Scanner, control program

Abstract

To suppress reduction in usability of a user interface, in a scanner where a destination can be associated to a shortcut key provided in the user interface.SOLUTION: When a shortcut key is operated, a controller 56 in an MFP 50 executes a scanning process for transmitting created scan data to a destination associated to the shortcut key. When information on a destination including a user ID is deleted, the controller 56 determines whether a shortcut key associated with the user ID is invalidated on management information 42. When it is determined that the shortcut key is not invalidated, the controller invalidates the shortcut key.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for transmitting scan data to a predetermined destination. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a scanner that creates scan data and transmits the created scan data to a registered destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-195100 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Among the scanners having the above configuration, there is one that is configured to be able to associate the destination of the scan data with a shortcut key of the user interface. In such a scanner, the user can operate the shortcut key to send the scan data to a specified destination without performing an input operation or a selection operation of the destination. On the other hand, since the information about the destination associated with the shortcut key can be deleted, the destination currently associated with the shortcut key may be changed from the destination intended by the user. In such a case, for example, there is a concern that the user may operate the shortcut key to send the scan data to an unintended destination.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to suppress a decrease in the usability of a user interface in a scanner in which destinations can be associated with shortcut keys of the user interface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention relates to a scanner including a memory, a controller, and a user interface. The controller executes a destination storage process for storing destination information corresponding to the destination of scan data in the memory, an association process for associating the destination information stored in the memory with a shortcut key possessed by the user interface, a scan process for executing a process for transmitting created scan data to a destination indicated by the destination information associated with the shortcut key when the shortcut key is operated, a determination process for determining whether or not the shortcut key associated with the destination information to be deleted is disabled when the destination information stored in the memory is deleted, and an invalidation process for invalidating the shortcut key when it is determined by the determination process that the shortcut key is not disabled. Here, the "destination information" is information that can identify a destination, and "storing destination information" means that the destination can be specified from the destination information stored in the memory. For example, the destination information may be information that uses consecutive numbers or letters in addition to information that is uniquely set according to the destination. In this case, when a new destination is registered, destination information with the same value as the destination information that has already been deleted may be set again for this destination. Disabling a shortcut key means putting the shortcut key into a state in which it cannot perform its function, such as a state in which it cannot accept operations by the user, a state in which no output associated with the acceptance of an operation is sent to the controller, or even a state in which the controller does not accept output associated with the acceptance of an operation.

[0007] In the above configuration, when destination information corresponding to a destination is deleted, it is determined whether or not the shortcut key associated with this destination information is disabled. If it is determined that the shortcut key is not disabled, the shortcut key is disabled. This makes it possible to prevent shortcut keys not associated with a destination from remaining in the user interface of the scanner, thereby suppressing a decrease in usability of the user interface.

[0008] The present invention can be realized in various forms. In addition to being an invention of a scanner, it can also be realized as an invention of a control program executed by a controller of a scanner. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in ease of use of the user interface in a scanner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the configuration of a scanning system. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining shortcut information. [Figure 4] 6 is a timing chart illustrating a process for registering a shortcut icon. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a function selection screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a destination display screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a scan execution screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a shortcut screen. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the association process executed in S18 of FIG. 4. [Figure 10] 11 is a timing chart illustrating a process for canceling an association with a destination. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process executed in S47 of FIG. 10; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the shortcut screen after a shortcut key has been deleted. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a shortcut screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a process when a disabled shortcut icon is operated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (First embodiment) The scanning system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The scan system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a terminal 10, servers 30, 31, and 32, and an MFP (abbreviation of Multifunction Peripheral / Printer / Product) 50. The terminal 10, the servers 30, 31, and 32, and the MFP 50 are connected to a network 200. In this embodiment, the network 200 may be the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a combination of a LAN and the Internet. The network 200 may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. In this embodiment, the terminal 10 and the MFP 50 are wirelessly connected to a router (not shown) that constitutes a part of the network, and the terminal 10 or the MFP 50 and the servers 30, 31, and 32 are connected via the Internet. In this embodiment, the MFP 50 is an example of a scanner.

