Program, information processing method, and information processing device that support general-purpose scanning software.

Abstract

Users who use the standard scan driver are limited to the functions available only with the standard driver, and therefore cannot specify settings related to the type of document, which are specific to the scan vendor. [Solution] A program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, characterized in that it displays an object on an information processing device that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be read, and based on the settings accepted by the object, it outputs an instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan to read the document.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a program that supports general-purpose scanning software, an information processing method, and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a configuration in which a scan driver installed in a host computer is used as software for controlling a scan device, and a read instruction is given to the scan device connected to the host computer. An operating system (OS), which is basic software, is installed in the host computer. The scan driver is configured according to the specifications defined by the OS and is called from the OS to operate. A vendor (manufacturer) that provides a scan device can provide a means for instructing the scan device to read using the OS by providing a scan driver that conforms to the specifications of the OS.

[0003] In recent years, in Windows (registered trademark), a standard class driver (hereinafter also referred to as "standard driver") that can be commonly used in scan devices provided by a plurality of vendors has been attempted to be provided. Such a standard driver is included in the OS package and can be easily used by connecting an arbitrary scan device to the host computer. Therefore, there is no need to separately install a model-specific scan driver suitable for the scan device, which is highly convenient. Also, it is assumed that the standard driver is configured to be able to specify the scan function according to the scan function information generated based on the information acquired from the connected scan device. Thus, a user who uses the standard driver can specify a scan function according to the capabilities of the connected scan device even though using only one standard driver. However, since this is only a function that can be realized by the standard driver alone, a function unique to the vendor (manufacturer) of the scan device cannot be specified. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a program for expanding the printing function of general-purpose software (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-033526 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] One of the unique features of the scan vendor's scan driver is the document type setting. This function allows you to specify whether the document mainly consists of text or photographs. If text is selected, the text in the scanned image will be sharper; if photographs are selected, the photographs in the scanned image will be sharper. By using this function to set the document type according to the content of the document, it becomes possible to perform optimal scanning. However, when using the standard driver, the document type setting is not available, making it impossible for the user to scan using their desired document type. In view of the above issues, the present invention aims to provide a mechanism that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with scanning devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and that enables the use of document type functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and is characterized by causing an information processing device to display an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be read, and causing the image reading device that performs the scan to output an instruction to read the document based on the settings accepted by the object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a program that supports general-purpose scanning software usable across scanning devices from multiple manufacturers can enable users to utilize document type classification functions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Hardware configuration diagram of the scanning system of this embodiment [Figure 2] Software configuration diagram of the scanning system of this embodiment [Figure 3] Scan settings screen and detailed settings screen of Embodiment 1 [Figure 4] Editing process of scan function information by the extended application of Embodiment 1 [Figure 5] List of Scan Functions for Each Device in Embodiment 1 [Figure 6] Sequence diagram illustrating the scan operation of Embodiment 1 [Figure 7] Scanning process in the extended application of Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] Scanning process in the scanning device of Embodiment 1 [Figure 9] Additional processing for the document type function of the extended application in Embodiment 2 [Figure 10] Sequence diagram illustrating the scan operation of Embodiment 2 [Figure 11] Scanning process in the extended application of Embodiment 2 [Figure 12] Sequence diagram illustrating the scan operation of Embodiment 3 [Figure 13] Sequence diagram illustrating the scan operation of Embodiment 3 [Figure 14] Sequence diagram illustrating the scan operation of Embodiment 4 [Figure 15] Scanning process in the extended application of Embodiment 4 [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of the features described in this embodiment are essential for the solution means of the present invention.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] Scanning system hardware configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a scanning system. (Host computer) In this figure, the host computer 101 is an example of an information processing device, and has an input interface 110, a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an external storage device 114, an output interface 115, and an input / output interface 116. Further, input devices such as a keyboard 118 and a pointing device 117 are connected to the input interface 110, and display devices such as a display unit 119 are connected to the output interface 115. The NETIF 120 is a network interface and controls data transfer with external devices via the network.

[0011] An initialization program is stored in the ROM 112. The external storage device 114 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Application program groups, an operating system (OS), and various other data are stored in the external storage device 114. The RAM 113 is used as a work memory or the like when executing various programs stored in the external storage device 114, and various programs can operate within the host computer 101. In this embodiment, the CPU 111 executes processing according to the program code stored in the ROM 112, thereby executing the functions described below in the host computer 101 and the processing according to the flowchart described below.

[0012] (Scanning device) The scanning device 102 is an example of an image reading device, and is connected to the host computer 101 via the input / output interface 198 of the scanning device 102 and the input / output interface 116 of the host computer 101. The connection between the input / output interface 198 of the scanning device 102 and the input / output interface 116 of the host computer 101 may be a wired network or a wireless network. The image reading device, the scanning device 102, includes a CPU 191, ROM 192, RAM 193, operation unit 194, reading unit 195, printing unit 196, NETIF 197, input / output interface 198, and external storage device 199.

[0013] The CPU 191 provides overall control over the scanning device 102. ROM192 is the memory that stores the program. RAM193 ​​is memory used to temporarily store programs and image data. The reading unit 195 is a scanner that reads the image of the document. The printing unit 196 prints an image onto a sheet based on the image data. Note that the printing unit 196 is not mandatory. NETIF197 is a network interface that controls data transfer between external devices over a network. The image processing unit 190 performs various image editing processes on the input image data.

[0014] In this embodiment, the host computer 101 and the scanning device 102 are configured separately, but they may also be configured as a single information processing device. Furthermore, the reading settings screen and detailed settings screen described later are displayed on the display unit 119. In this embodiment, an electrophotographic digital multifunction device with multiple functions such as copying, printing, and faxing is used as an example of the scanning device. However, this embodiment is not limited to this; it can also be applied to devices using other processes, such as inkjet technology, or scanners that only read images. Also, the host computer 101 may be a desktop computer, a smartphone, or a laptop computer.

