the included MFP additional application. Furthermore, the application characteristics 1005 of the included MFP additional application may include external system cooperation information 1006, PRO use information 1007, and image reception information 1008. The external system cooperation information 1006 is information indicating whether or not cooperation with an external system is enabled. The PRO use information 1007 is information indicating whether or not the application is for PRO use, such as commercial use. The image reception information 1008 is information indicating whether or not the image forming apparatus handles image data received from an external source. Note that the example shown in FIG. 10 is merely an example and does not limit the information managed as application characteristics 1005 of the included MFP additional application. The ID 1002 and name 1003 of the included MFP additional application are assumed to be unique values ​​for each additional application.

[0054] FIG. 10B shows an example of the data structure of environmental characteristic information for each linked device. The environmental characteristic information for each linked device includes, for example, a device name 1009, identification information 1010, and environmental characteristics 1011. The device environmental characteristics 1011 represent characteristics specific to the environment surrounding the image forming device, such as the image forming device's performance, specifications, various user knowledge and skills, and intended use. In this embodiment, the device environmental characteristics 1011 may include product performance information 1012, product range information 1013, and service contract information 1014. The product performance information 1012 represents hardware specifications of the linked device. The product range information 1013 represents the market range of the linked device. The service contract information 1014 represents whether or not a service and maintenance contract exists for the linked device. In this embodiment, the information managed as the device environmental characteristics 1011 may be set by a user via a setting menu of the MFP utility 624 (not shown) displayed on the operation unit 516 of the mobile terminal 102. Furthermore, the information managed as the environmental characteristics 1011 for each linked device is not limited to the information exemplified above, and other information may be applied.

[0055] 10C shows an example of the data structure of additional application information for each linked device. For example, various information such as a device name 1015, device identification information 1016, an IP address 1017, and an ID 1018 may be managed as the additional application information for each linked device. For example, various information such as a name 1019, an installed additional application version 1020, a downloaded additional application version 1021, and an automatic update setting 1022 may be managed as the additional application information for each linked device. For example, the serial number assigned to the target device may be used as the device identification information 1016. Here, the version 1020 of the installed additional application is version information that is updated when the additional application is installed in the image forming apparatus 101 using the MFP utility 624. Also, the version 1021 of the downloaded additional application is version information of each additional application included in the MFP utility 624.

[0056] In this embodiment, the update contents of the MFP utility 624 distributed from the application distribution server 104 include updates to installation packages related to additional applications already installed in the image forming apparatus 101. Therefore, when a difference occurs between the version 1020 of the installed additional application and the version 1021 of the downloaded additional application, the additional application may be automatically updated in the image forming apparatus 101. A setting related to whether or not the additional application is automatically updated is managed as an automatic update setting 1022.

[0057] An example of processing of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11, focusing on processing when the image forming apparatus 101 is registered as a cooperative device in the MFP utility 624.

[0058] In S1101, when a touch operation on the MFP utility icon 710 on the home screen shown in FIG. 7F is accepted, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives notification of the coordinates of the touch position from a touch panel controller (not shown). In S1102, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 detects that the MFP utility icon 710 has been selected from the coordinates notified in S1101, and starts up the MFP utility 624. In S1103, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display the home screen of the MFP utility shown in FIG.

[0059] In step S1104, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a touch operation from the user on the device registration menu 1201 on the MFP utility home screen of FIG. 12A. In S1105, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display the device registration screen shown in FIG. 12(B). In step S1106 , the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 executes the device management 910 program, controls the communication unit IF 523 via the communication management system 616 , and transmits a search command to the image forming apparatus 101 on the network 100 . In S1107, when the image forming apparatus 101 receives the search command from the mobile terminal 102 in S1106, the image forming apparatus 101 transmits a search response command including the identification information and device name of the image forming apparatus 101 to the mobile terminal 102. When the mobile terminal 102 receives the search response command, the MFP utility 624 compares the device identification information obtained from the search response with the registered device information stored in the device management data 913. The MFP utility 624 then creates an unregistered device list and a registered device list. Then, in S1108, the MFP utility 624 displays the unregistered device list in the area 1203 showing "Registerable Devices" on the device registration screen shown in FIG. 12(B). Also, in S1109, the MFP utility 624 displays a list of registered devices in the area 1204 indicating "registered devices" on the device registration screen shown in FIG. 12(B).

[0060] If the image forming apparatus 101 is not registered as a cooperative device in the MFP utility 624, the MFP utility 624 executes the processes from S1110 to S1115. Specifically, in S1110, the MFP utility 624 accepts the selection of a device that can be registered from the user via area 1203 on the device registration screen shown in Fig. 12(B). Here, it is assumed that the device shown as "MFP001" has been selected. In S1111, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 displays the device registration confirmation screen shown in Fig. 12(C) on the operation unit 516. Here, if the user agrees to execute device registration via the device registration confirmation screen shown in Fig. 12(C), the processes from S1113 to S1114 are executed. Specifically, in step S1113, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 creates, as the device management data 913, management data for the device “MFP001” selected in step S1110. In S1114, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 updates the contents of the registered device list based on the management data created in S1113. Then, in S1115, CPU 511 of mobile terminal 102 erases (hides) the device registration confirmation screen. At this time, CPU 511 of mobile terminal 102 updates the display contents of area 1203 indicating "registerable devices" and area 1204 indicating "registered devices" on the screen, as shown in FIG. 12(D).

