Image reading device, control method for image reading device, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides an image reading device, a control method for the image reading device, and a program that can improve user convenience. [Solution] An image reading device A that performs an image reading operation based on a request from an information processing device 100 comprises a Web server unit that communicates with the information processing device 100 via a network, a storage unit that stores link information that allows access to the Web server unit in a storage area recognized as an external storage device when the image reading device A is connected to the information processing device 100 via a USB cable, and a control unit that controls the image reading operation based on a request received from the information processing device 100 via the link information.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, a control method for an image reading apparatus, and a program. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Image reading apparatuses such as image scanners, printers, and multifunction peripherals are widely prevalent. Known interfaces for connecting to these image reading apparatuses include serial interfaces, parallel interfaces, Universal Serial Bus (USB), IEEE802.11, and Local Area Network (LAN).

[0003] Incidentally, to enable an image reading apparatus to be used on a computer, the device driver and application software for the image reading apparatus must be installed, which is cumbersome. Accordingly, to improve convenience, a technique as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided as a means for offering an image reading apparatus that allows the image reading apparatus to be used from an information processing apparatus without installing a device driver on the information processing apparatus.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the image reading apparatus operates as a disk drive. When the image reading apparatus and a personal computer (PC) are connected via a USB cable, the PC recognizes the image reading apparatus as a disk drive. A control application that runs on the PC is stored in advance in the image reading apparatus, and a user activates the control application to control the image reading apparatus. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT DOCUMENT 1 Japanese Patent No. 5513018 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Image reading devices are required to further improve user convenience.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device, a control method for the image reading device, and a program that can improve user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In view of the above, the present invention provides an image reading device that performs an image reading operation based on a request from an information processing device, comprising: a Web server unit that communicates with the information processing device via a network; a storage unit that stores link information that allows access to the Web server unit in a storage area recognized as an external storage device when the image reading device is connected to the information processing device via a USB cable; and a control unit that controls the image reading operation based on the request received from the information processing device via the link information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image reading device, a control method for the image reading device, and a program that can further improve user convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of an image reading device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Block diagram of the control unit of the image reading device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Software block diagram of an image reading device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A software block diagram of an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]A schematic diagram of the system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of a link to a web server according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A processing flowchart when an image reading device is connected to an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of folder 302 when the image reading device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is recognized as a USB disk drive. [Figure 10] A software block diagram of a web server application according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] A figure showing an example of application software displayed on a web browser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] A flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example of a message displayed when there is no manuscript according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] A flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] A diagram showing an example of a message displayed when not connected to a network according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] A flowchart of the job file creation process performed by the image reading device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of a folder when the image reading device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is recognized as a USB disk drive. [Figure 18] A software block diagram of a web server application according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] This figure shows an example of a scan job setting screen according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] A diagram showing an example of application software displayed on a Web browser according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] A flowchart of link creation processing performed by the image reading apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] A diagram showing an example of folders when the image reading apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is recognized as a USB disk drive. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0011] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention according to the scope of the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of the plurality of features are necessarily essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar configurations, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0012] <Image Reading Apparatus A> First, the image reading apparatus A according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the image reading apparatus A according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image reading apparatus A is an apparatus that conveys one or more conveyance media S stacked on a placement table 1 one by one into the apparatus via a path RT, reads their images, and discharges them to a discharge tray 2. The conveyance medium S to be read is, for example, a sheet such as OA paper, a check, a bill, or cards, and may be a thick sheet or a thin sheet. Examples of the cards include an insurance card, a driver's license, a credit card, and the like. The conveyance medium S also includes booklets such as passports. When a booklet is targeted, a dedicated holder can be used. By storing the booklet in a spread state in the dedicated holder and placing it on the placement table 1, the booklet is conveyed together with the dedicated holder, and the image thereof can be read. A document detection sensor (not shown) is installed on the placement table 1, and the presence or absence of the conveyance medium S can be confirmed.