[0015] Scanning system software configuration Figure 2 schematically shows the software configuration of the scanning system. The software configuration in Figure 2 is stored in the external storage device 114 shown in Figure 1. Here, we will explain the scanning system assuming a host computer 101 equipped with Microsoft's Windows® 11 as the operating system. Note that standard drivers are also provided for Apple's macOS, and this technology can be applied to it as well. Figure 2(a) shows a typical configuration when the extended application 204 is not associated with the general-purpose scanning software 202 and the scanning device 102. Figure 2(b) shows the configuration when the extended application 204 is associated with the general-purpose scanning software 202 and the scanning device 102.

[0016] Scanning system software configuration (without association of extended applications) First, using Figure 2(a), we will describe the configuration of the scanning system when the extended application 204 is not associated. The scan application 201 is software that captures scanned content (image data). For example, this could be a document creation application or an image editing application. When the scan application 201 receives a scan request from the user, it issues a scan command to the OS. The scan command includes scan setting information to instruct the operation of the general-purpose scan software 202 and the scan device 102.

[0017] The scan application 201 can display a scan settings screen provided by either the general-purpose scan software 202, the OS, or the scan application 201 itself in order to execute a scan command. Furthermore, if the "Advanced Settings" button is pressed within the scan settings screen, the general-purpose scan software 202 will display an additional advanced settings screen. The scan settings screen and advanced settings screen will be described later using Figure 3. The advanced settings screen includes setting items (hereinafter also referred to as "control items") indicating configurable scan functions, and control items indicating their setting values, according to the scan function information (configurable information) of the general-purpose scan software 202. The general-purpose scan software 202 determines the scan capability based on the scan function information 203.

[0018] Scan function information 203 is data indicating the scan function, which includes all configurable scan functions, their settings, and the mutual exclusion relationships between the settings. Scan function information 203 is included in the configuration file of the general-purpose scan software 202 and is placed on the external storage device 114 as an immutable file. Alternatively, the general-purpose scan software 202 can dynamically generate the scan function information 203. Specifically, the general-purpose scan software 202 or the OS can be configured to acquire attribute data of the scan device from the scan device 102 and generate the scan function information 203 according to the attribute information in the acquired attribute data. When the scan function information 203 is dynamically generated, the generated scan function information 203 is editable. The attribute data of the scan device acquired from the scan device 102 includes attribute information indicating the scan functions (capabilities of the scan device) that can be specified by the scan device 102 and the settings related to that attribute information. This information is stored in RAM 113.

[0019] With this configuration, the general-purpose scan software 202 can be configured so that the user can specify the scan functions available on each connected scan device 102, depending on the connected scan device 102. In other words, even when scan devices with different functions or scan devices developed by different vendors are connected, the general-purpose scan software 202 can be configured so that the user can specify the scan functions available on each connected scan device. Furthermore, the general-purpose scan software 202 can generate scan instructions that can be interpreted by multiple scan devices from different vendors and output these scan instructions to each of the multiple scan devices from different vendors. Note that the vendor may be the manufacturer of the scan device 102. Here, the general-purpose scan software 202 is a standard class driver that performs scans based on a standard scan protocol called Mopria. The general-purpose scan software 202 acquires capability information of the connected scan device 102 and generates scan function information 203 based on that information so that the user can specify the scan functions supported by the connected scan device 102. The general-purpose scanning software 202 obtains scanning function information 203 from the scanning device 102 via IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) and receives image data generated by the scanning device 102 scanning the document. This general-purpose scanning software 202 does not support the document type function. This is because the document type setting function is a proprietary function of the scanning device vendor (scanning device manufacturer).

[0020] • Document type function The document type function allows you to specify whether you want to enhance the text portion or the photographic portion of a document. If you select "Text" and scan the document, the edges will be emphasized and the text will be rendered as clean image data. If "Photography" is selected, a smooth image data will be produced, allowing the user to obtain the desired image data. The document type function allows you to set the adjustment level for text and images. In this embodiment, an example is shown where the adjustment level is set within a range of 10 steps, but this is not the only way to set this function. A wider or narrower setting range may also be used.

[0021] Scanning system software configuration (with associated extension applications) Next, Figure 2(b) will be used to describe the configuration of the scanning system when the extended application 204 is associated. Note that the same configuration as in Figure 2(a) will not be explained. The extension application 204 is software that supports the general-purpose scanning software 202, and is also called a support application. The extension application 204 is software that is not pre-installed (not bundled) with the OS. Therefore, the user needs to operate the host computer 101, download the extension application 204 from a server via the internet, and install it. Alternatively, it may be automatically installed based on the connection of the scanning device 102 to the host computer 101. Specifically, when the scanning device 102 is connected to the host computer 101, the OS obtains device identification information from the scanning device 102. The OS may download the extension application 204 corresponding to the obtained device identification information from a server via the internet and install it. In other words, the general-purpose scanning software 202 and the extension application 204 are kept as separate files on the host computer 101.

[0022] The general-purpose scan software 202 and the extended application 204 may be updated and upgraded, but these update processes are performed at different times. In other words, the timing at which the host computer 101 acquires the general-purpose scan software 202 and the timing at which the extended application 204 is acquired are different. Also, the triggers for the host computer 101 to acquire the general-purpose scan software 202 and the triggers for the host computer 101 to acquire the extended application 204 are different. When the extended application 204 is installed, the OS associates the extended application 204 with the general-purpose scan software 202 and the scan device 102.

[0023] The extended application 204 described in this embodiment includes a scan setting screen extension unit 205, a scan function extension unit 206, an image data editing unit 207, and a notification unit 209. The extended application 204 also includes shared information 208 that can be accessed from all units. The shared information 208 is actually a file stored in the external storage device 114 or information stored on the RAM 113. The extended application 204 writes to and reads information from the shared information 208 by using the API (Application Program Interface) provided by the OS.

[0024] The extended application 204 may terminate its operation after each unit has finished processing. In that case, the OS will start the extended application 204 each time a request to use each unit is received. Furthermore, the extended application 204 may cancel processing within each unit's processing. If canceled, the job being processed is deleted by the OS. When the scan application 201 receives a scan request from the user, it issues a scan command to the OS. In this configuration, as in the configuration shown in Figure 2(a), the scan application 201 can display the scan settings screen. In this configuration, the detailed settings screen provided by the extended application 204 is displayed. Specifically, the detailed settings screen provided by the scan settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 is displayed. Furthermore, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 can save the detailed settings configured by the user to the shared information 208.