[0061] Referring to FIG. 13, an example of processing of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described, focusing on processing when an additional application is installed in the image forming apparatus 101 registered as a cooperative device in the MFP utility 624.

[0062] In step S1301, when the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a touch operation on the MFP function extension application management menu 1202 on the home screen of the MFP utility shown in FIG. 12A, it determines a device to connect to based on past connection history. In step S1302, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 acquires additional application information for the target device from the device management data 913. In step S1303, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 displays the MFP function extension application management screen shown in Fig. 14A on the operation unit 516. Note that the additional application information is assumed to be the data shown in Fig. 10C. The MFP function extension application management screen shown in FIG. 14A displays a name 1401, a device status 1402, and a list 1403 of installed MFP function extension applications (additional applications) for the device to be managed.

[0063] The management target device can be changed by operating the change button 1405 on the MFP function extension application management screen shown in FIG. 14(A), and in that case, the processes from S1304 to S1306 are executed. Specifically, in S1304, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 accepts a user operation on the change button 1405. In this case, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 presents a device selection menu (not shown) to the user, and accepts a selection of one of a series of devices registered in the device management data 913 from the user via the device selection menu. In step S1305, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 acquires, from the device management data 913, additional application information relating to the changed device selected in step S1304. In S1306, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 updates the display contents of the list 1403 of installed MFP function extension applications (additional applications) based on the additional application information acquired in S1305.

[0064] When an additional application is to be installed, the processes from S1307 to S1308 and the processes from S1309 to S1321 are executed. Specifically, in S1307, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives an instruction from the user via the MFP function extension application addition button 1404 shown in FIG. 14A to start adding an additional application. In S1308, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transmits a connection request to the image forming apparatus 101, which is a device to be managed. If the image forming apparatus 101 is in a communicable state (online state), in S1309, the image forming apparatus 101 returns a connection response to the mobile terminal 102 in response to the connection request received from the mobile terminal 102 in S1308. When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a connection response from the image forming apparatus 101 in S1309, the CPU 511 causes the operation unit 516 to display a catalog screen of additional applications compatible with the image forming apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 14B in S1310. 14(B), a status 1406 indicating "installed" is displayed for an additional application whose installation information is registered in device management data 913 for the target device. In contrast, an install button 1407 is displayed for an additional application whose installation information is registered in device management data 913 for the target device.

[0065] In step S1311, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a touch operation on the install button 1407 associated with the target additional application from the user, thereby receiving an instruction to install the additional application. Here, it is assumed that the instruction to install the "saving copy" application is received. In step S1312, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transmits to the image forming apparatus 101 a request to start installing the additional application for which an instruction to install the additional application was accepted in step S1311. When the image forming apparatus 101 receives the request to start installing the additional application in S1312, the image forming apparatus 101 executes a download standby process in S1313, and returns an additional application installation start response to the mobile terminal 102 in S1314. When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives the additional application installation start response from the image forming apparatus 101, it disables the install button associated with the additional application on the screen displayed on the operation unit 516, as shown in FIG. 14(C).

[0066] In step S1316, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 reads out the installation package for the additional application from the data management unit 907 of the MFP utility 624. In step S1317, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transfers to the image forming apparatus 101 the install package for the additional application read in step S1316. In step S1318, upon receiving the installation package from the mobile terminal 102 in step S1317, the image forming apparatus 101 executes installation processing of the additional application based on the installation package. In S1319, the image forming apparatus 101 notifies the mobile terminal 102 of the result of the installation process executed in S1318. In step S1320, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 updates the list of installed additional applications based on the notification of the installation result of the additional application received in step S1319. Then, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 returns the display from the additional application catalog screen to the MFP function extension application management screen, as shown in FIG. In step S1321, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines an initial value of the automatic update setting 1022 for the additional application based on the application characteristics 1005 for the additional application and the environmental characteristics 1011 for the image forming apparatus 101 where the application is to be installed. The CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 then stores the determined initial value of the automatic update setting 1022 in the device management data 913. The method for determining the initial value of the automatic update setting 1022 will be described in detail below.

[0067] On the other hand, if there is no response from the image forming apparatus 101 to the connection request sent from the mobile terminal 102 in S1308, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 executes the process of S1322. Specifically, in step S1322, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 displays a device offline error screen shown in Fig. 14(E) on the operation unit 516, and ends the series of processes shown in Fig. 13. Note that an example of a state in which there is no response from the image forming apparatus 101 is when the image forming apparatus 101 is in an offline state.

[0068] Here, the reason why the initial value of the automatic update setting 1022 of the additional application is determined based on the application characteristics 1005 related to the additional application of the image forming apparatus 101 and the environmental characteristics 1011 related to the image forming apparatus 101 where the additional application is to be installed will be described. For example, it is desirable that an application that functions in cooperation with a system different from the image forming apparatus 101 be compatible with that system. Therefore, compared to an application that does not cooperate with the system, an application that functions in cooperation with the above system tends to have a higher risk of malfunction, such as an incompatibility with the cooperative system due to an update, resulting in malfunction. In this way, the difficulty of a user applying an application to the image forming apparatus 101 may vary depending on the application.

