Program, information processing device, and control method for the information processing device.

Abstract

This system provides a mechanism that allows users to specify the thickness of the document being scanned. [Solution] The host computer 101 is equipped with general-purpose scanning software 202 and an extension application 204, and communicates with the scanning device 102. The extension application 204 displays a detailed settings screen that accepts the thickness setting of the document on the display unit 119 of the host computer 101, and causes the scanning device 102 to execute a reading process based on the settings accepted on the detailed settings screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, an information processing apparatus, and a control method for an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] A configuration is known in which a scan driver installed on a host computer as control software for a scanning device is used to issue a reading instruction to the scanning device connected to the host computer. The host computer has an operating system (OS), which is basic software, installed thereon, and the scan driver is configured in accordance with specifications defined by the OS, and is called by the OS to operate. A vendor (manufacturer) that provides the scanning device can provide means for instructing the scanning device to perform reading using the OS, by providing a scan driver that conforms to the OS specifications.

[0003] In recent years, a standard class driver (hereinafter also referred to as "standard driver") that can be commonly used with scanning devices provided by a plurality of vendors is about to be provided in Windows (registered trademark). Such a standard driver is bundled in the OS package, and can be easily used by connecting an arbitrary scanning device to the host computer. Therefore, there is no need to separately install a model-specific scan driver suitable for the scanning device, which provides high convenience. Further, it is assumed that the standard driver is configured to be capable of designating a scan function in accordance with scan function information generated based on information acquired from the connected scanning device. As a result, a user using the standard driver can designate a scan function corresponding to the capability of the connected scanning device even though the user is using a single standard driver. However, since this is limited to functions that can be realized only by the standard driver, it is not possible to designate functions unique to the scan vendor. As a related technique, the technique of Patent Document 1 has been proposed. Patent Document 1 discloses a program for extending the print function of general-purpose software. [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 scanner vendor's scan driver is the ability to specify the thickness of the document being scanned. This function allows you to set the thickness of the paper being scanned when performing a scan. By using this function to set the paper thickness, the paper transport speed is adjusted to a speed appropriate for the paper thickness, which can reduce the occurrence of paper jams during scanning.

[0006] However, when using the standard driver, users cannot utilize the function to specify the thickness of the document being scanned.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a mechanism that allows users to utilize a function for specifying the thickness of the document to be scanned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention is a program that extends the functionality of general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and is characterized by having a code that causes the information processing device to display a display screen for accepting the thickness setting of a document on the display unit of the information processing device, and a code that causes the reading device to execute a reading process based on the setting accepted on the display screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the user can utilize a function to specify the thickness of the document to be scanned. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a scanning system including a host computer as an information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram schematically shows the software configuration of the host computer shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed on the display unit in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure for editing scan function information using the scan function expansion unit. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the various types of information used in the scanning system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for scan control processing by the scan system of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the steps involved in the scan instruction command generation process performed by the extended application. [Figure 8A] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the scan process in S616. [Figure 8B] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for changing the transport speed in S804. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for scan control processing by the scan system of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for scan control processing by the scan system of the third embodiment. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows the procedure for generating scan instruction commands, which is performed by the extended application of the third embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of capability information acquired from the scanning device in the fourth embodiment, and a figure showing the detailed settings screen displayed by the scan settings screen extension unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the present invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solving means of the present invention.

[0012] First, an information processing apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0013] Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of a scan system 100 including a host computer 101 as the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0014] In Figure 1, the scan system 100 is configured with a host computer 101 and a scanning device 102.

[0015] The host computer 101 is an example of the information processing apparatus, and has an input interface 110, a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an external storage device 114, an output interface 115, an input / output interface 116, and a NETIF 120. Input devices such as a keyboard 118 and a pointing device 117 are connected to the input interface 110, and a display device such as a display unit 119 is connected to the output interface 115. The NETIF 120 is a network interface that performs control for data transfer with an external device via a network.

[0016] ROM 112 stores an initialization program. The external storage device 114 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The external storage device 114 stores an application program group, an operating system (OS), and various other data. The RAM 113 is used as a work memory or the like when executing various programs stored in the external storage device 114, and the various programs are operable in the host computer 101.

[0017] Note that in the present embodiment, the CPU 111 performs processing in accordance with the code of the program stored in the ROM 112, thereby executing the functions described later in the host computer 101 and the processing related to the flowcharts described later.

[0018] The scanning device 102 is an example of a reading device, and is connected to the host computer 102 via the input / output interface 198 of the scanning device 102 and the input / output interface 116 of the host computer 101. A wired network or a wireless network may be used between the input / output interface 198 of the scanning device 102 and the input / output interface 116 of the host computer 101.

[0019] The scanning device 102 includes a CPU 191, a ROM 192, a RAM 193, an operation unit 194, a reading unit 195, a printing unit 196, a NETIF 197, an image processing unit 190, an external storage device 199, and an input / output interface 198.

[0020] The CPU 191 provides overall control over the scanning device 102. The ROM 192 is memory for storing programs. The RAM 193 is memory for temporarily storing programs and image data. The reading unit 195 is a scanner that reads images from documents. The printing unit 196 prints images onto sheets based on the image data. Note that the printing unit 196 is not mandatory. The NETIF 197 is a network interface that controls data transfer to and from external devices via the network. The image processing unit 190 performs various image editing processes on the input image data.