[0025] The extended application 204 includes an image data editing unit 207. The image data editing unit 207 acquires image data from the scanning device 102 and performs editing. The image data editing unit 207 acquires detailed setting information from the shared information 208 and performs image editing on the image data according to the detailed settings. The extended application 204 may also be configured to acquire image data acquired by the general-purpose scanning software 202 and perform image editing on the image data according to the detailed settings. Furthermore, even in the configuration of Figure 2(b), there may be cases where the user does not set the document type. In that case, as in the configuration of Figure 2(a), the general-purpose scanning software 202 may issue a scan request instruction to the scanning device 102 without going through the extended application 204.

[0026] The extended application 204 includes a scan function extension unit 206. The scan function extension unit 206 can edit the scan function information 203 generated by the general-purpose scan software 202 or the OS. This allows the scan function extension unit 206 to add functions provided by the extended application 204. In addition, the scan function extension unit 206 can add functions supported by the scan device 102 but not by the general-purpose scan software 202 (document type functions), add mutual exclusion relationships between scan function settings, etc. The OS starts the scan function extension unit 206 when the extended application 204 is first associated with the scan device 102 and the general-purpose scan software 202. Furthermore, the OS may start the scan function extension unit 206 at other times, such as when the OS starts up.

[0027] Furthermore, the extended application 204 has a notification unit 209. The notification unit 209 can display a notification to the user in response to an error occurring in the scanning device 102. For example, if a read jam error occurs in the scanning device 102, the general-purpose scanning software 202 detects it, and the OS uses a notification function called a toast notification, which is a function of the OS, to display a message on the display unit 119. When the user presses this toast notification, the OS calls the notification unit 209 of the extended application 204, and the UI screen of the notification unit 209 is displayed. The UI screen of the notification unit 209 can display, for example, a detailed message about the scan jam error and instructions on how to clear the jam.

[0028] Furthermore, the configuration of the extended application 204 for realizing this embodiment is not limited to having all of the aforementioned functions (units), but may have only some of the functions or other functions. Also, the extended application 204 is sometimes simply called scan software. As described above, the extended application 204 can be said to have at least one of the following functions. The first is a function to display the settings screen (scan settings screen extension unit 205). The second feature is a function (image data editing unit 207) that edits image data according to detailed settings. The third feature is a function that supports the functions that can be specified in the image data generation software (scan function expansion unit 206). The fourth feature is a function (notification unit 209) that displays a screen in response to an error occurring in the scanning device 102.

[0029] (Settings screen) Next, an example of the scan settings screen and the detailed settings screen in this embodiment will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3(a) shows the scan settings screen displayed by the scan application 201. Figure 3(b) shows the detailed settings screen displayed when the extended application 204 shown in Figure 2(a) is not present. Figure 3(c) shows the detailed settings screen displayed when the extended application 204 shown in Figure 2(b) is present. Note that the units and modules that display the scan settings screen are not limited to those mentioned above. For example, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 may be configured solely to generate a display screen. In that case, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 sends the generated display screen to the scan application 201 via the general-purpose scan software 202. The scan application 201 may be configured to display the acquired display screen.

[0030] <Scan settings screen (scan application)> First, we will explain the scan settings screen displayed by the scan application 201 shown in Figure 3(a). Control 301 has objects that allow the user to set the scanner (the scanner used for reading) to which the image data will be scanned. Control 302 is an advanced settings button. When Control 302 is pressed, an additional scan screen is displayed by the general-purpose scan software 202 or the scan settings screen expansion unit 205. Control 303 is the scan start button, and control 304 is the scan cancel button.

[0031] <Advanced Settings Screen (General-Purpose Scan Software)> Next, Figure 3(b) will be explained. Figure 3(b) is an additional settings screen displayed by the general-purpose scanning software 202 when the extended application 204 is not available. Control 305 indicates that the scanning destination can be set and that the document glass is selected. Control 306 is the setting completion button; when Control 306 is pressed, the system returns to the scan settings screen shown in Figure 3(a).

[0032] <Scan Settings Screen (Scan Settings Screen Extension Unit)> Next, Figure 3(c) will be explained. Figure 3(c) is an additional settings screen displayed by the scan settings screen extension unit 205 when the extension application 204 is present. Unlike Figure 3(b), control 307, list 308, and control 309 have been added. Control 307 is a button (object) that allows you to select the document type setting, and it indicates that "Text and Photo" is selected. List 308 is displayed when Control 307 is pressed and shows the setting value for the document type. List 308 shows that in addition to the currently selected "Text and Photo," there are also "Text," "Photo," and "Automatic" options. The "text-photo" feature allows users to manually adjust the level of text-heavy or photo-heavy elements by moving the bar in object control 309 left or right.

[0033] Level 310 indicates the level of text-centricity or photo-centricity set by the user when “Text Photo” is selected in List 308. In the following embodiments, the behavior when “Text Photo” is selected in List 308 will be described, but if “Text” is selected, the behavior will be the same as when Level 1, the most text-centric level of “Text Photo,” is selected. If “Photo” is selected, the behavior will be the same as when Level 10, the most photo-centric level of “Text Photo,” is selected. If “Automatic” is selected, the behavior will be the same as when Level 5, the middle level between text and photo, is selected. Alternatively, the level may be automatically adjusted according to the ratio of text and photo portions of the scanned document. For example, if the text portion is 20 percent and the photo portion is 80 percent, the level may be automatically set to Level 8. In this embodiment, a bar is used for setting the text photo, but input methods such as direct numerical input or buttons for selecting numerical values ​​may also be used. Alternatively, icons representing text and photos may be displayed for selection. In addition, if anything other than “Text Photo” is selected in List 308, the bar for adjusting the intermediate level may be hidden. Alternatively, the bar level adjustment 309 could be displayed but made immovable. Or, the bar could be made immovable and further displayed in gray to explicitly indicate that it cannot be moved. Also, when the level is set to 1 while in "text and photo" mode, list 307 could be changed to "text," and when the level is set to 10, it could be changed to "photo." Furthermore, bar 309 could be always changeable, and when a level from 2 to 9 is selected, list 307 could be set to "text and photo." The form of the UI for changing the document type is not limited to these forms and various modifications are possible.