[0013] A first transport unit 10 is provided as a transport mechanism for supplying the transport medium S along the path RT. In this embodiment, the first transport unit 10 comprises a feed roller 11 and a separation roller 12 positioned opposite the feed roller 11, and sequentially transports the transport medium S on the mounting table 1 one by one in the transport direction D1. The feed roller 11 is driven by a drive unit 3 such as a motor via a transmission unit 5, and is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure (the positive direction for transporting the transport medium S along the path RT). The transmission unit 5 is, for example, an electromagnetic clutch, which intermittently supplies the drive force from the drive unit 3 to the feed roller 11.

[0014] The transmission unit 5, which connects the drive unit 3 and the feed roller 11, is configured, for example, to transmit driving force under normal conditions and to interrupt the driving force when the conveying medium S is being moved in the reverse direction. When the transmission of driving force to the feed roller 11 is interrupted by the transmission unit 5, the feed roller 11 becomes capable of free rotation. Note that such a transmission unit 5 may not be necessary if the feed roller 11 is driven in only one direction.

[0015] The separation roller 12, positioned opposite the feed roller 11, is a roller for separating the conveying medium S one sheet at a time, and is pressed against the feed roller 11 with constant pressure. To ensure this pressure contact, the separation roller 12 is provided to be swingable and is configured to be biased toward the feed roller 11. The separation roller 12 is driven to rotate in the direction of the solid arrow (opposite to the forward direction of the feed roller 11) by a driving force transmitted from the drive unit 3 via a torque limiter 12a.

[0016] Because the torque limiter 12a restricts the transmission of driving force to the separation roller 12, when it is in contact with the feed roller 11, it rotates in the direction of rotation with the feed roller 11 (in the direction of the dashed arrow). As a result, when multiple conveying media S are conveyed to the contact area between the feed roller 11 and the separation roller 12, two or more conveying media S are prevented from being conveyed downstream, leaving one behind.

[0017] In this embodiment, a separation mechanism is configured with a separation roller 12 and a feed roller 11. However, such a separation mechanism is not necessarily required; any feeding mechanism that sequentially feeds the transport medium S one by one along the path RT will suffice. Furthermore, if a separation mechanism is provided, instead of a configuration like the separation roller 12, a separation pad that applies frictional force to the transport medium S may be pressed against the feed roller 11 to perform a similar separation operation.

[0018] The second conveying unit 20, located downstream of the first conveying unit 10 in the conveying direction, is equipped with a drive roller 21 and a driven roller 22 that moves with the drive roller 21, and conveys the conveying medium S that has been conveyed from the first conveying unit 10 to its downstream side. The drive roller 21 is driven by a drive unit 4 such as a motor and is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The driven roller 22 is pressed against the drive roller 21 with a constant pressure and rotates along with the drive roller 21. The driven roller 22 may be configured to be biased against the drive roller 21 by a biasing unit (not shown) such as a spring.

[0019] The third conveying section 30, located downstream of the second conveying section 20 in the conveying direction, is equipped with a drive roller 31 and a driven roller 32 that moves with the drive roller 31, and conveys the conveying medium S that has been conveyed from the second conveying section 20 to the discharge tray 2. In other words, this third conveying section 30 functions as a discharge mechanism. The drive roller 31 is driven by a drive unit 4 such as a motor and is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The driven roller 32 is pressed against the drive roller 31 with constant pressure and rotates along with the drive roller 31. This driven roller 32 may be configured to be biased against the drive roller 31 by a biasing unit (not shown) such as a spring.

[0020] In this embodiment, the image reading device A reads images using an image reading unit 70 positioned between the second transport unit 20 and the third transport unit 30. Therefore, the second transport unit 20 and the third transport unit 30 transport the transport medium S at a constant speed. By ensuring that the transport speed is always greater than or equal to the transport speed of the first transport unit 10, it is possible to reliably avoid a situation where the following transport medium S catches up to the preceding transport medium S. For example, in this embodiment, the transport speed of the transport medium S by the second transport unit 20 and the third transport unit 30 is controlled to be faster than the transport speed of the transport medium S by the first transport unit 10.

[0021] Furthermore, even if the transport speed of the transport medium S by the second transport unit 20 and the third transport unit 30 is the same as the transport speed of the transport medium S by the first transport unit 10, it is possible to create a minimum gap between the preceding transport medium S and the succeeding transport medium S by controlling the drive unit 3 to intermittently shift the timing of the start of feeding the subsequent transport medium S.