[0021] 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 scan 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, the present invention is not limited to this; for example, it can 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.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the host computer 101 shown in Figure 1. The program that executes the software modules shown in Figure 2 is stored in the external storage device 114 shown in Figure 1. Here, the explanation assumes a configuration using a host computer 101 equipped with Microsoft's Windows® 11 as the OS. Figure 2(a) shows a typical software 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 a software configuration when the extended application 204 is associated with the general-purpose scanning software 202 and the scanning device 102.

[0023] First, using Figure 2(a), we will describe the software configuration of the host computer 101 when the extended application 204 is not associated with it.

[0024] The scan application 201 is software that captures scanned content (image data), such as 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 instruction to the OS. The scan instruction includes scan setting information to instruct the operation of the general-purpose scan software 202 and the scan device 102.

[0025] 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 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 capability 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. The scan function information 203 is data indicating scan functions that describes all configurable scan functions and their setting values, as well as the mutual exclusion relationships between the setting values. The scan function information 203 is included in the configuration file of the general-purpose scan software 202 and is stored in the external storage device 114 as an immutable file. Alternatively, the scan function information 203 can be dynamically generated by the general-purpose scan software 202. Specifically, the general-purpose scan software 202 or OS can be configured to acquire attribute data of the scan device 102 from the scan device 102 and generate scan function information 203 based on the attribute information in the acquired attribute data. If the scan function information 203 is generated dynamically, the generated scan function information 203 is editable. The attribute data of the scan device 102 acquired from the scan device 102 includes attribute information indicating the functions that can be specified by the scan device 102 (the capabilities of the scan device 102) and setting values ​​related to that attribute information. This information is stored in RAM 113.

[0026] With this configuration, the general-purpose scanning software 202 can be configured so that the user can specify the scanning functions available on each connected scanning device 102, depending on the connected scanning device 102. In other words, even when scanning devices with different functions or scanning devices developed by different vendors are connected, the general-purpose scanning software 202 can be configured so that the user can specify the scanning functions available on each connected scanning device. Note that the vendor may be the manufacturer of the scanning device 102. Here, the general-purpose scanning software 202 is a standard class driver that performs scanning based on a standard scanning protocol called Mopria. The general-purpose scanning software 202 acquires capability information of the connected scanning device 102 and generates scanning function information 203 based on that information so that the user can specify the scanning functions supported by the connected scanning device 102. However, the general-purpose scanning software 202 does not support the document thickness specification function. This is because the document thickness specification function is a function unique to the scanning vendor (scanning manufacturer).

[0027] The document thickness specification function allows you to set the thickness of the paper to be scanned when scanning. By using this function to set the paper thickness, the paper transport speed is adjusted to suit the paper thickness. By adjusting the paper transport speed to match the paper thickness, the paper transport speed is adjusted to a speed appropriate for the paper thickness, which can reduce the occurrence of paper jams during scanning.

[0028] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which one of three default values ​​(thin, normal, thick) is set as the setting value for the document thickness specification function, but this method is not the only way to set this function. A wider or narrower setting range is also acceptable. Furthermore, a configuration that allows setting a numerical value that can specify the paper thickness is also acceptable, and is not limited to this.

[0029] Next, using Figure 2(b), the software configuration of the host computer 101 when the extended application 204 is associated will be described. Note that configurations and processes not specifically mentioned below will be the same as those in Figure 2(a).

[0030] The extension application 204 is software that extends the functionality of the general-purpose scanning software 202, and is not pre-installed (not bundled) with the OS. Therefore, the user needs to operate the host computer 101 to download and install the extension application 204 from a server via the internet. 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 then download and install the extension application 204 corresponding to the obtained device identification information from a server via the internet. In other words, the general-purpose scanning software 202 and the extension application 204 are stored as separate files on the host computer 101.

[0031] The general-purpose scanning 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 scanning 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 scanning 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 scanning software 202 and the scanning device 102.

[0032] In this embodiment, the extended application 204 includes a scan settings screen extended unit 205, a scan function extended 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 in common. 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.

[0033] Furthermore, the extension application 204 may terminate its operation after each unit has finished processing. In that case, the OS will start the extension application 204 each time a request to use each unit is received.

[0034] Furthermore, the extended application 204 may cancel processing within each unit's processing. If canceled, the job in progress will be deleted by the OS.

[0035] 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 extension application 204 is displayed. Specifically, the detailed settings screen provided by the scan settings screen extension unit 205 of the extension 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.

[0036] The image data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 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. In addition, even in the configuration of Figure 2(b), the user may not set the thickness of the document. 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.

[0037] The scan function expansion unit 206 of the extended application 204 can edit the scan function information 203 generated by the general-purpose scan software 202 or the OS. This allows the scan function expansion unit 206 to add functions provided by the extended application 204. In addition, the scan function expansion unit 206 can add functions that are supported by the scan device 102 but not by the general-purpose scan software 202 (such as the document thickness specification function), add mutual exclusion relationships between scan function settings, etc. The OS starts the scan function expansion 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 expansion unit 206 at other times, such as when the OS starts up.