[0034] Here, we will explain why the scan settings differ between Figure 3(b) and Figure 3(c). The detailed settings screen is generated by referring to the scan capability generated based on the scan function information. However, the general-purpose scan software 202 does not support the document type function, and therefore cannot add the document type function to the scan function information. Furthermore, even if the scan function information originally included the document type function, the general-purpose scan software 202 cannot interpret the document type function included in the scan function information. Therefore, the document type setting cannot be displayed on the detailed settings screen. However, the scan function expansion unit 206 is configured to add the document type function to the scan function information 203, and the scan settings screen expansion unit 205 is configured to display the detailed settings screen by referring to the scan capability. With these configurations, the expansion application 204 can display the document type function on the detailed settings screen. Note that Figure 3(c) may also include additional expansion functions other than the document type function.

[0035] [Editing process for scan function information: Scan function expansion unit] Here, using Figures 4 and 5, the processing flow in which the scan function expansion unit 206 edits the scan function information 203 will be explained. Each step is realized by the execution of each unit that has been read from the external storage device 114 to the RAM 113 by the CPU 111.

[0036] In S401, the scan function expansion unit 206 acquires capability information from the scan device 102, which is an image reading device. The capability information consists of attribute information indicating the functions that can be specified on the scan device 102 and the setting values ​​associated with that attribute information. Table 501 in Figure 5 shows an example of a list of capability information obtained from the scanning device 102. As shown in Table 501, the scanning device 102 can provide information on functions such as specifying the reading size, as well as configurable options for each function.

[0037] In S402, the function expansion unit 208 retrieves a list of scan functions supported by the expansion application 204 from the shared information 208. The list of scan functions supported by the expansion application 204 is stored in the shared information 208 and contains all scan functions that the expansion application 204 can process and their settings. An example of the list of scan functions supported by the expansion application 204 is shown in Table 502 of Figure 5. The list of scan functions supported by the expansion application 204 may be updated due to updates to the expansion application 204, etc.

[0038] In S403, the scan function expansion unit 206 obtains scan function information 203 created by the general-purpose scan software 202 from the OS. Table 503 in Figure 5 shows an example of a list of scan functions supported by the general-purpose scan software 202. The scan function information 203 created by the general-purpose scan software 202 is created based on the capability information (Table 501 in Figure 5) obtained by the general-purpose scan software 202 from the scan device 102. The scan function information created by the general-purpose scan software 202 only includes the scan functions that the general-purpose scan software 202 supports from the capability information obtained from the scan device 102, so the functionality of the scan function information is limited. For example, the capability information obtained from the scan device 102 (Table 501 in Figure 5) includes the document type function, but the general-purpose scan software 202 does not support the document type function, and therefore the document type function is not included in the scan function information. By adding functions and options to the scan function information, the scan function expansion unit 206 makes it possible for the expansion application 204 to compensate for the lack of functionality of the general-purpose scan software 202. Furthermore, the scan function expansion unit 206 can also remove unnecessary functions and options from the scan function information created by the general-purpose scan software 202.

[0039] The following steps S404, S405, and S406 are processes that are repeatedly performed on the list of functions contained in the capability information obtained from the scanning device in S401. In this embodiment, these processes are repeatedly performed on the 13 types included in Table 501, from "Scanning Size: A4H" to "Document Type: Automatic". In S404, the function expansion unit 208 determines whether the function / option being processed exists in the scan function information generated by the general-purpose scan software 202. If the function / option being processed exists in the scan function information 203 (Yes in S404), the process returns to the beginning of the loop. Specifically, the next item is selected from the functions / options of the scan function acquired from the scan device 102, and S404 is performed again. If the last item in the functions / options of the capability information acquired from the scan device 102 is being processed, the loop is exited and the flowchart in Figure 4 is terminated. If the function / option being processed does not exist in the scan function information 203 (No in S404), the process proceeds to S405. In this embodiment, for example, the scan function of the scan device 102, "Scanning destination: document glass" shown in Table 501, also exists in Table 503, which is the scan function of the general-purpose scan software 202, so it is determined to be Yes in S404. On the other hand, “Reading size: A4H” shown in Table 501 is not present in Table 503, so it is determined to be No, and the process proceeds to S405.

[0040] In S405, the scan function expansion unit 208 determines whether the function / option being processed exists among the functions / options supported by the expansion application 204. If it is determined that the function / option being processed exists (Yes in S405), the process proceeds to S406. If it is determined that the function / option being processed does not exist (No in S405), the process either repeats S404 as in the case where Yes was determined in S404, or exits the loop and terminates the processing of this flowchart. In this embodiment, for example, if the function being processed is "Document Type: Text and Photo", it also exists in Table 502, which is the scan function of the expansion application 204, so it is determined to be Yes in S405 and the process proceeds to S406.

[0041] In S406, the scan function expansion unit 206 adds the function / option being processed to the scan function information 203. After processing in S406, if Yes is determined in S404, either S404 is repeated, or the loop is exited and the processing of this flowchart ends. As described above, the scan function expansion unit 206 adds functions and options that are not supported by the general-purpose scan software 202 but are supported by the scan device 102 and the expansion application 204 to the scan function information 203. Based on the scan function information edited by this process, the scan capabilities are generated. Furthermore, the scan setting screen expansion unit 205 generates a display screen based on the generated scan capabilities, thereby extending the functions not supported by the general-purpose scan software 202 and enabling the display of the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c).

[0042] Scanning process sequence Next, using Figure 6, the sequence of the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, extended application 204, and scan device 102 after the scan application 201 accepts the scan settings will be explained. Note that each step in Figure 6, except for the scan device 102, is performed by the CPU 111 reading the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, and extended application 204 from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 6 is realized by the CPU 191 of the scan device 102 reading the program stored in the ROM 192 or external storage device 199 into the RAM 193 and executing it.

[0043] In S601, the scan application 201 accepts scan settings from the user. The user can instruct the scan application 201 to configure scan settings by operating the pointing device 117 or the keyboard 118. In S602, the scan application 201 displays the scan settings screen shown in Figure 3(a) on the display unit 119. In S603, the scan application 201 accepts detailed setting instructions. The user can specify detailed settings by operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 to select control 302.