[0012] The following describes the hardware configuration of the MFP 50. The MFP 50 includes a bus 51, a communication IF 52, a printer unit 53, a reading unit 54, a user IF 55, a controller 56, and a memory 57. The various units constituting the MFP 50 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the bus 51. IF is an abbreviation for Interface.

[0013] The communication IF 52 connects the MFP 50 to the network 200 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication IF 52 is capable of performing wireless communication of the Wi-Fi® (registered trademark) system based on the IEEE 802.11 standard or a standard equivalent thereto. The communication IF 52 may also perform short-range wireless communication with the terminal 10 using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

[0014] The user IF 55 is an interface between the controller 56 and the user, and in this embodiment, includes a touch panel 58 and operation keys 59 as physical keys. The touch panel 58 has a touch sensor and outputs a signal according to the detection result by the touch sensor. Note that "touch" in this embodiment includes the general operation of bringing an input medium into contact with the display screen of the touch panel 58. In addition, the concept of "touch" described above may include bringing the input medium close to a position where the distance between the input medium and the touch panel 58 is very small. Furthermore, the input medium may be a user's finger, a touch pen, or the like.

[0015] The printer unit 53 executes a print operation to print an image on a recording medium such as a sheet or a disk. The printer unit 53 may employ a recording method such as an inkjet method in which ink is ejected onto a recording medium, or an electrophotographic method in which a toner image is formed on a photoreceptor and the formed toner image is transferred onto the recording medium. The reader unit 54 executes a scan operation to read an image recorded on a document and create scan data. The controller 56 of the MFP 50 causes the reader unit 54 to read a document set on an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) or a reading table to create scan data, and can transmit the created scan data to the server 30 or the terminal 10 via the communication IF 52. The MFP 50 may also be capable of executing a composite operation that combines a plurality of operations. A copy operation that combines a print operation by the printer unit 53 and a scan operation by the reader unit 54 is an example of a composite operation.

[0016] In this embodiment, the MFP 50 can execute push scan processing and pull scan processing as scan operations. The push scan processing is a process in which, upon receipt of an instruction to execute a scan operation from a user via the user IF 55, the MFP 50 creates scan data and uploads the created scan data to the service providing server 30. The scan data uploaded to the service providing server 30 can be downloaded by operating the terminal 10. The pull scan processing is a process in which, upon receipt of an instruction to execute a scan operation from a user via the user IF 13 of the terminal 10, the terminal 10 transmits an instruction to execute a scan operation to the MFP 50, and the MFP 50 creates scan data in response and transmits the created scan data to the terminal 10.

[0017] The controller 56 is configured with a CPU, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), etc., and controls the operations of the printer unit 53, the reading unit 54, and the user IF 55. The memory 57 stores various programs executed by the controller 56.

[0018] In this embodiment, the memory 57 is configured by combining, for example, a RAM, a ROM, and a flash memory. The memory 57 may also be a storage medium that can be read by the controller 56, which is a computer. The storage medium also includes recording media such as a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM. The same applies to the memory 15 described below.

[0019] The memory 57 stores a control program 40. The controller 56 executes the control program 40 to execute the above-mentioned operations such as the scanning operation and the printing operation. The data storage area of ​​the memory 57 stores capability information 41, management information 42 (FIG. 2), shortcut information 43 (FIG. 3), log information 44, and history information 45 as data referenced by the controller 56.

[0020] The capability information 41 includes a plurality of items indicating the performance of the MFP 50, and is, for example, information in a structure format. The capability information 41 stores the items "document size," "resolution," "color setting," "reading format," and "file format" as items related to the scan operation. "Document size" is information indicating the read range of the document when the MFP 50 executes the scan operation. For example, "A4" is information indicating that the document is read in a read range of A4 size, and "automatic" is information indicating that the read range can be automatically adjusted to match the document. "Resolution" is information indicating the resolution of the scan data when the scan operation is executed. "Color setting" is information setting the presence or absence of color in the scan data when the MFP 50 executes the scan operation, and includes, for example, "color" and "monochrome." "Reading format" is information indicating the read side (double-sided, single-sided) of the document when the MFP 50 executes the scan operation. "File format" is information indicating the file format (JPEG, TIFE) of the scan data when the MFP 50 executes the scan operation. The capability information 41 may include items such as "ADF tilt correction," "brightness," "contrast," and "blank page removal."