[0038] The notification unit 209 of the extended application 204 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 notification unit 209 of the extended application 204 is called by the OS, 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.

[0039] Furthermore, the configuration of the extended application 204 for realizing this embodiment is not limited to having all of the above-mentioned 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 a settings screen (scan settings screen extension unit 205). The second is a function to edit image data according to detailed settings (image data editing unit 207). The third is a function to extend the functions that can be specified in the image data generation software (scan function extension unit 206). The fourth is a function to display a screen in response to an error occurring in the scan device 102 (notification unit 209).

[0040] Next, an example of the scan settings screen and detailed settings screen in this embodiment will be described using Figure 3. Figure 3(a) is the scan settings screen displayed by the scan application 201. Figure 3(b) is the detailed settings screen displayed in the configuration shown in Figure 2(a), that is, in a configuration where the extended application 204 is not installed on the host computer 101. Figure 3(c) is the detailed settings screen displayed in the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), that is, in a configuration where the extended application 204 is installed on the host computer 101. Note that the units and modules that display the scan settings screen are not limited to those described above. For example, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 may only be configured to generate the 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, and the scan application 201 displays the acquired display screen.

[0041] First, let's explain Figure 3(a). Control 301 has an object that allows the user to set the scanner (the scanner used for reading) that will perform the scan of the image data. Control 303 is the scan start button. Control 304 is the scan cancel button. Control 302 is the detailed settings button. When control 302 is pressed, the detailed settings screen is displayed by the general-purpose scan software 202 or the scan settings screen extension unit 205.

[0042] Next, Figure 3(b) will be explained. Figure 3(b) is the detailed settings screen displayed by the general-purpose scan software 202 in the configuration shown in Figure 2(a), that is, in a configuration where the extended application 204 is not installed on the host computer 101. The control 305 allows you to set the scanning destination, and in Figure 3(b), as an example, it shows that the document glass is selected. The control 306 is the setting completion button, and when the control 306 is pressed, the system returns to the scan settings screen in Figure 3(a).

[0043] Next, Figure 3(c) will be explained. Figure 3(c) is the detailed settings screen displayed by the scan settings screen extension unit 205 in the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), that is, the configuration in which the extension application 204 is installed on the host computer 101. Unlike the detailed settings screen in Figure 3(b), the detailed settings screen in Figure 3(c) includes a control 307 and a list 308. The control 307 is a button that allows the user to select the thickness setting of the document, and in Figure 3(c), "Normal" is shown as an example. The list 308 shows the setting items for the document thickness setting that are displayed when the control 307 is pressed. The list 308 shows that in addition to the currently selected "Normal," there are also "Thicker" and "Thinner" setting values. The user switches the document thickness specification function and performs scanning by selecting the desired setting from the list 308.

[0044] Here, we will explain why the scan settings items 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 thickness specification function, so it cannot add information about the document thickness specification function to the scan function information. Also, even if the scan function information originally includes information about the document thickness specification function, the general-purpose scan software 202 cannot interpret the document thickness specification function included in the scan function information, and therefore cannot display the document thickness setting item on the detailed settings screen. Therefore, the scan function extension unit 206 adds information about the document thickness specification function to the scan function information 203, and the scan settings screen extension unit 205 displays the detailed settings screen by referring to the scan capability. With these configurations, the extension application 204 can display the document thickness setting item on the detailed settings screen. Note that Figure 3(c) may also include additional setting items for extension functions other than the document thickness specification function.

[0045] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for editing the scan function information 203 by the scan function expansion unit 206 shown in Figure 2. The editing of the scan function information 203 is achieved by the CPU 111 executing the programs of each unit that have been read from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113.

[0046] In Figure 4, first, in S401, the scan function expansion unit 206 acquires capability information from the scan device 102. This capability information consists of attribute information indicating the functions that can be specified on the scan device 102 and setting values ​​related to that attribute information. Figure 5(a) shows an example of capability information 501 acquired from the scan device 102. As shown in Figure 5(a), the scan function expansion unit 206 can acquire information on functions such as reading size specification and information on options that can be set for each function from the scan device 102.

[0047] Next, in S402, the scan function expansion unit 206 obtains 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. Figure 5(b) shows an example of the list of scan functions 502 supported by the expansion application 204. The list of scan functions 502 supported by the expansion application 204 may be updated due to updates to the expansion application 204, etc.

[0048] Next, in S403, the scan function expansion unit 206 obtains scan function information 203 created by the general-purpose scan software 202 from the OS. Figure 5(c) shows an example of a list of scan functions 503 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 capability information 501 obtained by the general-purpose scan software 202 from the scan device 102. The scan function information 203 created by the general-purpose scan software 202 only includes scan functions supported by the general-purpose scan software 202 from the capability information 501 obtained from the scan device 102, so the functionality of the scan function information is limited. For example, the capability information 501 obtained from the scan device 102 includes information on the document thickness specification function, but the general-purpose scan software 202 does not support the document thickness specification function, and therefore the scan function information 203 does not include information on the document thickness specification function. The scan function expansion unit 206 adds information about functions and options to the scan function information 203, enabling the expansion application 204 to compensate for the lack of functionality in the general-purpose scan software 202. The scan function expansion unit 206 can also remove unnecessary function and option information from the scan function information 203 created by the general-purpose scan software 202.