[0022] The double-feed detection sensor 40, positioned between the first transport unit 10 and the second transport unit 20, is an example of a detection sensor (a sensor that detects the behavior and state of sheets) that detects when transport media S, such as paper, become tightly attached to each other due to static electricity or the like and pass through the first transport unit 10 (i.e., when they are transported in a double-feed state). Various types of sensors can be used for the double-feed detection sensor 40, but in this embodiment it is an ultrasonic sensor, comprising an ultrasonic transmitter 41 and a receiver 42, and detects double-feeds based on the principle that the attenuation of ultrasonic waves passing through the transport media S differs depending on whether the transport media S, such as paper, are being transported in a double-feed state or one at a time.

[0023] The medium detection sensor 50, positioned downstream of the double-feed detection sensor 40 in the transport direction, is an example of an upstream detection sensor (a sensor that detects the behavior and state of the sheet) positioned upstream of the second transport unit 20 and downstream of the first transport unit 10. It detects the position of the transport medium S transported by the first transport unit 10, specifically whether the end of the transport medium S has reached or passed the detection position of the medium detection sensor 50. Various types of medium detection sensors 50 can be used, but in this embodiment, it is an optical sensor comprising a light-emitting unit 51 and a light-receiving unit 52, and detects the transport medium S based on the principle that the light-receiving intensity (amount of light received) changes when the transport medium S reaches or passes through.

[0024] In this embodiment, the media detection sensor 50 is located downstream of the double-feed detection sensor 40, so that when the leading edge of the transport medium S is detected by the media detection sensor 50, the transport medium S has reached a position where a double-feed can be detected by the double-feed detection sensor 40. Note that the media detection sensor 50 is not limited to the optical sensor described above; for example, a sensor capable of detecting the end of the transport medium S (such as an image sensor) may be used, or a lever-type sensor protruding into the path RT may be used.

[0025] A separate medium detection sensor 60, distinct from the medium detection sensor 50, is positioned upstream of the image reading unit 70 and downstream of the second transport unit 20, serving as an example of a downstream detection sensor. It detects the position of the transport medium S being transported by the second transport unit 20. Various types of medium detection sensors 60 can be used, but in this embodiment, it is an optical sensor similar to the medium detection sensor 50, comprising a light-emitting unit 61 and a light-receiving unit 62. It detects the transport medium S based on the principle that the light-receiving intensity (amount of light received) changes upon arrival or passage of the transport medium S. In this embodiment, medium detection sensors 50 and 60 are positioned upstream and downstream of the second transport unit 20 in the transport direction, respectively, but either one alone may be used.

[0026] The image reading unit 70, located downstream of the medium detection sensor 60, for example, optically scans and converts the image into an electrical signal to read it as image data. It is equipped with a light source such as an LED, an image sensor, a lens array, etc. In this embodiment, one image reading unit 70 is placed on each side of the path RT, and reads both the front and back surfaces of the transport medium S. However, it is also possible to place only one on one side of the path RT to read only one side of the transport medium S. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the image reading units 70 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the path RT, but they may also be arranged with a gap in the direction of the path RT.

[0027] Next, the control unit 8 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the control unit 8 of the image reading device A.

[0028] The control unit 8 comprises a CPU 81, a memory unit 82, an operation unit 83, a communication unit 84, and an interface unit 86. The CPU 81 controls the entire image reading device A by executing programs stored in the memory unit 82. The memory unit 82 is composed of memory such as RAM, ROM, SD card, or microSD card. The operation unit 83 is composed of, for example, switches or a touch panel, and accepts operations from the operator.

[0029] The communication unit 84 is an interface for communicating information with an external device. If we assume the external device is a PC (personal computer), the communication unit 84 could be, for example, a USB interface or a SCSI interface. In addition to such wired communication interfaces, the communication unit 84 may also be a wireless communication interface, and may even have both wired and wireless communication interfaces.

[0030] The interface unit 86 is an I / O interface that performs data input and output with the actuator 85 and sensor 87. The actuator 85 includes a drive unit 3, a drive unit 4, a transmission unit 5, etc. The sensor 87 includes a double-feed detection sensor 40, medium detection sensors 50 and 60, an image reading unit 70, etc.