[0069] Furthermore, applications that function in cooperation with a system other than the image forming apparatus 101 tend to require advanced knowledge to determine whether the application is operating properly, compared to applications whose operation can be determined solely by enabling or disabling a function. Given this background, it is highly likely that a user will have difficulty determining whether the application is operating properly when the application functions in cooperation with the above-described system. For example, in a case where an output product from the image forming apparatus 101 is delivered to a third party and the delivery destination determines whether the output product is proper or not, it may be difficult for the user of the image forming apparatus 101 to determine whether the output product from the image forming apparatus 101 is proper or not based on the application's operation. Therefore, in such a situation, it may not be desirable to update the application in question without careful consideration. Thus, the difficulty with which a user can determine whether the application's operation on the image forming apparatus 101 is proper or not may vary depending on the application.

[0070] Furthermore, if an application update causes a malfunction in the image forming apparatus 101 and the user tries to restore the image forming apparatus 101 from the malfunction, depending on the application, it may be more difficult to restore the image forming apparatus 101. In this way, the degree of difficulty in restoring a malfunction caused by operation may differ depending on the application.

[0071] As described above, applications running on the image forming apparatus 101 have different properties (application characteristics). Therefore, in such a situation, it may be desirable to avoid various problems associated with updates by, for example, setting automatic updates for each application based on the application characteristics.

[0072] Furthermore, if a user sets up automatic updates without taking into consideration the environment surrounding the image forming device 101, which may affect the occurrence of various problems due to the application characteristics described above, problems such as those exemplified below may arise. For example, if the performance (computing power, memory capacity, etc.) of the image forming apparatus 101 is low, then compared to a small and simple application, a large and complex application tends to be more likely to fail to update in the image forming apparatus 101. In this way, the performance of the image forming apparatus 101 may affect the above-mentioned degree of difficulty of application. Furthermore, image forming devices with high specification requirements that require strict judgment of operation quality may require more advanced knowledge to judge the quality of application operation than image forming devices with low specification requirements that do not require strict judgment of operation quality. In such cases, it may be more difficult for users to judge quality. In this way, the specifications of the image forming apparatus 101 may affect the degree of difficulty of the above-mentioned determination.

[0073] Furthermore, in a situation where an update of an application causes a malfunction in the image forming apparatus 101 and the image forming apparatus 101 needs to be restored from this malfunction, a user with little knowledge or experience is more likely to have difficulty in restoring the image forming apparatus 101 than a user with much knowledge or experience. In this way, the attributes (e.g., knowledge, experience, etc.) of the user restoring the image forming apparatus 101 may affect the degree of difficulty of the restoration.

[0074] As described above, the environment related to the image forming apparatus 101, such as the performance and specifications of the image forming apparatus 101, various user knowledge and skills, and usage, has its own characteristics (hereinafter also referred to as environmental characteristics), and these environmental characteristics can affect the application characteristics. Therefore, it may be desirable to avoid various problems associated with updates by setting the automatic update of each application based on these environmental characteristics. For the above reasons, in this embodiment, the initial value of the automatic update setting 1022 for the additional application is determined based on the application characteristics 1005 related to the additional application and the environmental characteristics 1011 related to the image forming apparatus 101 where the additional application is to be installed.

[0075] Referring to Figure 15, an example of processing of the information processing system of this embodiment will be described, focusing on the processing in which the MFP utility 624 running on the mobile terminal 102 determines initial values ​​related to the automatic update settings of additional applications for the linked device.

[0076] In step S1501, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 reads information about the application characteristics of the target additional application from the basic information of the MFP utility 624 stored in the application setting data 911. In S1502, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines first difficulty level information (hereinafter also referred to as difficulty level A) of the target additional application based on the information on the application characteristics. Here, difficulty level A is assumed to be composed of information on application difficulty level A, judgment difficulty level A, and recovery difficulty level A. The application difficulty level A is the difficulty level for applying the additional application to the linked device. The judgment difficulty level A is the difficulty level for judging whether the operation of the application in the linked device is good or bad. The recovery difficulty level A is the difficulty level associated with recovery when a malfunction occurs due to the operation of the additional application. In this embodiment, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines the application difficulty A1601, the determination difficulty A1602, and the recovery difficulty A1603 for each application characteristic of an additional application based on the correspondence table shown in Fig. 16(A). Then, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines the application difficulty A, the determination difficulty A, and the recovery difficulty A for the target additional application based on the logical sum of these respective difficulties.

[0077] In step S1503, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 reads the environmental characteristic information of the target linked device stored in the device management data 913. In S1504, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines second difficulty level information (hereinafter also referred to as difficulty level B) based on information on the environmental characteristics of the target linked device. Here, difficulty level B is assumed to be composed of information on application difficulty level B, determination difficulty level B, and recovery difficulty level B. The application difficulty level B is a difficulty level index that influences the application difficulty level A. The determination difficulty level B is a difficulty level index that influences the determination difficulty level A. The recovery difficulty level B is a difficulty level index that influences the recovery difficulty level A. In this embodiment, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines the application difficulty B 1604, the determination difficulty B 1605, and the recovery difficulty B 1606 from the environmental characteristic information of the target linked device based on the correspondence table shown in Fig. 16(B). Then, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines the application difficulty B, the determination difficulty B, and the recovery difficulty B of the target linked device based on the logical sum of these respective difficulties.