[0049] The following steps S404, S405, and S406 are processes that are repeated for each function indicated by the capability information 501 acquired from the scanning device 102 in S401. In this embodiment, these processes are repeated for the 14 types of scanning sizes (A4H) and document thickness (thick) included in the capability information 501.

[0050] First, in S404, the scan function expansion unit 206 determines whether the function / option being processed exists in the scan function information 203 generated by the general-purpose scan software 202. For example, if the function / option being processed is "Scanning destination: Document glass", this function / option exists in the scan function list 503 supported by the general-purpose scan software 202. In such cases, S404 determines that the function / option being processed exists in the scan function information 203 generated by the general-purpose scan software 202. If this determination is made, the scan function expansion unit 206 selects the next item from the functions / options in the capability information acquired from the scan device 102, and the process returns to S404. If the function / option being processed is the last item in the capability information acquired from the scan device 102, the process ends.

[0051] On the other hand, if the function / option being processed is, for example, scan size: A4H, this function / option is not present in the list of scan functions 503 supported by the general-purpose scan software 202. In such cases, S404 determines that the function / option being processed is not present in the scan function information 203 generated by the general-purpose scan software 202. Once this determination is made, the process proceeds to S405.

[0052] In S405, the scan function extension unit 206 determines whether there is a function / option currently being processed among the functions / options supported by the extension application 204. If it is determined that there is no function / option currently being processed among the functions / options supported by the extension application 204, the process returns to S404 or terminates, similar to when Yes was determined in S404.

[0053] On the other hand, if it is determined that the function / option being processed exists among the functions / options supported by the extended application 204, the process proceeds to S406. In this embodiment, for example, if the function / option being processed is "Document thickness: normal", this function / option exists in the list of scan functions 502 supported by the extended application 204. In such a case, it is determined that the function / option being processed exists among the functions / options supported by the extended application 204.

[0054] In S406, the scan function expansion unit 206 adds the function / option being processed to the scan function information 203. After processing in S406, the process returns to S404 or terminates, similar to when Yes was determined in S404.

[0055] As described above, the scan function expansion unit 206 adds information about functions / 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 203 edited by this process, the scan capability is generated. Furthermore, the scan setting screen expansion unit 205 generates a display screen based on the generated scan capability, thereby extending the functions not supported by the general-purpose scan software 202 and making it possible to display the detailed setting screen shown in Figure 3(c).

[0056] Next, we will describe the sequence of events involving the scan application 201, the general-purpose scan software 202, the extension application 204, and the scan device 102, starting from when the scan application 201 accepts the scan settings.

[0057] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for scan control processing by the scan system 100 of the first embodiment. Note that each step in Figure 6, 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 programs 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.

[0058] First, in the 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.

[0059] Next, in S602, the scan application 201 displays the scan settings screen shown in Figure 3(a) on the display unit 119.

[0060] Next, in S603, the scan application 201 accepts detailed setting instructions. The user can make detailed setting instructions by operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 to select control 302 on the scan settings screen.

[0061] Next, in S604, the scan application 201 requests the general-purpose scan software 202 to display the detailed settings.

[0062] Next, in S605, the general-purpose scan software 202 requests the extended application 204 to display the detailed settings. As mentioned above, if the extended application 204 is installed on the host computer 101 (configuration shown in Figure 2(b)), the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) will be displayed in accordance with this request.

[0063] Next, 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 scan function extension unit 206 has added the document thickness setting to the scan function information. 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 capability generated based on the added scan function information. In this embodiment, since the extended application 204 supports only one resolution, 300 x 300 dpi, 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.

[0064] Next, in S607, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 accepts detailed settings. In this embodiment, as an example, as shown in Figure 3(c), the user selects: scan destination: document glass, document thickness: normal. The settings set on the detailed settings screen are stored in the RAM 113 by the CPU 111.

[0065] Next, in S608, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 accepts an instruction to end the detailed settings. The user can perform the instruction to end the detailed settings by operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 and selecting control 306. The extension application 204 writes the settings values ​​set on the detailed settings screen to the scan settings information. Note that when writing to the scan settings information, it is also possible to configure the application to write items that have not been selected by the user, such as resolution.

[0066] Next, in S609, the extended application 204 notifies the general-purpose scan software 202 that the detailed settings have been completed.

[0067] Next, at S610, the general-purpose scan software 202 notifies the scan application 201 that the detailed settings have been completed. Upon receiving this notification, the scan application 201 displays the scan settings screen shown in Figure 3(a) on the display unit 119.

[0068] Next, in S611, the scan application 201 receives a scan command. The user can issue a scan command by operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 to select control 303.

[0069] Next, in S612, the scan application 201 issues a scan command to the general-purpose scan software 202.

[0070] Next, in S613, the general-purpose scan software 202 issues a scan command to the extended application 204.

[0071] Next, 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, were not written to the scan configuration information in S608, the extended application 204 may be configured to 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.

[0072] Next, in S615, the extended application 204 sends a scan command to the scanning device 102.