[0031] The basic operation of the image reading device A will now be described. When the control unit 8 receives an instruction to start image reading from, for example, an external PC to which the image reading device A is connected, it starts driving the first to third transport units 10 to 30. The transport media S loaded on the mounting table 1 are transported one by one, starting from the transport media S located at the bottom.

[0032] During transport, the transport medium S is checked by the double-feed detection sensor 40 to determine if there is a double feed. If no double feed is detected, transport continues. If a double feed is detected, transport may be stopped, or the first transport unit 10 may stop taking in the subsequent transport medium S and discharge the transport medium S that is in the double-feed state.

[0033] The control unit 8, at a timing based on the detection result of the medium detection sensor 60, starts reading the image of the transport medium S transported by the second transport unit 20 using the image reading unit 70, temporarily stores the read image, and sequentially transmits it to an external PC. The transport medium S from which the image has been read is discharged to the discharge tray 2 by the third transport unit 30, and the image reading process for that transport medium S is completed.

[0034] Figure 3 is a software block diagram of an image reading device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Image reading device A is equipped with an operating system 001, control application software 002, a disk drive interface 003, a USB mass storage class interface 004, and a network class interface 005.

[0036] Operating System 001 refers to what is commonly known as an OS, which is the basic software for an image reading device. A well-known example is Linux (registered trademark).

[0037] The control application software 002 is a web server application that runs on the operating system 001 and controls the image reading function of the image reading device A.

[0038] Figure 10 is a software block diagram of the Web server application (control application software 002). The Web server application 002 (control application software 002) includes a scanner driver 401, a scan application 402, and a Web server 403. When the operating system 001 starts up, the Web server 403 starts up and remains resident. The Web server 403 waits for requests from outside via the network. These requests are scan requests, which will be explained later. When the Web server 403 receives a scan request from outside, it sends the request to the scanner driver 401 via the scan application 402. The scanner driver 401, having received the scan request, controls the image reading device A according to the request.

[0039] The disk drive interface 003 is software for using the memory (such as a microSD card or EEPROM) provided in the storage unit 82 of the image reading device A as a disk drive.

[0040] The USB Mass Storage Class Interface 004 is software for using memory as USB mass storage via the disk drive interface 003.

[0041] <Information Processing Device 100> Next, the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a software block diagram of the information processing device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this invention, a personal computer is used as an example of the information processing device.

[0042] The information processing device 100 has an operating system 101, a file system 102, a USB mass storage driver 103, a USB interface driver 104, and a network interface driver 105 installed.

[0043] Operating System 101 refers to what is commonly known as an OS, which is the basic software for the information processing device 100. Well-known examples include Windows, macOS, and UNIX®.

[0044] File system 102 is software for storing files on storage devices such as hard disk drives. Various types of file systems exist, including FAT, NTFS, HFS, ext2, ext3, and ext4. USB mass storage driver 103 is software for controlling mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, and USB memory sticks.

[0045] The USB interface driver 104 is software for controlling USB devices connected to the USB interface.

[0046] The network interface driver 105 is software for controlling network communication. The network interface driver may also function as a wireless communication interface and may have interfaces for both wired and wireless communication.

[0047] A web browser is application software used to communicate with external web servers over a network. Various types of web browsers exist, such as Google Chrome®, Microsoft Edge®, and Mozilla Firefox®.

[0048] <System Configuration> Next, the system configuration according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] In Figure 5, the image reading device A and the information processing device 100 have two interfaces: a USB interface and a network interface. The image reading device A and the information processing device 100 are connected via a USB cable. They are also connected to the same local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN) via a wired LAN cable.

[0050] In this example, a wired LAN cable is used, but wireless communication may also be used for connection. Furthermore, the system may be equipped with both wired and wireless communication interfaces.

[0051] <Link creation process> Figure 6 is a flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device A in the first embodiment.