[0021] The management information 42 stores various information of the destination in the push scan process. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the management information 42 includes each item of "user ID", "display name", and "scan setting". In the management information 42, the "user ID" is information assigned to manage the device that is the destination on the scan system 100. The "display name" is information indicating the display name when the destination is displayed on the user IF 55 of the MFP 50. The "scan setting" is a scan setting when executing the push scan process for the destination, and can be set within the range indicated by the capability information 41. In addition, the management information 42 may include identification information for identifying the device that is the destination, such as the MAC address of the device and the program ID of the control program 40. The shortcut information 43, the log information 44, and the history information 45 will be described later.

[0022] Next, the servers 30, 31, and 32 will be described. Each of the servers 30, 31, and 32 includes a CPU as a computer, a communication IF, and a memory. The service providing server 30 is a server to which scan data created by the MFP 50 through a push scan process is uploaded. The service providing server 30 can cause the terminal 10 to download the uploaded scan data in response to an instruction from the terminal 10. The information collecting server 31 is a server that manages management information 42.

[0023] The push notification server 32 is a server that transmits a push notification to a destination device when scan data is uploaded to the service providing server 30. APNS (Apple Push Notification Service) and GCM (Google Cloud Messaging for Android) can be used as an example of a mechanism for the push notification server to provide a push notification. In this embodiment, when using the APNS or GCM service, the push notification server 32 registers an address indicating the location of the destination device as notification information in association with a push notification ID, and the destination device acquires the push notification ID from the push notification server 32. Note that the push notification is a notification according to the APNS or GCM protocol. The "push notification ID" is information that identifies the destination when a push notification is performed.

[0024] Next, the terminal 10 will be described. The terminal 10 is a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The terminal 10 includes a bus 11, a terminal side CPU 12, a user IF 13, a communication IF 14, and a memory 15. These components are connected to each other via the bus 11 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0025] The user IF 13 has a similar configuration to the user IF 55 of the MFP 50, and includes a touch panel and operation keys. The communication IF 14 has a similar configuration to the communication IF 14 of the MFP 50. Note that the communication IF 14 may perform wireless communication using a mobile communication system via a base station.

[0026] The terminal CPU 12 controls each part of the terminal 10 by executing programs stored in the memory 15. The memory 15 stores an OS 20 (abbreviation of Operating System), an application program 21, and a browser program 22. In the following, the application program will be abbreviated to "application." The CPU that executes a program may also be referred to simply as the program name. For example, the description "application 21" may mean "the terminal CPU 12 that executes application 21."

[0027] In this embodiment, the processing of the CPU according to the instructions written in the program is mainly shown. That is, the processing of "judgment", "extraction", "selection", "calculation", "decision", "identification", "acquisition", "acceptance", "control" and the like in the following description represents the processing of the CPU and the controller. The processing by the CPU also includes hardware control via the OS 20. Note that "acquisition" is used as a concept that does not require a request. That is, the processing of receiving data without the application 21 requesting it is also included in the concept of "the CPU acquires data". In addition, "data" in this specification is expressed in a computer-readable format. And data with the same substantial meaning but different formats are treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this specification.

[0028] The OS 20 has an API (Application Programming Interface) that enables the application 21 to use the functions of the OS 20, to communicate with the servers 30, 31, 32 and the MFP 50, and to use the functions of other programs. The application 21 issues instructions for print operations, scan operations, etc. to the MFP 50 that can be connected via the communication IF 14 using the functions of the OS 20. The browser program 22 communicates with the MFP 50 or the servers 30, 31, 32, and can display Web page data transmitted from the MFP 50.

[0029] Next, a process for registering a new destination in management information 42, which is executed among terminal 10, servers 30 and 31, and MFP 50, will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Of the processes shown in Fig. 4, the processes executed by terminal 10 are executed by application 21, and the processes executed by MFP 50 are executed by control program 40. It is assumed that network connections between terminal 10, MFP 50, and servers 30 and 31 have already been established.