[0078] In S1505, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines the overall difficulty of the target additional application based on the information on difficulty levels A and B. Here, the overall difficulty level is assumed to be composed of information on the overall application difficulty level, the overall judgment difficulty level, and the overall recovery difficulty level. In this embodiment, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines the overall application difficulty of the target additional application based on the overall application difficulty determination table shown in Figure 16(C). The CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 also determines the overall judgment difficulty of the additional application based on the overall judgment difficulty determination table shown in Figure 16(D). The CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 also determines the overall recovery difficulty of the additional application based on the overall recovery difficulty determination table shown in Figure 16(E).

[0079] In S1506, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether the overall applicable difficulty level determined in S1505 is HIGH. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S1506 that the overall application difficulty level is HIGH, the process proceeds to S1507. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S1506 that the overall application difficulty level is not HIGH, the process proceeds to S1508.

[0080] In S1508, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether the overall determination difficulty level determined in S1505 is HIGH. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S1508 that the overall judgment difficulty level is HIGH, the process proceeds to S1507. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S1508 that the overall judgment difficulty level is not HIGH, the process proceeds to S1509.

[0081] In S1509, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether the overall recovery difficulty level determined in S1505 is HIGH. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S1509 that the overall recovery difficulty level is HIGH, the process proceeds to step S1507. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S1509 that the overall recovery difficulty level is not HIGH, the process proceeds to S1510.

[0082] In step S1507, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 sets the initial value of the automatic update setting of the target additional application to OFF, and ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0083] In S1510, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 sets the initial value of the automatic update setting of the target additional application to ON, and ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0084] Through the series of processes described above with reference to FIG. 15, the initial values ​​related to the automatic update setting 1022 of the additional application are automatically set based on the application characteristics related to the additional application and the environmental characteristics related to the linked device.

[0085] 10, the ON / OFF setting of automatic updates for each additional application installed in the image forming apparatus 101 can be changed individually based on instructions from the user. In this embodiment, the automatic update setting of the target additional application is updated via the additional application details screen of the image forming apparatus 101 in the MFP utility 624.

[0086] The automatic update setting 1022 of the target additional application can be confirmed and changed via a details screen called up from the MFP function extension application management screen shown in Fig. 14(D). The details screen of the target additional application is displayed by pressing a details button for the target additional application displayed in the list of installed MFP function extension applications on the MFP function extension application management screen. As a specific example, when the user presses the details button 1409 for the "Saving Copy" application, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display the details screen for the target application shown in Fig. 17(A) or 17(B).

[0087] 17(A) shows an example of a details screen for an additional application when the automatic update setting for the additional application is set to OFF, as indicated by the reference numeral 1701. When the automatic update setting is OFF and the additional application is updated, an application update start button 1702 shown in FIG. 17(A) is enabled. When the user issues an instruction to start the update via the application update start button 1702 at any time, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 starts updating the additional application for the image forming apparatus 101. 17(B) shows an example of a details screen for an additional application when the automatic update setting for the additional application is set to ON, as indicated by the reference numeral 1703. If the automatic update setting is ON and the additional application is updated, when the user starts the MFP utility 624 and connects the mobile terminal 102 to the image forming apparatus 101, the update process for the additional application starts automatically.

[0088] An example of a control flow when automatic update settings are made for each additional application of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to the relevant blocks of the MFP utility 624 shown in FIG.

[0089] First, on the MFP function extension application management screen shown in FIG. 14(D), the user presses the details button of a desired additional application, for example, the details button 1409 of the "saving copy" application. In step S1801, the UI control unit 904 reads the detailed setting screen data of the target additional application from the UI display management unit 902. In S1802, the UI control unit 904 causes the operation unit 516 to display the detailed setting screen (the screen shown in FIG. 17(A) or FIG. 17(B)) of the additional application based on the detailed setting screen data read in S1801. Here, it is assumed that the user has given an instruction to change the automatic update setting (by operating button 1701 shown in FIG. 17A or button 1703 shown in FIG. 17B). In this case, in S1803, the UI control unit 904 instructs the MFP application management 909 to change the automatic update setting of the target additional application. In S1804, the MFP application management 909, which has received the change instruction, updates the automatic update setting value stored in the additional application information related to the image forming apparatus 101, which is held in device management data 913 of the data management unit 907, to the changed value. Here, it is assumed that the target image forming apparatus 101 is a device indicated as MPF001, and the target additional application information is information on application B.

[0090] It should be noted that the automatic update settings for other additional applications (for example, application C) of the image forming apparatus 101 can also be changed by applying a control flow substantially similar to the control flow described with reference to Fig. 18. In this case, the control target of steps S1801 to S1804 shown in Fig. 18 becomes application C, and the automatic update setting value of the additional application information for application C stored in the device management data 913 is updated.

[0091] By applying the control described above with reference to Figures 17 and 18, the user can individually change the automatic update ON / OFF setting for each additional application installed on the image forming device 101.

[0092] An example of processing of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 19, focusing on processing related to automatic update of an additional application of the image forming apparatus 101 registered as a cooperative device in the MFP utility 624.