[0052] Image reading device A checks whether it is connected to the LAN (step 1001). Step 1001 is a process that can be executed at any time, such as when image reading device A is started up or when it is connected to the information processing device 100. In this embodiment, it will be described as being executed when it is started up. If it is not connected to the LAN in step 1001, this process is terminated. If it is determined that it is connected to the LAN, it obtains an IP address (step 1002). If obtaining the IP address fails, the process is terminated. If the IP address is obtained, it creates link information that allows access to its own web server (step 1003). In this embodiment, the link information is a hyperlink, and for explanatory purposes, it will be referred to as link 301. The link 301 to its own web server is created as an HTML file as shown in Figure 7. The IP address obtained in step 1002 is written in the "URL=" field. The created link to the web server is saved in the storage unit 82 (step 1004).

[0053] <Processing during connection> Figure 8 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information processing device 100 when the image reading device A is connected to the information processing device 100.

[0054] The information processing device 100 determines whether or not the image reading device A is connected via a USB cable (step 2001).

[0055] When image reading device A is connected via a USB cable, the information processing device 100 connects image reading device A as a class interface for peripheral devices (step 2002).

[0056] The information processing device 100 obtains information about the class interface of the peripheral device from the image reading device A (step 2003). The image reading device A has a USB mass storage class interface 004. Therefore, when the image reading device A is connected to the information processing device 100, the information processing device 100 recognizes that a USB mass storage device has been connected. In addition, the image reading device A has a disk drive interface as a subclass of the USB mass storage class interface. As a result, the information processing device 100 recognizes the connected image reading device A as a USB disk drive (external storage device), which is a type of external storage device (step 2004).

[0057] Figure 9 shows an example of a folder when the image reader is recognized as a USB disk drive. By making the disk image of the memory area of ​​the storage unit 82 of the image reader A, which is to be recognized as a USB disk drive, public as mass storage, the information processing device 100 recognizes the memory area of ​​the image reader A as folder 302.

[0058] Folder 302 contains a link 301 to the Web server 403 of image reading device A, which was created earlier in steps 1003 and 1004. When a user executes the link 301 to the Web server, a web browser 106 is launched, and the control application software 002 for image reading device A is displayed on the web browser 106 via the network.

[0059] Figure 11 shows an example of application software displayed on a web browser when the icon corresponding to the link 301 to the Web server 403 of image reader A in folder 302, as described in Figure 9, is executed (link 301 is accessed). On the web browser 106, the scan settings screen is displayed. On the scan settings screen, scan settings can be selected from each item. The items that can be selected as scan settings are the color mode selection menu 501 (options: color, grayscale, black and white, etc.), the resolution selection menu 502 (options: 100 DPI, 300 DPI, etc.), the paper size selection menu 503 (options: A4, letter, etc.), and the file format selection menu 504 (options: PDF, JPEG, etc.). All options are displayed as combo boxes such as pull-down menus.

[0060] After the user selects the scan settings, pressing the scan button 505 sends a scan request to the scan application 402, initiating the scan (image reading operation). The scanned image is stored in the storage unit 82 and displayed on the web browser 106. When the user downloads the scanned image from the download screen (not shown), it is downloaded to the information processing device 100 via the web browser 106. Alternatively, it may be sent to a pre-specified destination.

[0061] Furthermore, scanned images may be stored in an area recognized as folder 302 within the storage unit 82. This allows the information processing device 100 to retrieve images from folder 302 without using the web browser 106. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the amount of communication data.

[0062] As described above, the present invention provides a link 301 to a Web server 403 when an image reading device A is connected to an information processing device 100. By implementing this embodiment, it is possible to provide a technology that enables the use of an image reading device with multiple operating systems without having to store programs compatible with multiple operating systems within the image reading device itself. Furthermore, by implementing the configuration of the present invention, it becomes possible to operate the image reading device with various information processing devices without installing software such as device drivers or scanning applications for the image reading device on the information processing device. For example, even a user using a computer while away from home can easily read images. In other words, the present invention makes it possible to improve user convenience.

[0063] [Second Embodiment] In the second embodiment, when no document is placed in the image reading device A, instead of creating a link 301 to the Web server, a warning message is created and displayed on the information processing device, thereby improving convenience.

[0064] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device A in the second embodiment.

[0065] Image reading device A checks whether a document is placed on the tray 1 (step 3001). The presence or absence of a document is determined by a document detection sensor (detection unit) (not shown) installed on the tray 1. Step 3001 is a process that can be executed at any time, such as when image reading device A is started up or when it is connected to the information processing device 100. In this embodiment, it will be described as being executed at the time of startup.