[0044] In S604, the scan application 201 requests the general-purpose scan software 202 to display detailed settings. In S605, the general-purpose scan software 202 requests the extended application 204 to display the detailed settings. As mentioned above, in the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), the general-purpose scan software 202 will display the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c). In S606, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 displays the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) on the display unit 119. This is because, as explained in Figure 4, the document type setting has been added to the scan function information by the function extension unit 208. The scan settings screen extension unit 205 displays the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) on the display unit 119 by referring to the scan capabilities generated based on the added scan function information. In this embodiment, the extended application 204 supports only one resolution, 300 x 300 dpi, so there is no need for the user to select it, and it is not displayed on the detailed settings screen. Even if it is not selectable, it may be configured to display it on the detailed settings screen to make it clear to the user.

[0045] In S607, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 accepts detailed settings. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3(c), the user selects "Scanning destination: Document glass" and "Document type: Text and photograph". The accepted settings are stored in RAM 113 by CPU 111. In S608, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 receives confirmation that the detailed settings have been completed and instructs the system to write the received settings to the scan settings information. The user can signal the completion of the detailed settings by operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 and selecting control 306. When writing to the scan settings information, it is also possible to configure the system to write items that have not been selected by the user, such as resolution.

[0046] In S609, the extended application 204 sends a message to the general-purpose scanning software 202 indicating that the detailed settings have been completed. In the S610, the general-purpose scan software 202 sends a message to the scan application 201 indicating that the detailed settings have been completed. In S611, the scan application 201 receives a scan command. The user can initiate a scan by operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 and selecting control 303. In S612, the scan application 201 issues a scan command to the general-purpose scan software 202. In S613, the general-purpose scan software 202 issues a scan command to the extended application 204.

[0047] In S614, the extended application 204 creates a scan command based on the scan configuration information written in S608. If items that were not selected by the user, such as resolution, are not written to the scan configuration information in S608, the extended application 204 may add them when creating the scan command in S614. Alternatively, it may be configured to operate with the default values ​​of the scan device 102 without adding anything. In step S615, the extended application 204 sends a scan command to the scanning device 102 to perform a scan. In S616, the scanning device 102 interprets the scan instruction command and performs the scan. During the scan, it performs the necessary image processing on the image data according to the scan instruction. In this embodiment, if the scan settings shown in Figure 3(c) (document type: text photograph) are made, the scan is performed at level 310 of the text photograph set by the bar on the control 309, and image data is generated.

[0048] In S617, the scanning device 102 sends the generated image data to the extended application 204. In S618, the extended application 204 sends the received image data to the general-purpose scanning software 202. In S619, the general-purpose scanning software 202 sends the received image data to the scanning application 201. In S620, the scan application 201 accepts image data. In step S621, the scan application 201 displays the received image data and terminates the process.

[0049] [Scanning process: Extended application] Here, using Figure 7, we will explain the flow in which the extended application 204 performs the scan process. Each step is realized by the execution of each unit read from the external storage device 114 to the RAM 113 by the CPU 111.

[0050] In S701, the extended application 204 accepts a request to display detailed settings. In S702, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 displays the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) on the display unit 119. This is because, as explained in Figure 4, the document type function has been added to the scan function information by the function extension unit 208. The scan settings screen extension unit 205 displays the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) on the display unit 119 by referring to the scan capabilities generated based on the added scan function information 203. In S703, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 determines whether the user has set a function. If the user has set a function (Yes in S703), the CPU 111 proceeds to S704; if the user has not set a function (No in S703), the CPU 111 proceeds to S705. S704 accepts detailed settings, the CPU111 stores the accepted settings in RAM113, and then the processing is passed to S705.

[0051] In S705, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 determines whether the user has given a command to finish the settings. If there is a command to finish the settings (Yes in S705), the CPU 111 accepts that the detailed settings have been completed, writes the accepted settings to the scan settings information, and proceeds to S706. If there is no command to finish the settings (No in S705), it returns to S703 and determines again whether the user has given a command to finish the functions. In S706, the extended application 204 sends a message to the general-purpose scanning software 202 indicating that the detailed settings have been completed. In S707, the extended application 204 determines whether there is a scan command from the general-purpose scan software 202. If there is a scan command (Yes in S706), the CPU 111 proceeds to S708; otherwise, it returns to S707 and determines again whether there is a scan command from the general-purpose scan software 202.

[0052] In S708, the extended application 204 creates scan command instructions based on the scan configuration information written in S705. One way to create scan command instructions in S708 is to extend the standard protocol commands. This extension can be done by adding dedicated commands to the extension area of ​​the standard protocol commands. Furthermore, there are methods such as adding proprietary commands to the end of the standard protocol commands, or having the extension application 204 overwrite the standard protocol commands with its own command system. Furthermore, when issuing instructions from the extended application 204, the configuration may be such that instructions and communication are performed using the vendor's (manufacturer's) proprietary protocol, regardless of the standard protocol.

[0053] In S709, the extended application 204 sends a scan command to the scanning device 102 to perform a scan. In S710, the extended application 204 determines whether it has received all the image data from the scanning device 102. If all the image data has been received (Yes in S710), the CPU 111 proceeds to S711; otherwise (No in S710), it returns to S710 to determine whether all the image data has been transmitted from the scanning device 102. In step S711, the extended application 204 sends the received image data to the general-purpose scanning software 202 and terminates this process.

[0054] [Scanning process: Scanning device] Next, using Figure 8, we will explain the scan process flow of the scanning device 102 that receives a scan command from the extended application 204. Note that each operation (step) shown in the flowchart of Figure 8 is realized by the CPU 191 executing a program stored in the ROM 192. In S801, CPU 191 receives scan instructions sent from extended application 204. In S802, the scan command received in S801 is analyzed and converted into a reading setting that allows the scanning device 102 to perform the reading process. In this embodiment, the scanning settings are made on the document glass with document type: text / photo and resolution: 300 x 300 dpi.