[0093] In step S1901, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 starts up the MFP utility 624 when it receives a touch operation from the user on the MFP utility icon 710 on the home screen shown in FIG. In S1902, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 acquires basic information about the MFP utility 624 stored in the application setting data 911 and additional application information about the registered linked device stored in the device management data 913. It is assumed that the data shown in Fig. 10(A) is acquired as the basic information, and the data shown in Fig. 10(C) is acquired as the additional application information. In S1903, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 checks whether there is an update for the additional application installed in the linked device. Specifically, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 checks, from the additional application information acquired in step S1902, whether there is a device that has automatic update settings ON and that has an updatable additional application installed. Here, if version 1021 of the downloaded additional application is newer than version 1020 of the installed additional application, it is determined that the target additional application is updatable.

[0094] If there is an update for an installed additional application, the automatic update process shown from S1904 to S1914 is started. In step S1904, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transmits a connection request to the device to which the additional application is to be updated. For convenience, various explanations will be given here assuming that the device to which the application is to be updated is the image forming apparatus 101. In S1905, if the image forming apparatus 101 is in a communicable state (online state), it returns a connection response to the mobile terminal 102 that accepted the connection request in S1904.

[0095] When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a connection response from the image forming apparatus 101 in S1905, the CPU 511 transmits an additional application update start request to the image forming apparatus 101 in S1906. When the image forming apparatus 101 receives the additional application update start request from the mobile terminal 102 in S1906, the image forming apparatus 101 executes download standby processing in S1907. Then, in step S1908, the image forming apparatus 101 returns an additional application update start response to the mobile terminal 102. When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives the additional application update start response from the image forming apparatus 101 in S1908, the CPU 511 causes the operation unit 516 to display an additional application update in progress screen shown in FIG. 20A in S1909.

[0096] In S1909, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 reads out the MFP additional application install package 912 related to the additional application to be updated from the data management unit 907 of the MFP utility 624. In S1911, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transfers the MFP additional application install package 912 read in S1910 to the image forming apparatus 101 that is the target. When the image forming apparatus 101 receives the installation package from the mobile terminal 102 in step S1911, the image forming apparatus 101 executes update processing for the target additional application based on the installation package in step S1912. Then, in S1913, the image forming apparatus 101 notifies the mobile terminal 102 of the result of the update process of the additional application executed in S1912. When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives the update result notification of the additional application from the image forming apparatus 101 in S1913, the CPU 511 causes the operation unit 516 to display the automatic update result screen shown in FIG. 20B in S1914.

[0097] On the other hand, if there is no response to the connection request sent to the image forming apparatus 101 in S1904, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 displays on the automatic update result screen shown in FIG. 20(B) that the update of the additional application on the target device has failed.

[0098] In this embodiment, the presence or absence of an update to an additional application already installed in a cooperative device is checked when the MFP utility 624 is launched. If an update is available, an automatic update of the additional application is initiated. For example, the MFP utility 624 establishes a connection with the image forming apparatus 101 while running in the background on the mobile terminal 102. As a result, if the MFP utility 624 determines that an automatic update can be started, it displays a notification to the user on the mobile terminal 102. The MFP utility 624 may then start the automatic update when it receives an instruction for consent from the user via the screen on which the notification was displayed. In this way, the MFP utility 624 may start an automatic update at various triggers, not limited to the above example.

[0099] An example of processing by the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 21, focusing on automatic update processing of an additional application of a cooperative device by the MFP utility 624.

[0100] In step S2101, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 acquires additional application information of registered linked devices (for example, the data shown in FIG. 10C) from the device management data 913. In S2102, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether or not there is a device that has automatic update settings ON and that has an updatable additional application installed, based on the additional application information acquired in S2101. Here, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines that the additional application is updatable if the version 1021 of the downloaded additional application is newer than the version 1020 of the installed additional application. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2102 that a corresponding device exists, the process proceeds to step S2103. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2102 that there is no corresponding device, the series of processes shown in FIG. 21 ends.

[0101] In step S2103, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 creates a list of devices for which the automatic update of the additional application is to be performed. In S2104, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 reads out device information from the device list created in S2103. In S2105, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transmits a connection request to the device identified from the device information read in S2104. In S2106, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether or not a connection response to the connection request sent to the target device in S2105 has been received within a predetermined time. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2106 that a connection response has been received within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S2107. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2106 that it has not received a connection response within the predetermined time, it advances the process to step S2115.

[0102] In S2107, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 acquires information on additional applications to be updated from the additional application information acquired in S2101. In S2108, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transmits a request to start updating the additional application to the connected device. In S2109, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether or not an additional application update start response has been received within a predetermined time from the device to which the update start request was sent in S2108. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2109 that the additional application update start response has been received within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S2110. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2109 that it has not received the additional application update start response within the predetermined time, it advances the process to step S2115.

[0103] In S2110, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display an additional application updating screen shown in FIG. 20(A). In step S2111, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 reads out from the data management unit 907 the install package 912 related to the additional application to be updated. In S2112, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 transfers the installation package 912 of the additional application read in S2111 to the device to which the mobile terminal 102 is connected. In S2113, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether or not an additional application update result notification has been received within a predetermined time from the device to which the install package 912 was transferred in S2112. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2113 that the additional application update result notification has been received within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S2114. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2113 that the additional application update result notification has not been received within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S2115.