[0066] If no document is present, a message indicating no document is created (step 3002). Then, the created message file is saved to the storage unit 82 (step 3003), and the process ends. If a document is present, the system checks whether it is connected to the LAN (step 3004). If it is not connected to the LAN, the process ends. If it is determined that it is connected to the LAN, the system obtains an IP address (step 3005).

[0067] If obtaining the IP address fails, the process terminates. If the IP address is obtained, a link (link 301) that allows access to the user's own web server is created (step 3006). The link 301 to the user's own web server creates an HTML file as shown in Figure 7. The IP address obtained in step 3005 is entered in the "URL=" field. The created link 301 to the web server is saved in the storage unit 82 (step 3007), and the process terminates.

[0068] Figure 13 shows an example of a message displayed when no document is found. This message is preferably saved in a file format executable by the web browser 302, such as an HTML file. However, it may also be a text file or other format. When the user runs the file in folder 302, the message "No document has been placed. Please place the document." created in step 3002 is displayed on the web browser 106. After the user places the document, pressing the OK button displayed on the web browser 106 may transition the user to the control application software 002.

[0069] Although the timing of transitioning to the control application software 002 after placing the document was explained using the pressing of the OK button as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after a message prompting the placement of the document is displayed, if the document detection sensor detects that the document has been placed, the system may return to step 3004 and attempt to obtain an IP address. If an IP address is obtained as a result, a link 301 to its own Web server section may be created and saved in the storage unit 82. When saving the link 301 to the storage unit 82, if the warning message is unnecessary, the message may be deleted. Alternatively, the system may be configured to automatically transition to the control application software 002 once the document detection sensor detects that the document has been placed.

[0070] [Third Embodiment] In the third embodiment, when the image reading device A is not connected to a network, instead of creating a link 301 to a web server, a warning message is created and displayed, thereby improving convenience.

[0071] Figure 14 is a flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device A in the third embodiment.

[0072] Image reading device A checks whether it is connected to the LAN (step 4001). Step 4001 is a process that can be executed at any time, such as when image reading device A is started up or when it is connected to the information processing device 100. In this embodiment, it will be described as being executed at the time of startup.

[0073] If the device is not connected to the LAN (No in step 4001), a message prompting the user to connect to the network is generated (step 4002). The generated message file is saved to the storage unit 82 (step 4003), and the process is terminated.

[0074] If it is determined that the device is connected to a LAN (Yes in step 4001), the device attempts to obtain an IP address (step 4004). If obtaining the IP address fails, the device proceeds to step 4002. If the IP address is obtained, the device creates link information (link 301) that allows access to its own web server (step 4005). The link 301 to the device's own web server creates an HTML file as shown in Figure 7. The IP address obtained in step 4004 is entered in the "URL=" field. The created link 301 to the web server is saved in the storage unit 82 (step 4006), and the process ends.

[0075] Figure 15 shows an example of a message displayed when the system is not connected to the network. When the user runs a file in folder 302, the message "Not connected to the network. Please connect to the network." is displayed on the web browser 106. After the user connects the image reader A to the network, pressing the OK button displayed on the web browser 106 may transition the system to the control application software 002.

[0076] Although the timing of the transition to the control application software 002 after the image reading device A is connected to the network was explained using the pressing of the OK button as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after a message prompting connection to the network is displayed, if the image reading device A detects that it has been connected to the network, it may return to step 4004 and attempt to obtain an IP address. If an IP address is obtained as a result, a link 301 to its own Web server section may be created and saved in the storage unit 82. When saving the link 301 to the storage unit 82, if the warning message is unnecessary, the message may be deleted. Also, if the image reading device A detects that it has been connected to the network, it may automatically transition to the control application software 002.

[0077] [Fourth Embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, the files saved in folder 302 are not links to the web server 301, but files on which the scan job is executed, thereby improving convenience.

[0078] Figure 16 is a flowchart of the job file creation process performed by the image reading device A in the fourth embodiment.

[0079] Image reading device A checks whether it is connected to the LAN (step 5001). Step 5001 is a process that can be executed at any time, such as when image reading device A is started up or when it is connected to the information processing device 100. In this embodiment, it will be described as being executed at the time of startup.