[0030] In step S11 (hereinafter simply referred to as S11), the application 21 displays a registration screen on the user IF 13 and accepts an input operation by the user via the user IF 13. The registration screen is a screen for registering information of the terminal 10 in the management information 42 in response to an input operation by the user. The application 21 specifies the MFP 50 on the registration screen displayed by the user IF 13, and accepts an input operation of a display name and scan settings as information regarding a destination (i.e., the terminal 10) to be newly registered.

[0031] In S12, the application 21 transmits the device ID of the MFP 50, the display name and scan setting inputted in S11, and the push notification ID of the own device to the service providing server 30 as the destination of the push scan process of the MFP 50 together with a registration request. The device ID is information for identifying the MFP, and the application 21 may obtain it in advance from the MFP 50 or the like. In S13, the service providing server 30 performs an update process for storing each piece of information transmitted from the terminal 10 in the management information 42. Specifically, a user ID is assigned to the destination to be registered, and a display name and scan setting related to the destination are associated with the user ID and stored. In this embodiment, an upper limit is set for the number of user IDs that can be managed by the management information 42. For example, in the management information 42 shown in FIG. 2, information (display name, scan setting) related to the device that is the destination can be associated with N number of user IDs from "User1" to "UserN" (N is an integer equal to or greater than 1) and stored. When a new destination is registered, a user ID that is not associated with information related to a device is assigned from among N user IDs, and information related to the destination is stored for the assigned user ID. Although not shown in Fig. 2, the management information 42 stored in the service providing server 30 stores the push notification ID transmitted from the destination device and the device ID in association with the user ID. In this embodiment, the user ID is an example of destination information.

[0032] In S14, the service providing server 30 transmits the management information 42 updated in S13 together with the device ID to the information collecting server 31. In this embodiment, the service providing server 30 transmits the management information 42 to which the information of the newly destination device has been added all at once to the information collecting server 31. Note that in S14, the service providing server 30 may transmit a URL indicating the address of its own device to the information collecting server 31 together with the management information 42.

[0033] In S15, the information collecting server 31 transmits the updated management information 42 and the device ID transmitted from the service providing server 30 to the MFP 50 as is. The device ID may be stored in advance in the memory 57 of the MFP 50 prior to the processing shown in FIG.

[0034] When the control program 40 of the MFP 50 receives the updated management information 42 transmitted from the information collecting server 31, it performs a destination storage process in S16. In this destination storage process, the control program 40 updates the management information 42 all at once by overwriting the received updated management information 42 over the management information 42 currently stored in the memory 57. As a result, the control program 40 registers the terminal 10 as a destination for the push scan process. Note that the device ID transmitted from the information collecting server 31 is stored in association with the user ID in the management information 42 stored in the memory 57 of the MFP 50.

[0035] Next, a procedure of a process for registering a shortcut key in the user IF 55 of the MFP 50 will be described. When a user performs an operation for specifying a scan operation on the standby screen displayed on the user IF 55, in S17, the control program 40 displays various screens (FIGS. 5, 6, and 7) in response to the user's operation. Specifically, the control program 40 first displays a function selection screen 60 shown in FIG. 5 on the user IF 55. The standby screen is a screen that is displayed on the user IF 55 when the main power of the MFP 50 is turned on. The function selection screen 60 includes operation icons 61, 62, and 63 that accept the selection of individual functions among the scan operations. Among these, the operation icon 61 is an icon that accepts an instruction operation for a process for storing scan data in an external memory connected to the MFP 50. The operation icon 62 is an icon that accepts an instruction operation for a process for transmitting the scan data to a registered destination (i.e., a push scan process). The operation icon 63 is an icon that accepts an instruction operation for a process for transmitting the scan data to a specified email address. In this embodiment, the operation icons 61 to 63 can be set to be able to accept a designation operation by the user by positioning them in the center of the function selection screen 60 in response to an operation of the change icons 64, 65. In the function selection screen 60 shown in Fig. 5, the operation icon 62 is set as an icon that can accept an instruction from the user.