[0073] Next, in S616, the scanning device 102 executes the scanning process shown in Figure 8A, which will be described later, based on the received scan instruction command. Here, the image processing indicated by the scan instruction command is performed on the image data. For example, if the scan settings shown in Figure 3(c) are configured, scanning is performed at a transport speed corresponding to the specified thickness.

[0074] Next, in S617, the scanning device 102 sends the generated image data to the extended application 204.

[0075] Next, in S618, the extended application 204 transmits the received image data to the general-purpose scanning software 202.

[0076] Next, in S619, the general-purpose scanning software 202 sends the received image data to the scanning application 201.

[0077] Next, in S620, the scan application 201 receives image data.

[0078] Next, in step S621, the scan application 201 displays the received image data. After that, this process ends.

[0079] Next, we will describe the scan command generation process executed by the extended application 204 in the scan control process shown in Figure 6 above. This scan command generation process includes the processes described in S606, S607, S608, S614, S615, and S618 above.

[0080] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure for generating scan instruction commands, which is performed by the extended application 204 in Figure 2. Each step is achieved by the CPU 111 executing the program of each unit, which has been read from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113.

[0081] In Figure 7, first, at S701, the extended application 204 receives a request from the general-purpose scan software 202 to display detailed settings.

[0082] Next, 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 (see, for example, S606 described above). This is because, as explained in Figure 4, the scan function extension unit 206 has added the document thickness setting to the scan function information. 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 capability generated based on the added scan function information.

[0083] Next, in S703, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 determines whether or not the user has configured a function on the detailed settings screen. If S703 determines that the user has configured a function on the detailed settings screen (see, for example, S607 above), the process proceeds to S704. In S704, the CPU 111 saves the setting value configured on the detailed settings screen to the RAM 113. The process then proceeds to S705.

[0084] If it is determined in S703 that the user has not configured any functions on the detailed settings screen, the process proceeds to S705. In S705, the scan settings screen extension unit 205 determines whether or not it has received an instruction from the user to finish the detailed settings. If it is determined that it has not received an instruction from the user to finish the detailed settings, the process returns to S703. If it is determined that it has received an instruction from the user to finish the detailed settings (see, for example, S608 above), the extension application 204 writes the settings values ​​configured on the detailed settings screen to the scan settings information.

[0085] Next, in S706, the extended application 204 notifies the general-purpose scan software 202 that the detailed settings have been completed (see, for example, S609 above).

[0086] Next, in S707, the extended application 204 determines whether or not it has received a scan command from the general-purpose scan software 202. The extended application 204 waits until it receives a scan command from the general-purpose scan software 202. If it receives a scan command from the general-purpose scan software 202 (Yes in S707), this process proceeds to S708.

[0087] In S708, the extended application 204 creates scan command instructions based on the scan configuration information written in S705 (see, for example, S614 mentioned above). One way to create scan command instructions in S708 is to extend the commands of the standard protocol. One way to extend the commands of the standard protocol is to write dedicated commands in the extension area of ​​the standard protocol commands. Other methods include adding proprietary commands to the end of the standard protocol commands, or having the extended application 204 convert (overwrite) the standard protocol commands with its own command system. Furthermore, when issuing instructions from the extended application 204, it is also possible to configure it to send instruction commands using the vendor's own protocol, regardless of the standard protocol.

[0088] Next, in S709, the extended application 204 sends a scan command to the scanning device 102 (see, for example, S615 described above).

[0089] Next, in S710, the extended application 204 determines whether or not it has received all image data from the scanning device 102. The extended application 204 waits until it has received all image data from the scanning device 102, and once all image data has been received (Yes in S710), the process proceeds to S711.

[0090] In S711, the extended application 204 sends the received image data to the general-purpose scanning software 202 (see, for example, S618 described above). After that, this process ends.

[0091] Next, the scan process in S616 by the scan device 102 in the scan control process shown in Figure 6 above will be explained.

[0092] Figure 8A is a flowchart showing the scan process procedure for S616 in Figure 6. Each operation (step) shown in the flowchart of Figure 8A is realized by the CPU 191 executing a program stored in RAM 192.

[0093] In Figure 8A, first, in S801, the CPU 191 receives a scan command sent from the extended application 204.

[0094] Next, in S802, the CPU 191 analyzes the scan instruction command received in S801 and converts it into reading settings to be used by the scanning device 102 for the reading process. In this embodiment, as an example, the settings are converted to read settings for scanning on the document glass with a document thickness of normal and a resolution of 300 x 300 dpi.

[0095] Next, in S803, the CPU 191 determines the ASIC of the image processing unit 190 to be used to perform the scan based on the reading settings converted in S802, and configures the determined ASIC.

[0096] Next, in S804, CPU191 executes the transport speed change process shown in Figure 8B.

[0097] Figure 8B is a flowchart showing the procedure for changing the transport speed of S804 in Figure 8. Each operation (step) shown in the flowchart of Figure 8B is realized by the CPU 191 executing a program stored in RAM 192.

[0098] In S851, CPU191 determines whether the document thickness set in the scanning settings is thick paper or not. If it is determined that the document thickness set in the scanning settings is thick paper, the process proceeds to S852. If it is determined that the document thickness set in the scanning settings is not thick paper, the process proceeds to S853.