[0080] If image reading device A is not connected to the LAN, the process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is connected to the LAN, the IP address is obtained (step 5002). If obtaining the IP address fails, the process is terminated. If the IP address is obtained, link information is created (step 5003). In the fourth embodiment, link information refers to the links to each scan job according to the settings of the scan jobs created by the method described later. The created link information (links to each scan job) is stored in the storage area of ​​the storage unit 82 which is exposed as a disk drive (step 5004).

[0081] Figure 18 is a software block diagram of the Web server application (control application software 002). The operating system 001, scan application 402, and Web server 403 are the same as in the previous configuration and will not be explained. In the fourth embodiment, in addition to these configurations, there is also a job application 404. Previously used scan jobs are registered by the job application 404 running on the Web server.

[0082] Figure 19 shows an example of the scan job settings screen. The job settings screen is displayed on the web browser 106. On the job settings screen, you can select scan settings from various items. The selectable items for scan settings are the color mode selection menu 601 (options: color, grayscale, black and white, etc.), the resolution selection menu 602 (options: 100dpi, 300dpi, etc.), the paper size selection menu 603 (options: A4, letter, etc.), and the file format selection menu 604 (options: PDF, JPEG, etc.). In addition, there is a job number input edit box 605 (options: 1-99) for the job identification number, a destination edit box 606 for the destination of the scanned image, and edit boxes 607 for the username and 608 for the password to access the destination. All options are displayed as combo boxes such as pull-down menus. When a user presses the job creation button 609, a job registration request is sent to the job application 404. Upon receiving the job registration request, the job application 404 associates the configured information with the job number and stores it in the storage unit 82.

[0083] Figure 17 shows an example of a folder structure when the image reader is recognized as a USB disk drive.

[0084] By making the disk image of the memory area of ​​the image reading device A's storage unit 82, which is to be recognized as a USB disk drive, publicly available as mass storage, the information processing device 100 recognizes the memory area of ​​the image reading device A as folder 302. Folder 302 contains links to each scan job created earlier (steps 5003, 5004). When a user executes the link to scan job 1, a web browser 106 is launched, and the job application 404 of the image reading device A is displayed on the web browser 106 via the network.

[0085] Figure 20 shows an example of application software displayed on the web browser 106. The job execution screen is displayed on the web browser 106. When the user presses the OK button, a scan request is sent to the job application 404 and the scan begins. The scanned images are sent to the configured destination. In this embodiment, however, the scanned images may also be stored in an area recognized as a folder 302 within the storage unit 82. This allows the information processing device 100 to retrieve images from folder 302 without going through the web browser 106. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the amount of communication data.

[0086] Alternatively, when a scan job is executed, the scan request may be sent directly to the job application 404.

[0087] [Fifth Embodiment] In the fifth embodiment, when creating a link 301 to a web server to be saved in folder 302, the file icon is made an image of a QR code (registered trademark) linking to the web server, thereby enabling the image reading device to be operated from terminal devices such as tablets that are not directly connected.

[0088] Figure 21 is a flowchart of the link creation process performed by the image reading device A in the fifth embodiment.

[0089] Image reading device A checks whether a wired LAN cable is connected after startup (step 6001). Step 6001 is a process that can be executed at any time, such as when image reading device A is started up or when it is connected to the information processing device 100. In this embodiment, it will be described as being executed at the time of startup.

[0090] If a wired LAN cable is not connected, the process terminates. If it is determined that a wired LAN cable is connected, the IP address is obtained (step 6002). If obtaining the IP address fails, the process terminates. If the IP address is obtained, a two-dimensional code is created as link information that allows access to the user's own web server (step 6003). The two-dimensional code is created using, for example, an open-source library for creating QR codes. The created two-dimensional code is saved in the storage unit 82 (step 6004). Next, a link file to the user's own web server is created (step 6005). When creating the file, the two-dimensional code created in step 6003 is used as the file icon. The created link to the web server is saved in the storage unit 82 (step 6006). Alternatively, when saving the file, the file name may be the IP address obtained in step 6002.

[0091] Figure 22 shows an example of a folder structure when the image reader is recognized as a USB disk drive.