[0036] When the control program 40 detects that the operation icon 62 has been operated via the user IF 55, it causes the user IF 55 to display a destination screen 70 shown in Fig. 6. The destination screen 70 is a screen on which a list of display names stored in the management information 42 is displayed. The destination screen 70 shown in Fig. 6 includes destination icons 71, 72, and 73 for receiving destination designation. Of the display names stored in the management information 42, the corresponding display names "User A", "User B", and "User C" are displayed on each of the destination icons 71 to 73.

[0037] When the control program 40 receives a designation operation of any one of the destination icons 71 to 73 included in the destination screen 70 via the user IF 55, it causes the user IF 55 to display the scan execution screen 80 shown in Fig. 7. Note that if only information about one destination is stored in the management information 42, when the operation icon 62 is operated, the scan execution screen 80 may be displayed without displaying the destination screen 70.

[0038] The scan execution screen 80 is a screen that accepts an instruction to execute a push scan process for a destination specified on the destination screen 70. The scan execution screen 80 shown in Fig. 7 is a screen that is displayed when the destination icon 71 is operated on the destination screen 70. The scan execution screen 80 includes a setting change icon 81, a registration icon 82, an execution icon 83, and a setting display area 84.

[0039] The setting display area 84 is an area that displays scan settings associated with a destination specified on the destination screen 70. In this embodiment, the setting display area 84 displays each value of the scan settings stored in association with the user ID "User1" in the management information 42. The setting change icon 81 is an icon that accepts a user's designated operation when changing the scan settings currently displayed in the setting display area 84. The registration icon 82 is an icon that accepts a user's designated operation when registering a shortcut key for a destination specified on the destination screen 70. The execution icon 83 is an icon that accepts a user's designated operation when starting a push scan process for the currently specified destination.

[0040] When the control program 40 receives a designation operation for the registered icon 82 on the scan execution screen 80, the control program 40 executes an association process for associating a push scan process for the designated destination with a shortcut key in S18. The shortcut key is a key that receives an execution operation for each process that can be executed by the MFP 50 on the shortcut screen 90, as shown in Fig. 8. The shortcut screen 90 can be displayed on the user IF 55 in place of the above-mentioned standby screen.

[0041] FIG. 9 shows details of the process executed in S18 of FIG. 4, and the description of the control program 40, which is the subject of the process, is omitted. In S30, it is determined whether or not SSL (abbreviation of Security Setting Lock) is set for the MFP 50. SSL is a lock for prohibiting changes to various settings of the MFP 50. In this embodiment, the presence or absence of the SSL setting can be changed on the EWS screen displayed on the user IF 13 of the terminal 10 by the function of a Web server (hereinafter referred to as EWS: Embedded Web Server) by the control program 40. If SSL is set, various settings of the MFP 50 are locked against changes, so a new shortcut key cannot be created on the shortcut screen 90. Therefore, a negative judgment is made in S30, and the process of FIG. 9 is terminated. In this case, a screen indicating that the shortcut key cannot be registered may be displayed on the user IF 55.

[0042] On the other hand, if SSL is not set, an affirmative decision is made in S30, the process proceeds to S31, and the shortcut screen 90 is displayed on the user IF 55. In Fig. 8, the shortcut screen 90 includes shortcut keys 91, 92, 93, and 94, an unregistered key 95, and an edit / delete key 96. In the following, a case will be described as an example in which a shortcut key 94 is created by associating a user ID "User1" with an unregistered key. In this embodiment, the unregistered key is an example of a disabled shortcut key.

[0043] In S32, it is determined whether or not an operation to specify an unregistered key has been accepted via the user IF 55. If the specification of an unregistered key has not been accepted, the process waits. On the other hand, if the specification of an unregistered key has been accepted on the shortcut screen 90, an affirmative judgment is made in S32, and the process proceeds to S33. In S33, an editing operation is accepted in conjunction with the operation of the edit / delete key 96. The user can set the display form of the shortcut key after registration by editing the specified unregistered key on the shortcut screen 90. In this embodiment, the text "Send data to destination A" is displayed on the shortcut key 94 by the process of S33.