[0055] In S803, the CPU 191 determines the ASIC of the image processing unit 190 to be used to perform the scan according to the reading settings converted in S802, and configures the ASIC. In S804, the CPU 191 sends a reading instruction to the reading unit 195 according to the reading settings. In this embodiment, an instruction is sent to perform reading on the document glass. In S805, the CPU 191 acquires image data from the reading unit 195. In S806, the CPU 191 and the image processing unit 190 perform image processing on the received image data. In this embodiment, the resolution is converted to 300 x 300 dpi and the document type is processed. The document type function uses the ASIC configured in S803 to analyze the image data and adjust it to a level 310 suitable for text and photographs. If the reading unit 195 is capable of reading at 300 x 300 dpi, the reading unit 195 may acquire the image data at 300 x 300 dpi, and S806 may not perform the image processing for resolution conversion.

[0056] In S807, CPU 191 saves image data to external storage device 199. In S808, CPU191 determines whether the scanning process for all pages has finished. If it determines that it has not finished (S808 is No), CPU191 proceeds to S805 and executes the scanning process for the next page. If it determines that it has finished (S808 is Yes), CPU191 proceeds to S809. In S809, the CPU 191 and the image processing unit 190 convert the image data saved in S807 according to the transmission format setting received in S801. In this embodiment, the transmission format is not included in the scan instruction received from the extended application 204. Therefore, it is converted to the default JPEG of the scanning device 102, but the transmission format to be converted is not limited to this; any format that can be handled by the information processing device is acceptable. In S810, the converted image data is sent to the extended application 204, and all processing is completed.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, the scan setting screen extension unit 205 of the extension application 204 modifies the scan function information 203 based on the general-purpose scan software 202, the extension application 204, and the capability information of the scan device 102. Furthermore, when the user requests a detailed settings screen, the settings screen is displayed based on the scan capabilities generated from the scan function information 203, allowing the user to adjust the level of the text and photographs. Subsequently, when the scan device 102 receives a scan instruction that reflects the adjustment of the level of the text and photographs, it performs scanning at the specified level 310 of the text and photographs. Through this series of processes, the scan device 102 can be equipped with a document type function, and the document type function can be provided to the user. In this embodiment, the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) was used under the configuration shown in Figure 2(b) for the explanation, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when a request to display detailed settings is made to the general-purpose scan software 202 in S604, the general-purpose scan software 202 may display the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(b). Subsequently, after the detailed settings shown in Figure 3(b) are completed, the general-purpose scan software 202 requests the extended application 204 to display an additional detailed settings screen. Next, the extended application 204 may display an additional detailed settings screen in which the document type can be set.

[0058] Furthermore, while the configuration is such that scan commands to the extended application 204 are issued from the general-purpose scan software 202, this is not limited to this. For example, the scan application 201 could issue commands to the extended application 204, or a control for issuing scan commands could be placed on the detailed settings screen, allowing the user to issue commands directly to the extended application 204. Additionally, the image data could be transferred directly from the extended application 204 to the scan application 201 without going through the general-purpose scan software 202, or from the scan device 102 to the scan application 201. Moreover, the received image data could be saved to the external storage device 114, and only the file path information of the save location could be transferred. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when there are multiple image data, the method is to receive all image data before passing it on, but it is also possible to configure the system to pass on transmitted image data as it is received.

[0059] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 2 of the present invention will now be described. In Embodiment 1 described above, first, the scanning device 102 interprets the scan setting information, including the document type function, and performs the scanning process with the document type setting specified on the scanning device 102. However, some scanning devices may not be able to handle document type selection. In such cases, even if an extended application supports it and can generate scan settings information including document type specification, the scanning device cannot be made to perform document type processing. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, first, it is determined from the capabilities information of the scanning device whether or not the document type function can be implemented. Next, if the scanning device can perform document type, scan setting information including the document type setting specified by the user is generated and passed to the scanning device. On the other hand, if the scanning device cannot perform document type, scan setting information without the document type setting is generated and passed to the scanning device. After that, the document type function is implemented using the extended application on the image data read by the scanning device. This makes it possible to provide the user with image data according to the document type even if the scanning device does not support the document type function. In the following, we will only describe the differences from Embodiment 1.

[0060] Assume that the scanning device 102 is a scanning device that does not support the document type function. The extended application 204 has a different configuration from the extended application 204 of Embodiment 1. The scanning function extension unit 206 adds the document type setting to the scanning function information 203 if there is a unit in the extended application 204 that performs adjustment processing of the document type of image data. In other words, even if the capability information acquired from the scanning device does not include the document type function, the document type setting is added to the scanning function information 203, and the document type function can be used. The image data editing unit 207 performs adjustment processing of the document type of image data on the image data received from the scanning device 102 based on the level setting 310 of the document type function set by the user. Details will be described later.

[0061] [Editing process for scan function information: Scan function expansion unit] The scan function information editing process by the scan function extension unit 206 in Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 9. Steps common to both Figure 4 and this embodiment are given the same numbering and their explanations are omitted; the differences will be explained primarily. Note that each step in Figure 9 is realized by the execution of each unit read from the external storage device 114 to the RAM 113 by the CPU 111. When the scan function expansion unit 206 completes the repetitive processing from S404 to S406, it proceeds to processing S901. At this point, the scan device 102 does not support the document type function. Therefore, the document type function is not added to the scan function information 203 after the completion of processing from S404 to S406. Therefore, S901 and S902 perform a process to add functions to the scan function information according to the modules that the extended application 204 has, even though they are not included in the capability information returned from the scan device 102.

[0062] Specifically, in S901, the scan function expansion unit 206 refers to the capabilities information of the scanner (Table 501 in Figure 5) and the scan function information 203 to determine whether the expansion application 204 has a module for performing document type adjustment processing. If it is determined that there is a module for performing document type adjustment processing (Yes in S901), the process proceeds to S902; if it is determined that there is no such module (No in S901), this process is terminated. In this embodiment 2, since the image data editing unit 207 can perform document type adjustment processing, it is determined that the expansion application 204 has a module for performing document type adjustment processing. In S902, the scan function expansion unit 206 adds a document type function and then terminates this process. As described above, the function expansion unit 206 first adds functions and options that are not supported by the general-purpose scanning software 202, are supported by the scanning device 102, and are supported by the expansion application 204 to the scanning function information 203. Then, it determines whether the document type adjustment process can be performed in the expansion application 204, and if it can, it adds the document type adjustment function to the scanning function information. This process makes it possible to display the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3 by generating a display screen based on the scanning function information 203 using the scan setting screen expansion unit 205, even if the document type adjustment function is not supported by the scanning device 102.