[0099] In S852, CPU 191 processes the document transport speed during scanning to change it to a transport speed suitable for thick paper. For example, CPU 191 processes the document transport speed during scanning to a slower speed than when the document thickness is normal. For example, CPU 191 processes the document transport speed during scanning to half the transport speed when the document thickness is normal. Note that when the document thickness is thicker, the transport speed can be one-third or two-thirds of the normal transport speed, rather than half, as long as it is slower than the transport speed when the document thickness is normal. After this, the process ends.

[0100] In S853, CPU191 determines whether the document thickness set in the scanning settings is thin paper. If it is determined that the document thickness set in the scanning settings is thin paper, the process proceeds to S854. If it is determined that the document thickness set in the scanning settings is not thin paper, the process proceeds to S855.

[0101] In S854, CPU191 performs a process to change the document transport speed during scanning to a transport speed suitable for thin paper. After that, this process ends. For example, CPU191 performs a process to change the document transport speed during scanning to a transport speed slower than when the document thickness is normal. For example, CPU191 performs a process to change the document transport speed during scanning to half the transport speed when the document thickness is normal. Note that when the document thickness is thin, the transport speed can be one-third or two-thirds of the transport speed when the document thickness is normal, as long as it is slower than the transport speed when the document thickness is normal.

[0102] In the S855, CPU191 performs a process to change the document transport speed during scanning to the transport speed for plain paper. After that, this process is terminated.

[0103] Once the above-described transport speed change process is complete, the CPU 191 sends a read instruction to the reading unit 195 according to the read settings. This read instruction includes, for example, the transport speed changed in the above-described transport speed change process. The reading unit 195 adjusts the transport speed included in the received read instruction and performs the read operation.

[0104] Next, in S805, the CPU 191 acquires the image data obtained from the reading operation described above from the reading unit 195.

[0105] Next, in S806, the CPU 191 and the image processing unit 190 perform image processing on the acquired image data. In this embodiment, for example, image processing is performed to convert the resolution of the acquired image data to 300 x 300 dpi. However, 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 image processing.

[0106] Next, in S807, the CPU 191 saves the processed image data to the external storage device 199.

[0107] Next, in S808, CPU191 determines whether or not it has finished reading all pages. If it is determined that it has not finished reading any page, the process returns to S805. If it is determined that it has finished reading all pages, the process proceeds to S809.

[0108] In S809, the CPU 191 and the image processing unit 190 convert the image data saved in S807 according to the transmission format setting included in the scan instruction command received in S801. In this embodiment, since the transmission format is not included in the scan instruction command received from the extended application 204, it is converted to the default JPEG format of the scanning device 102. However, the transmission format to be converted is not limited to this; any format that can be handled by the information processing device is acceptable.

[0109] Next, in S810, CPU 191 sends the converted image data to the extended application 204. After that, this process ends.

[0110] 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 capabilities information of the general-purpose scan software 202, the extension application 204, and the scan device 102. Furthermore, when the user requests the detailed settings screen, the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) is displayed based on the scan capabilities generated from the scan function information 203, allowing the user to set the thickness of the document. Subsequently, when the scan device 102 receives a scan instruction command that reflects the document thickness setting, it executes the document thickness specification function and performs scanning. Through this series of processes, the scan device 102 can implement the document thickness specification function, and the user can utilize this function. By specifying the thickness of the document using this function and adjusting the document transport speed to suit the thickness of the document to be scanned, the document to be scanned can be transported at a transport speed suitable for the specified thickness, thereby reducing the occurrence of paper jams during scanning.

[0111] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the document thickness setting is selected by the user from a plurality of setting values ​​indicating the thickness of the document. This allows the document transport speed to be adjusted to suit the thickness of the document to be scanned.

[0112] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a scan instruction command, which is an extension of a command conforming to the standard protocol, is sent to the scanning device 102. This allows the scanning device 102 to perform the scanning process using the document thickness specification function with the setting values ​​set on the detailed settings screen, using the standard protocol.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a scan command that has been converted from a scan command conforming to the standard protocol to a unique command system of the extended application 204 is sent to the scan device 102. This makes it possible to reflect settings for scan functions not supported by the standard protocol in the scan command.

[0114] In the embodiment described above, a configuration in which the detailed settings screen shown in Figure 3(c) is displayed under the configuration shown in Figure 2(b) was described, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. 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) on the display unit 119. Subsequently, after the completion of the detailed settings in Figure 3(b), 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 thickness of the document can be set.

[0115] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, scan instructions to the extended application 204 were given from the general-purpose scan software 202, but this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the scan instructions could be given from the scan application 201 to the extended application 204, or a control for scan instructions could be placed on the detailed settings screen, allowing the user to directly give instructions to the extended application 204. In addition, as a method for transferring image data, it is also possible to transfer the data 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. Alternatively, 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.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when there are multiple image data, the method is to receive all image data before passing it on. However, the configuration may also be such that the transmitted image data is passed on as it is received.

[0117] Next, an information processing device, a control method thereof, and a program according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0118] The second embodiment is basically the same in configuration and operation as the first embodiment described above. However, it differs from the first embodiment in that the general-purpose scanning software 202, rather than the extended application 204, handles communication with the scanning device 102, and the extended application 204 only performs scanning instruction command extensions and image editing. Therefore, the explanation of overlapping configurations and operations will be omitted, and the different configurations and operations will be explained below.