[0092] By making the disk image of the memory area of ​​the image reading device A's storage unit 82, which is to be recognized as a USB disk drive, publicly available as mass storage, the information processing device 100 recognizes the memory area of ​​the image reading device A as folder 302. Folder 302 contains a link to the previously created web server (steps 6005, 6006). The user reads the two-dimensional code using the camera function of the information processing device, such as a tablet terminal, and the scan application 402 of the image reading device A is displayed in the web browser on the tablet terminal.

[0093] This makes it possible to operate the image reader even from an information processing device that is not directly connected to the image reader.

[0094] [Sixth Embodiment] In previous embodiments, when the image reading device A was connected to a LAN, an attempt was made to create a link 301 to the Web server 403 or a job file, and this was saved in the storage unit 82. This allowed the information processing device 100 to select link information (link 301 or job file) when it recognized the memory area of ​​the image reading device A as a folder 302. In the sixth embodiment, a configuration is proposed in which the image reading device can be operated even when the image reading device A is not connected to a LAN, without installing software such as a device driver or scanning application for the image reading device on the information processing device. In other words, by implementing the configuration of this embodiment, it is possible to improve user convenience.

[0095] In the sixth embodiment, the image reading device A stores an application capable of controlling the scanner driver 401 via a scan application 402 in an area of ​​the storage unit 82 that the information processing device 100 can recognize as a folder 302. That is, the control application is the application stored in folder 302 when the image reading device A and the information processing device 100 are connected via a USB cable and the information processing device 100 recognizes the memory area of ​​the image reading device A as folder 302. When the information processing device starts the control application, the image reading device A can directly receive scan requests from the information processing device 100. Details of the control application are described in Prior Art Document 1, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0096] Image reading device A executes the link 301 creation process or file creation process as in other embodiments. If, as a result, link information (link 301 or job file) is not created, only the control application will be stored in folder 302. On the other hand, if link information (link 301 or job file) is created, both the link information (link 301 or job file) and the control application will be stored in folder 302.

[0097] This makes it possible to operate the image reader A without installing software such as the image reader's device driver or scanning application on the information processing device, even if the image reader A is not connected to a LAN. Furthermore, if the image reader A is connected to a LAN, it is possible to choose whether to operate the image reader A using link information (link 301 or job file) or via a control application. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0098] A Image reading device 001 Operating System 002 Control Application Software 003 Disk drive interface 004 USB Mass Storage Class Interface 005 Network Class Interface 100 Information Processing Devices 101 Operating Systems 102 Filesystems 103 USB Mass Storage Driver 104 USB Interface Driver 105 Network Interface Driver 106 Web Browsers 301 Links 302 folders 401 Scanner Driver 402 Scan Application 403 Web Server 404 Job Application

Claims

1. An image reading device in which an image reading operation is performed based on a request from an information processing device, A Web server unit that communicates with the information processing device via a network, A storage unit that stores link information that allows access to the Web server unit in a storage area recognized as an external storage device when the image reading device is connected to the information processing device via a USB cable, A control unit that controls the image reading operation based on the request received from the information processing device via the link information, An image reading device characterized by having the following features.

2. The image reading device according to claim 1, further comprising a creation unit that creates the link information when the image reading device is connected to the network.

3. Equipped with a detection unit that detects when a document is placed, The image reading device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the detection unit detects that no document has been placed, the creation unit creates a message prompting the user to place the document, and the storage unit stores the message in the storage area.

4. The image reading device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when the image reading device is not connected to a network, the creation unit creates a message prompting the user to connect to a network, and the storage unit stores the message in the storage area.

5. The image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the link information is link information for a pre-created scan job.

6. The image reading device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the link information stored in the memory unit is a two-dimensional code.

7. The image reading device according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage unit stores in the storage area an application that can directly receive the request from the information processing device via the USB cable.

8. A control method for an image reading device in which an image reading operation is performed based on a request from an information processing device, A Web server unit that communicates with the information processing device via a network, A storage unit that stores link information to the Web server in a storage area recognized as an external storage device when the image reading device is connected to the information processing device via a USB cable, A control unit that controls the image reading operation based on the request received from the information processing device via the link information, A control method for an image reading device, characterized by comprising the following:

9. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of claim 1.

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