[0063] Scanning process sequence Next, using Figure 10, the sequence of the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, extended application 204, and scan device 12 after the scan application 201 accepts the scan settings will be explained. Note that each step in Figure 10 other than the scan device 102 is performed by the CPU 111 reading the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, and extended application 204 from the external storage device 114 into RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 10 is realized by the CPU 191 of the scan device 102 reading the program stored in ROM 192 or external storage device 199 into RAM 193 and executing it.Hereafter, steps common to Figure 6 will be given the same number and their explanations will be omitted, and the differences will be explained in detail.

[0064] In S1001, the extended application 204 creates a read command. The detailed operation at this time is explained in the flowchart in Figure 11. In S1002, the image data editing unit 207 performs image processing to adjust the document type on the received image data. In this embodiment, the image data is adjusted in the same way as in Embodiment 1.

[0065] Here, using Figure 11, we will explain the flow in which the extended application 204 performs the scan process. Steps common to Figure 7 are given the same number and their explanations are omitted, while the differences will be explained primarily. Each step is realized by the execution of each unit read from the external storage device 114 to the RAM 113 by the CPU 111.

[0066] [Scanning process: Extended application] In S1101, the extended application 204 obtains capability information for the scanning device 102 from the shared information 208. If capability information for the scanning device 102 is not available, the scanning function extension unit 206 may request capability information from the scanning device 102 and save it to the shared information 208. The extended application 204 determines from the acquired capability information and configuration information whether there are any function settings that are not supported by the scanning device 102. If it is determined that a function not supported by the scanning device 102 is set (if the answer is Yes in S1101), the CPU 111 proceeds to S1102. In Embodiment 2, since an adjustment function for a document type not supported by the scanning device 102 is set, the process proceeds to S1102. If it is determined that no function not supported by the scanning device 102 is set (if the answer is No in S1101), the CPU 111 proceeds to S708. In S1102, the extended application 204 creates a scan command by excluding unsupported function settings, and the process proceeds to S707. In this embodiment, the document type adjustment function is not included in the scan command.

[0067] Next, we will explain the process that follows when S710 determines that it has received the previous image data. In S1103, the extended application 204 determines from the setting information whether there are any settings that need editing in the image data editing unit 207. If it is determined that there are settings that need editing (Yes in S1103), the CPU 111 proceeds to S1104. In Embodiment 2, since the adjustment function for document types that the scanning device 102 cannot execute is set, the process proceeds to S1104. On the other hand, if it is determined that there are no settings that need editing (No in S1103), the CPU 111 proceeds to S711. Next, in S1104, the image data editing unit 207 adjusts the received image data according to the document type, similar to Embodiment 1, based on the document type adjustment function setting configured in S703.

[0068] In this embodiment, function settings not supported by the scanning device were excluded from the scan instruction command. However, even if such a function were included in the scan instruction command, the scanning device would not be able to interpret the unsupported instruction command and therefore would not be able to execute the function. For this reason, unsupported functions may be included in the scan instruction command without being excluded. As described above, in Embodiment 2, even if the scanning device does not support the document type function, it is possible to provide the user with the document type function.

[0069] [Embodiment 3] Embodiment 3 of the present invention will now be described. In Embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the extended application 204 and the scanning device 102 are configured to communicate with each other. In Embodiment 3, the general-purpose scanning software 202 interacts with the scanning device 102, and the extended application 204 is configured to perform only scan command extensions and image editing. In the following, we will only describe the differences from Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0070] Scanning process sequence (command extension) Using Figure 12, the sequence of the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, extended application 204, and scan device 102 after the scan application 201 accepts the scan settings will be explained. Steps common to Figure 6 are assigned the same number and their explanations are omitted, with the differences being the main focus of the explanation. Note that each step in Figure 12 other than the scan device 102 is performed by the CPU 111 reading the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, and extended application 204 from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 12 is realized by the CPU 191 of the scan device 102 reading the program stored in the ROM 192 or external storage device 199 into the RAM 193 and executing it. In S1201, the general-purpose scan software 202 creates a scan command. At this time, functions that the general-purpose scan software 202 does not support are not included in the scan command. In S1202, the general-purpose scan software 202 passes the created scan command to the extended application 204.

[0071] In S1203, the extended application 204 extends the command by adding instructions for functions not supported by the general-purpose scanning software 202 to the received scan instruction command or by modifying existing instructions. In this embodiment, in S1201, since the scan instruction command created by the general-purpose scanning software 202 does not include a document type setting, a document type setting is added. In S1204, the extended application 204 passes the extended scan command to the general-purpose scan software 202. In step S1205, the general-purpose scan software 202 sends a scan command to the scan device 102 and performs the scan command. In S1206, the general-purpose scanning software 202 receives image data from the scanning device 102.

[0072] Scanning process sequence (image editing) Next, using Figure 13, we will explain the sequence of events when the general-purpose scan software 202 and the scan device 102 communicate and image editing is performed using an extended application. Steps common to Figure 12 are given the same number and their explanations are omitted, while the differences will be explained primarily. Note that each step in Figure 13 other than that of the scan device 102 is performed by the CPU 111 reading the scan application 201, the general-purpose scan software 202, and the extended application 204 from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 13 is realized by the CPU 191 of the scan device 102 reading the program stored in the ROM 192 or external storage device 199 into the RAM 193 and executing it.

[0073] In S1301, the general-purpose scanning software 202 transmits the received image data to the extended application 204. In S1002, the extended application 204 performs image editing. In this embodiment, based on the setting of the document type level 310, which is set by the same process as in S1104 in Figure 11, adjustments are made to the received image data according to the document type. In S1302, the extended application 204 sends the edited image data to the general-purpose scanning software 202. As described above, in this embodiment, the extended application 204 extends the document type specification command, thereby enabling the scanning device 102 to implement the document type function and providing the user with the document type function.