[0119] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of the scan control process by the scan system 100 of the second embodiment. The scan control process in Figure 9 is similar to the scan control process in Figure 6 described above, and the differences from the scan control process in Figure 6 will be explained below in particular. Each step in Figure 9, 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 programs from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 9 is achieved 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.

[0120] In Figure 9, steps S601 to S612 described above are performed first. Next, in S901, the general-purpose scan software 202 creates a scan instruction command. At this time, functions that the general-purpose scan software 202 does not support are not included in the scan instruction command.

[0121] Next, in S902, the general-purpose scan software 202 passes the created scan instruction command to the extended application 204.

[0122] Next, in S903, the extended application 204 extends the acquired scan command. Specifically, the extended application 204 adds instructions for functions not supported by the general-purpose scan software 202 to the acquired scan command, or modifies existing instructions. In this embodiment, since the scan command created by the general-purpose scan software 202 in S901 does not include the document thickness setting, the document thickness setting is added in S903.

[0123] Next, in S904, the extended application 204 passes the extended scan instruction command to the general-purpose scan software 202.

[0124] Next, in S905, the general-purpose scan software 202 sends the extended scan instruction command to the scan device 102. Then, the process described in S616 above is performed.

[0125] Next, in S906, the scanning device 102 transmits the image data to the general-purpose scanning software 202. After that, the processes described in S619 to S621 are performed, and this process is completed.

[0126] As described above, in the second embodiment, the extension application 204 performs the process of extending the document thickness setting to the scan instruction command created by the general-purpose scan software 202. This enables the scan device 102 to have a document thickness specification function, and allows the user to utilize this thickness specification function.

[0127] Next, an information processing device, a control method thereof, and a program according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0128] The third embodiment is basically the same in configuration and operation as the first and second embodiments described above. However, it differs from the first and second embodiments in that it does not extend the commands of the standard protocol, but instead communicates with the scanning device 102 using separate commands for functions supported only by the extended application 204. Therefore, the description of overlapping configurations and operations will be omitted, and the different configurations and operations will be described below.

[0129] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of the scan control process by the scan system 100 of the third embodiment. The scan control process in Figure 10 is similar to the scan control process in Figure 6 described above, and the differences from the scan control process in Figure 6 will be explained below. 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 programs from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executing them. Each step of the scan device 102 in Figure 10 is achieved 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.

[0130] In Figure 10, steps S601 to S613 described above are performed first. Next, in S1001, the extended application 204 creates a standard scan instruction command in accordance with the standard protocol. At this time, functions not supported by the standard protocol are not included in the standard scan instruction command. For example, this standard scan instruction command does not include setting the thickness of the document.

[0131] Next, in S1002, the extended application 204 creates extended scan command instructions (extended command instructions) for functions not supported by the standard protocol, such as functions supported only by the extended application 204. For example, these extended scan command instructions include setting the document thickness.

[0132] Next, in S1003, the extended application 204 sends a standard scan instruction command to the scanning device 102.

[0133] Next, in S1004, the extended application 204 sends an extended scan instruction command to the scanning device 102.

[0134] In S1005, the scanning device 102 interprets the received standard scan instruction command and extended scan instruction command, respectively, and executes the scan process. Subsequently, the processes described in S617 to S621 are performed, and this process is completed.

[0135] Next, the scan command generation process executed by the extended application 204 in the scan control process shown in Figure 10 above will be described. This scan command generation process includes the processes described in S606, S607, S608, S614, S1001, S1002, S1003, S1004, and S618 above.

[0136] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure for generating scan instruction commands, which is performed by the extended application 204 of the third embodiment. Each step is achieved by the CPU 111 executing the program of each unit, which has been read from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113.

[0137] In Figure 11, steps S701 to S707 described above are performed. Next, in S1101, the extended application 204 creates a standard scan instruction command in accordance with the standard protocol.

[0138] Next, in S1102, the extended application 204 creates an extended scan command for a function not supported by the standard protocol, such as a function supported only by the extended application 204.

[0139] Next, in S1103, the extended application 204 sends the standard scan instruction command created in S1101 to the scanning device 102.

[0140] Next, in S1104, the extended application 204 sends the extended scan instruction command created in S1102 to the scanning device 102. After that, S710 and S711 described above are performed, and this process is completed.

[0141] As described above, in the third embodiment, the extended application 204 creates a standard scan instruction command and an extended scan instruction command for a function supported only by the extended application 204 and sends them to the scanning device 102. This enables the scanning device 102 to implement the document thickness specification function, and allows the user to utilize the thickness specification function.

[0142] Next, an information processing device, a control method thereof, and a program according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0143] The fourth embodiment is basically the same in configuration and operation as the first, second, and third embodiments described above. However, it differs from the first, second, and third embodiments in that it allows the ON / OFF setting of the document thickness specification function. Therefore, the explanation of the overlapping configurations and operations will be omitted, and the different configurations and operations will be explained below.