[0104] In step S2114, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether or not there are any other additional applications to be automatically updated for the currently connected device. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S2114 that there are other additional applications to be automatically updated, the process proceeds to S2107. In this case, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 executes the processes from S2107 to S2115 again for the currently connected device, targeting the other additional applications to be automatically updated. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2114 that there are no other additional applications to be automatically updated, the process proceeds to step S2116.

[0105] In S2115, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 stores the device information of the device that sent the connection request in S2105 in the offline error device list, and then proceeds to the process of S2116.

[0106] In S2116, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines whether or not there are other devices in the device list created in S2103 that are to be subject to automatic update. If the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in S2116 that there is another device that is to be subject to automatic updating, the process proceeds to S2104. In this case, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 executes the processes from S2104 to S2116 again for the other device that is to be subject to automatic updating. On the other hand, if the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 determines in step S2116 that there are no other devices to be subjected to the automatic update, the process proceeds to step S2117. In S2117, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display the additional application update result screen shown in FIG. 20B, and ends the series of processes shown in FIG. 20(B) displays the update results of the additional application for each device for which an additional application has been updated. Also, for devices for which an additional application update has failed, the additional application update result screen displays a message urging the user to check the online status of the device (connection status with the MFP utility 624).

[0107] An example of processing by the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 22, focusing on update processing of an additional application executed by the image forming apparatus 101 in response to an instruction from the MFP utility 624.

[0108] In step S2201, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 checks whether an additional application update start request has been received from the mobile terminal 102. If the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 determines in step S2201 that the additional application update start request has not been received, the CPU 211 ends the series of processes shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 determines in step S2201 that an additional application update start request has been received, the process proceeds to step S2202.

[0109] In step S2202, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 executes a download standby process for the installation package of the additional application. Specifically, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 controls the communication unit I / F 223 via the communication unit manager 407 and waits for reception of installation package data sent via the network 100. In step S2203, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 transmits an additional application update start response to the mobile terminal 102 that is the source of the additional application update start request. In step S2204, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 causes the operation unit 516 to display a screen indicating that the additional application is being updated, as shown in FIG.

[0110] In step S2205, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 determines whether or not the reception of the install package data of the additional application has been completed within a predetermined time. If the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 determines in step S2205 that the install package data of the additional application has been received within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S2206. On the other hand, if the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 determines in step S2205 that the install package data of the additional application has not been received within the predetermined time, the CPU 211 ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0111] In step S2206, the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 unpacks the install package data received in step S2205, and updates the additional application program using the additional application management manager 419 and the data management manager 410. When the CPU 211 of the image forming apparatus 101 completes the update of the additional application in S2206, in S2207 it transmits an additional application update result notification to the mobile terminal 102, and then ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0112] As described above, the information processing system according to this embodiment provides an automatic update setting for an additional application when the additional application is installed and updated on the image forming apparatus 101 using the MFP utility 624. The initial value of the automatic update setting is automatically set by the MFP utility 624 when the additional application is installed based on the application characteristics related to the additional application and the environmental characteristics related to the image forming apparatus 101. Furthermore, the user can individually change the ON / OFF setting of automatic updates for each additional application installed on the image forming apparatus 101. The automatic update setting value is then managed in association with the installation status of the additional application on the image forming apparatus 101.

[0113] 24 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data flow related to automatic update settings for additional applications in the information processing system according to this embodiment. The MFP utility 624 operates on the mobile terminal 102. An additional application for which the automatic update setting is enabled (ON) checks whether an update related to the additional application is included in the update contents of the MFP utility 624 distributed from the application distribution server 104. If an update related to the additional application is included, the additional application automatically executes the update process for the additional application the next time the MFP utility 624 and the image forming device 101 are connected. On the other hand, for an additional application whose automatic update setting is disabled (OFF), the execution of update of the additional application is suppressed until a user instructs it to do so.

[0114] As described above, the information processing system according to this embodiment allows the user to individually set whether or not to perform automatic updates for each application software running on the information processing device. Furthermore, in this case, the user does not need to consider complex conditions, such as the characteristics of each application and requirements related to the information processing device and the user, when setting the automatic update. Thus, the information processing system according to this embodiment allows the user to automatically determine the automatic update setting value without having to perform complex considerations that take into account various conditions. The user may be a user of a terminal device, a user of an information processing device, or a maintenance person who maintains or manages these devices.

[0115] The application difficulty, determination difficulty, and recovery difficulty described above may be replaced with the difficulty for a terminal device or an information processing device. For example, the application difficulty may be the difficulty of a terminal device or an information processing device updating an additional application for the information processing device. The determination difficulty may be the difficulty of a terminal device or an information processing device determining whether the application is OK or not. The recovery difficulty may be the difficulty of a terminal device or an information processing device recovering the information processing device.