[0074] [Embodiment 4] Embodiment 4 of the present invention will now be described. In Embodiments 1 to 3 described above, the commands used in the standard protocol were extended and configured to communicate with the scanning device 102. Embodiment 4 describes a configuration in which the standard protocol commands are not extended, and functions supported only by the extended application 204 are communicated with the scanning device 102 using separate commands. In the following, we will only describe the differences from the previously described embodiment.

[0075] Scanning process sequence (sending separate commands) Figure 14 illustrates the sequence of the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, extended application 204, and scan device 102 after the scan application 201 accepts the scan settings. Note that each step in Figure 14, except for the scan device 102, is performed by the CPU 111 reading the scan application 201, general-purpose scan software 202, and extended application 204 from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 14 is achieved by the CPU 191 of the scan device 102 reading a program stored in the ROM 192 or external storage device 199 into the RAM 193 and executing it. Steps common to both Figure 6 and Figure 14 are given the same numbering, their explanations are omitted, and the differences are primarily explained.

[0076] In S1401, the extended application 204 creates a standard scan command in accordance with the standard protocol. At this time, functions not supported by the standard protocol are not included in the scan command. In S1402, the extended application 204 creates an extended scan command for features that are supported only by the extended application 204. In S1403, the extended application 204 sends a standard scan instruction command to the scanning device 102 and performs a scan instruction. In S1404, the extended application 204 sends an extended scan command to the scanning device 102 and performs a scan command. In S1405, the scanning device 102 interprets the received standard scan instruction command and extended scan instruction command, respectively, and executes the scan process.

[0077] [Scanning process: Extended application] Here, using Figure 15, we will explain the flow in which the extended application 204 performs the scan process. Each step is realized by the execution of each unit read from the external storage device 114 to the RAM 113 by the CPU 111. Steps common to Figure 7 are given the same number and their explanations are omitted, while the differences will be explained in detail. In S1501, the extended application 204 creates a standard scan instruction command that conforms to the standard protocol. In S1502, the extended application 204 creates an extended scan command for features not supported by the standard protocol. In S1503, the extended application 204 sends the standard scan instruction command created in S1501 to the scanning device 102. In S1504, the extended application 204 sends the extended scan instruction command created in S1502 to the scanning device 102. As described above, in Embodiment 4, the extended application can provide the user with document type functionality by sending a separate scan command for functions not supported by the standard protocol.

[0078] (Other examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. This embodiment includes the following programs, methods, and configurations. (Program 1) A program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, Information processing device Display an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be scanned. A program characterized by causing an image reading device that performs scanning to output an instruction to read the original document based on the settings received by the object. (Program 2) The program according to Program 1, characterized in that the setting regarding the type of document is a setting that adjusts the scanned image according to the type of document. (Program 3) The setting regarding the type of the aforementioned document is characterized by including one of the following: text, a photograph, or a text-photograph. (Program 4) The aforementioned settings regarding the type of document include a setting for a level between a text-based document and a photographic document. The program described in Program 3, characterized by the above. (Program 5) The image reading device determines whether the settings regarding the type of received document can be performed. A program according to any one of programs 1 to 4, characterized in that, if it is determined that the setting regarding the type of received document cannot be performed, it performs a process to adjust the type of document of the scanned and acquired image data based on the received setting. (Program 6) The image reading device determines whether the settings regarding the type of received document can be performed. A program according to any one of programs 1 to 5, characterized in that, if it is determined that the setting regarding the type of received document cannot be performed, the image reader outputs an instruction command that does not include a function to adjust the type of document. (Program 7) A program according to any one of programs 1 to 6, characterized in that, when issuing a read command to the image reading device that performs the scan, it causes the device to send an instruction command that is an extension of the instruction command of the standard protocol. (Program 8) The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that when issuing a read instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan, it transmits an extended instruction command in addition to the instruction command of the standard protocol. (Program 9) A program according to any one of programs 1 to 6, characterized in that when issuing a read command to the image reading device that performs the scan, it does not send a standard protocol but sends its own instruction command. (Method 1) A control method for an information processing device having a program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, And, A display step that displays an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be scanned, Based on the settings received by the object, an output step is performed to output an instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan to read the document. A control method characterized by having [a certain characteristic]. (Composition 1) An information processing device having a program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, A display means that displays an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be scanned, Based on the settings received by the object, an output means outputs an instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan to read the document. An information processing device characterized by having [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 102 Scanning device 111,191 CPU 112,192 ROM 113,193 RAM 119 Display section 201 Scanning Application 202 General-purpose scanning software 203 Scan Function Information 204 Extended Applications 102 Scanning device

Claims

1. A program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, In the information processing device Display an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be scanned. A program characterized by causing an image reading device that performs scanning to output an instruction to read the original document based on the settings received by the object.

2. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting regarding the type of document is a setting that adjusts the scanned image according to the type of document.

3. The program according to claim 2, characterized in that the setting regarding the type of document includes one of the following: text, photographs, or text-photographs.

4. The aforementioned settings regarding the type of document include a setting for a level between a text-based document and a photographic document. The program according to feature 3.

5. The image reading device determines whether the settings regarding the type of received document can be performed. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that, if it is determined that the setting regarding the type of received document cannot be performed, it performs an adjustment process for the type of document of the scanned and acquired image data based on the received setting.

6. The image reading device determines whether the settings regarding the type of received document can be performed. The program according to claim 5, characterized in that, if it is determined that the setting regarding the type of received document cannot be performed, the image reading device outputs an instruction command that does not include a function to adjust the type of document.

7. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that when issuing a read instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan, it causes the device to send an instruction command that is an extension of the instruction command of the standard protocol.

8. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that when issuing a reading instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan, it transmits an extended instruction command in addition to the instruction command of the standard protocol.

9. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that, when issuing a read command to the image reading device that performs the scan, it does not transmit a standard protocol but transmits its own instruction command.

10. A control method for an information processing device having a program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, And, A display step that displays an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be scanned, Based on the settings received by the object, an output step is performed to output an instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan to read the document. A control method characterized by having [a certain characteristic].

11. An information processing device having a program that supports general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with image reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, A display means that displays an object that accepts settings regarding the type of document to be scanned, Based on the settings received by the object, an output means outputs an instruction to the image reading device that performs the scan to read the document. An information processing device characterized by having

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