[0144] Figure 12(a) shows an example of capability information 1201 acquired from the scanning device 102. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in capability information 1201, information indicating whether or not the scanning device 102 supports the document thickness specification function is acquired from the scanning device 102, rather than a set value indicating the document thickness. Figure 12(a) shows, as an example, that the scanning device 102 supports the document thickness specification function.

[0145] Figure 12(b) shows an example of the detailed settings screen displayed by the scan settings screen extension unit 205 in the fourth embodiment. In the detailed settings screen of Figure 12(b), control 1203, which has the use case name "Allows specifying the thickness of the document to be scanned based on the capability information of the scanner 102," is checked.

[0146] In the screen shown in Figure 12(b), if the user issues a scan command without checking the option to specify a thicker document thickness 1203, the scanner 102 controls the document to transport at the same transport speed as when the document thickness was specified as normal in the first embodiment. On the other hand, in the screen shown in Figure 12(b), if the user issues a scan command with the option to specify a thicker document thickness 1203 checked, the scanner 102 controls the document to transport at a transport speed corresponding to a thicker document. For example, the CPU 191 processes the transport speed of the document during scanning to a transport speed slower than when the document thickness is normal. For example, the CPU 191 processes the transport speed of the document during scanning to half the transport speed when the document thickness is normal.

[0147] In the fourth embodiment, the configuration is not limited to this one. Even if capability information indicating that a setting value for the thickness of the document to be scanned can be set is received from the scanning device 102, it may be displayed on the display screen as a use case name, and a fixed document thickness may be set internally.

[0148] As explained above, in the fourth embodiment, the thickness of the document can be set in a simple way by specifying whether or not the document is thick, making the thickness specification function easier for the user to understand.

[0149] 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. Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0150] Furthermore, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Configuration 1) A program that extends the functionality of general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, characterized by having a code that causes a display screen for accepting the thickness setting of a document to be displayed on the display unit of an information processing device, and a code that causes the reading device to execute a reading process based on the setting accepted on the display screen. (Configuration 2) The program according to Configuration 1, characterized in that the thickness setting of the document is selected by the user from among a plurality of setting values ​​indicating the thickness of the document. (Configuration 3) The code that causes the reading device to perform the reading process is the program according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the information processing device sends instruction commands which are extensions of commands in accordance with a standard protocol to the reading device. (Configuration 4) The code that causes the reading device to perform the reading process is the program according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the information processing device sends an instruction command in accordance with a standard protocol and an extended instruction command including a setting value for the thickness of the document to the reading device. (Configuration 5) The code that causes the reading device to perform the reading process is the program according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the information processing device sends an instruction command to the reading device, which is an instruction command obtained by converting an instruction command in accordance with a standard protocol into the program's own command system. (Configuration 6) The program according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that the items displayed on the display screen are changed based on the capability information of the reader. (Configuration 7) An information processing device comprising general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and a program that extends the functionality of the general-purpose scanning software, characterized in that it comprises means for displaying a display screen that accepts a setting for the thickness of a document, and means for causing a reading device to perform a reading process based on the setting accepted on the display screen. (Configuration 8) A control method for an information processing device comprising general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and a program that extends the functionality of the general-purpose scanning software, the control method for an information processing device comprising the steps of: displaying a display screen that accepts a setting for the thickness of a document; and causing a reading device to perform a reading process based on the setting accepted on the display screen. [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 101 Host computer 102 Scanning device 111 CPU 119 Display section 195 Reading Unit 202 General-purpose scanning software 204 Extended Applications 205 Scan Settings Screen Expansion Unit 206 Scan Function Expansion Unit 207 Image Data Editing Unit 208 Shared Information 209 Notification Unit 307 Control 308 List

Claims

1. A program that extends the functionality of general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, A code to display a screen on the display unit of the information processing device that accepts the setting of the document thickness, A program characterized by having a code that causes a reading device to execute a reading process based on the settings received on the display screen.

2. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness setting of the document is selected by the user from among a plurality of setting values ​​indicating the thickness of the document.

3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the code that causes the reading device to perform the aforementioned reading process causes the information processing device to send instruction commands that are extensions of commands in accordance with a standard protocol to the reading device.

4. The program according to claim 1, wherein the code that causes the reading device to perform the aforementioned reading process causes the information processing device to send an instruction command in accordance with a standard protocol and an extended instruction command including a setting value for the thickness of the document to the reading device.

5. The program according to claim 1, wherein the code that causes the reading device to perform the aforementioned reading process causes the information processing device to send instruction commands to the reading device, which are obtained by converting instruction commands in accordance with a standard protocol into the program's own command system.

6. The program according to claim 1, characterized in that the items displayed on the display screen are changed based on the capability information of the reading device.

7. An information processing device comprising general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and a program that extends the functionality of the general-purpose scanning software, A means for displaying a screen that accepts the setting of the document thickness, An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising means for causing a reading device to execute a reading process based on the settings received on the display screen.

8. A control method for an information processing device comprising general-purpose scanning software that can be used in common with reading devices provided by multiple manufacturers, and a program that extends the functionality of the general-purpose scanning software, A process to display a screen that accepts the setting of the document thickness, A control method for an information processing device, characterized by comprising the steps of: causing a reading device to perform a reading process based on the settings received on the display screen.

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