[0116] Furthermore, the application characteristics of the additional application are not limited to the elements described in this embodiment, and may be configured to include other elements or may be composed of other elements. As a specific example, information such as the file size of the installation package and the memory size required to run the additional application may be taken into account as components of the application characteristics. As another example, the function type of the information processing device used by the additional application, such as scanning, printing, sending, and receiving, may be taken into account as components of the application characteristics. Furthermore, the environmental characteristics of the linked device are not limited to the elements described in this embodiment, and may be configured to include or consist of other elements. As a specific example, information related to the usage environment of the information processing device, such as frequency of use and whether or not the device operates all day, including late night hours, may be taken into account as a component of the environmental characteristics. As another example, information related to the software configuration and hardware configuration of the information processing device may be taken into account as a component of the environmental characteristics. Examples of such components include the platform number of the software or hardware of the information processing device (e.g., the generation number of a product series) and whether or not an optional device such as a finisher (post-processing device) is connected. In addition to the application characteristics of the additional application, information indicating attributes of the update contents of the application, such as the urgency and importance of the update of the additional application, may be linked to the data related to the update of the additional application and notified. In this case, for example, even if the automatic update is set to OFF for an application, if it is determined that an update is required based on the attributes of the update contents, a notification (for example, a pop-up display) may be displayed to urge the user to update the application.

[0117] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In the first embodiment described above, the information on the environmental characteristics for each linked device is input by the user via the mobile terminal 102, and the value is stored in the MFP utility 624. Then, based on the information on the environmental characteristics and the information on the application characteristics for each additional application acquired from the application distribution server 104, an initial value related to the automatic update setting for each additional application is determined. In contrast, in this embodiment, an example is described in which, when a linked device is registered in the MFP utility 624, information on environmental characteristics is obtained from the target device (image forming device 101), and the value is stored in the MFP utility 624. The difference between the first embodiment and this embodiment is the method for acquiring information on environmental characteristics for each linked device. The part in which an additional application is installed and updated on the image forming apparatus 101 using the MFP utility 624 of the mobile terminal 102 is substantially the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, the explanation will focus on the part related to acquiring information on environmental characteristics for each linked device, and detailed explanations of other parts (for example, parts related to installing and updating additional applications) will be omitted.

[0118] An example of processing of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 25, focusing on processing when the image forming apparatus 101 is registered as a cooperative device in the MFP utility 624.

[0119] In S2501, when a touch operation on the MFP utility icon 710 on the home screen shown in FIG. 7F is accepted, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives notification of the coordinates of the touch position from a touch panel controller (not shown). In S2502, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 detects that the MFP utility icon 710 has been selected from the coordinates notified in S2501, and starts the MFP utility 624. In S2503, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display the home screen of the MFP utility shown in FIG.

[0120] When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives a touch operation on the device registration menu 1201 on the MFP utility home screen in S2504, the CPU 511 causes the operation unit 516 to display the device registration screen shown in FIG. 12B in S2505. In step S2506, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 executes the device management 910 program, controls the communication unit IF 523 via the communication management system 616, and transmits a search command to the image forming apparatus 101 on the network 100. When the image forming apparatus 101 receives the search command from the mobile terminal 102 in S2506, the image forming apparatus 101 transmits a search response command including the identification information and device name of the image forming apparatus 101 to the mobile terminal 102 in S2507. When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives the search response command from the image forming apparatus 101 in S2507, the CPU 511 transmits an environmental characteristic information request command to the image forming apparatus 101 in S2508. When the image forming apparatus 101 receives the environmental characteristic information request command from the mobile terminal 102 in S2508, it transmits an environmental characteristic information response command including information on environmental characteristics that has been previously stored to the mobile terminal 102 in S2509. Here, the environmental characteristic information stored in the image forming apparatus 101 may be information that has been input and set in advance by a user of the image forming apparatus 101, or may be information that has been set at the time of shipment from the factory or at the time of installation by a service technician.

[0121] When the mobile terminal 102 receives the search response command and the environmental characteristic information response command, the MFP utility 624 compares the device identification information obtained from the search response with the registered device information stored in the device management data 913. The MFP utility 624 then creates an unregistered device list and a registered device list. In S2510, the MFP utility 624 displays the created unregistered device list in the area 1203 showing "Registerable Devices" on the device registration screen shown in FIG. 12(B). Furthermore, in S2511, the MFP utility 624 displays the created registered device list in the area 1204 indicating "registered devices" on the device registration screen shown in FIG. 12(B).

[0122] If the image forming apparatus 101 is not registered as a cooperative device in the MFP utility 624, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 executes the processes from S2512 to S2518. Specifically, in step S2512, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 accepts, from the user, a selection of a device name displayed in the area 1203 showing "registerable devices" shown in Fig. 12(B). Here, it is assumed that the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 accepts the selection of "MFP001" from the user. In S2513, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 causes the operation unit 516 to display a device registration confirmation screen shown in FIG. 12(C).

[0123] When the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 receives an instruction from the user regarding consent to the execution of device registration via the device registration confirmation screen in S2514, the CPU 511 executes the processes from S2515 to S2517. Specifically, in step S2515, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 creates management data for the selected device “MFP001” as the device management data 913. In addition, in S2516, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 copies and stores information on the environmental characteristics of the selected device “MFP001” as the device management data 913 from the information acquired in S2509. Then, in S2517, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 updates the contents of the registered device list. In step S2518, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 erases (hides) the device registration confirmation screen. At this time, the CPU 511 of the mobile terminal 102 updates the display contents of the area 1203 indicating "devices that can be registered" and the area 1204 indicating "registered devices" on the screen, as shown in FIG. 12(D).

[0124] As described above, in the information processing system according to this embodiment, an automatic update setting for additional applications of the image forming apparatus 101 is provided in the MFP utility 624. Furthermore, the initial value of the automatic update setting is automatically set by the MFP utility 624 when the additional application is installed, based on the application characteristics related to the additional application and the environmental characteristics related to the image forming apparatus 101 that have been acquired in advance. Furthermore, the user can individually change the ON / OFF setting of automatic updates for each additional application installed in the image forming apparatus 101. The automatic update setting value is managed in association with the installation status of the additional application in the image forming apparatus 101.

[0125] FIG. 26 is a simplified block diagram illustrating an example of a data flow related to automatic update settings for additional applications in the information processing system according to this embodiment.

[0126] As described above, the information processing system according to this embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment without receiving information input from the user regarding environmental characteristics related to linked devices. In the first and second embodiments, a configuration including an image forming apparatus (information processing apparatus) and a terminal apparatus has been described as an example of the configuration of an information processing system, but this does not limit the configuration of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. For example, the information processing system according to the present embodiment may be configured not to include a terminal apparatus, but rather an information processing apparatus (e.g., an image forming apparatus) plays the role of the terminal apparatus, thereby realizing a series of functions. In other words, in this case, the information processing apparatus whose application is to be updated may also correspond to the terminal apparatus in the information processing system according to the present embodiment. As a specific example, the information processing device may have a setting unit capable of individually setting automatic updates for applications running on the information processing device. Furthermore, the information processing device may have a setting unit capable of individually setting automatic updates based on information from outside the information processing device. In this way, if the information processing device itself has a setting unit, it is possible to realize a series of functions in the configurations of the first and second embodiments, even if a terminal device is not included. Furthermore, the location of the setting unit capable of setting automatic updates for each application individually in the information processing system is not particularly limited. As a specific example, a device having the setting unit may be included in the information processing system as a separate device from each device of the information processing system illustrated in FIG.

[0127] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0128] The disclosure of the present embodiment also includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Configuration 1) A terminal device having a setting means for individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications running on a target device, wherein the setting means updates the automatic update settings based on at least one of the application characteristics specific to the target application and the environmental characteristics related to the target device, with at least a portion of the series of applications as the target application. (Configuration 2) The terminal device described in Configuration 1, characterized in that the application characteristics are characteristics related to at least one of an application difficulty indicating the difficulty of applying an update to the target device, a determination difficulty indicating the difficulty of determining whether the target application is operating properly in the target device, and a recovery difficulty indicating the difficulty of recovering the target device from a malfunction caused by the target application. (Configuration 3) The terminal device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the information indicating the application characteristics is acquired from a device other than the terminal device. (Configuration 4) A terminal device described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the environmental characteristics are characteristics related to at least one of the performance of the target device, the specifications of the target device, and the attributes of a user of the target device. (Configuration 5) The terminal device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the information indicating the environmental characteristics is acquired from the target device. (Configuration 6) A terminal device described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the terminal device is another device different from the target device that is connected to the target device via a network. (Method 1) A control method for a terminal device, comprising a setting step for individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications running on a target device, wherein the setting step updates the automatic update settings based on at least one of the application characteristics specific to the target application and the environmental characteristics related to the target device, with at least a portion of the series of applications being set as target applications. (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to function as a terminal device, characterized in that it has a setting means for individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications running on a target device, and the setting means updates the automatic update settings for at least a portion of the series of applications as target applications based on at least one of the application characteristics specific to the target application and the environmental characteristics related to the target device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 101 Image forming device 102 Mobile Devices 511 CPU 624 MFP Utility

Claims

1. a setting unit for individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications that run on the target device; The setting unit updates the automatic update settings based on at least one of application characteristics specific to the target application and environmental characteristics related to the target device, with at least a part of the set of applications as the target application. A terminal device characterized by:

2. The application characteristics are: an application difficulty level indicating the difficulty level of applying the update to the target device; a determination difficulty level indicating a difficulty level related to determining whether the target application operates properly in the target device; and a recovery difficulty indicating a difficulty of recovering the target device from a malfunction caused by the target application; and It is a characteristic related to at least one of the following:

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the application characteristics is acquired from another device different from the terminal device.

4. 2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental characteristics are characteristics related to at least one of the performance of the target device, the specifications of the target device, and the attributes of a user of the target device.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the environmental characteristics is acquired from the target device.

6. 2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is a device other than the target device that is connected to the target device via a network.

7. A method for controlling a terminal device, comprising: a setting step of individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications that run on a target device; The setting step updates the automatic update settings based on at least one of application characteristics specific to the target application and environmental characteristics related to the target device, with at least a part of the set of applications as the target application. A method for controlling a terminal device, comprising:

8. Computer, a setting unit for individually setting automatic updates for each of a series of applications that run on the target device; The setting unit updates the automatic update settings based on at least one of application characteristics specific to the target application and environmental characteristics related to the target device, with at least a part of the set of applications as the target application. A program for causing a terminal device to function as a terminal device.

Images