[0044] In S34, it is determined whether or not a shortcut key registration instruction has been received on the shortcut screen 90. If a shortcut key registration instruction has not been received, the process waits. On the other hand, if a shortcut key registration instruction has been received, the process proceeds to S35, where a registration process is performed to associate a destination with the specified unregistered key. In this embodiment, the shortcut key is registered by associating a shortcut ID with a user ID on the shortcut information 43 shown in FIG. 3. The shortcut ID is information for identifying a shortcut key. In this embodiment, the shortcut ID "Shortcut1" of the shortcut key 94 is associated with "User1", which is a user ID associated with the terminal 10 that is the destination. By associating the shortcut ID with a user ID on the shortcut information 43, the unregistered key becomes a shortcut key.

[0045] In S36, a notification process is performed to notify the user that a new shortcut key has been registered. The process of S36 may be, for example, a process in which the control program 40 displays a notification screen on the user IF 55, or a process in which the control program 40 transmits Web page data for notification to the terminal 10 using the EWS function. Alternatively, the service providing server 30 may be instructed to perform a push notification using the push notification server 32, thereby notifying the terminal of the user ID "User1". When the process of S36 ends, the process proceeds to S19 in FIG. 4.

[0046] In S19, the control program 40 updates the history information 45. Specifically, the control program 40 stores in the history information 45 the shortcut ID, the user ID, and the time when the shortcut key 94 was registered, which correspond to the currently registered shortcut key 94.

[0047] In S20, the control program 40 performs a backup process to update the log information 44. Specifically, the control program 40 stores in the log information 44 the management information 42 and the shortcut information 43 after the process of S18.

[0048] When the currently registered shortcut key 94 is operated, the control program 40 displays the scan execution screen 80 for the destination associated with the user ID "User1" on the user IF 55. When the operation of the execution icon 83 is accepted on the scan execution screen 80, the control program 40 causes the reading unit 54 to read the document set on the reading table to create scan data in S21. In this embodiment, the scan data may include a thumbnail image, a label name, a model name, an execution date and time, and a data size in addition to the image data created by reading the document. The label name is information for identifying the scan data, and is set by the control program 40 when the scan data is created. The model name is the name of the device that executed the push scan process, and in this embodiment, is the model name of the MFP 50. The execution date and time is information indicating the date and time when the push scan process was executed. Note that, when the user touches the icon for canceling the execution of the scan operation, the control program 40 does not execute the scan operation.

[0049] In S22, the control program 40 transmits the created scan data to the service providing server 30. At this time, the control program 40 transmits the user ID associated with the shortcut key together with the scan data to the service providing server 30. It is assumed that the control program 40 has registered the URL of the service providing server 30 in advance.

[0050] Although a description using figures is omitted, when the service providing server 30 receives the scan data transmitted from the MFP 50, it uploads the scan data to memory. At this time, the service providing server 30 stores the label name, model name, execution date and time, data size, and thumbnail image contained in the scan data in a job management table for managing the scan data, in association with the transmitted user ID.

[0051] The service providing server 30 transmits a push notification ID and a URL specifying the upload destination of the scan data together with a request to transmit a push notification to the push notification server 32. The push notification ID transmitted from the service providing server 30 is a push notification ID corresponding to the user ID of the destination (here, the terminal 10).

[0052] When the push notification server 32 receives a request to send a push notification, the push notification server 32 refers to the address of the device (terminal 10 in this case) associated with the push notification ID in the notification information stored in the push notification server 32. The push notification is then sent to the referred address. In this embodiment, the push notification includes a URL that specifies the upload destination of the scan data, and web page data for displaying the URL on the screen.

[0053] When the application 21 of the terminal 10 receives the push notification, the application 21 displays a notification image indicating that the push notification has been received on the top screen. This allows the user operating the terminal 10 to confirm that the scan data addressed to the terminal 10 has been uploaded to the service providing server 30. When the application 21 detects an operation on the notification image via the user IF 13, the application 21 causes the browser program 22 to display a download designation screen using the Web page data included in the push notification. The download designation screen displays a URL that designates the upload destination of the scan data included in the push notification. When the application 21 accepts a designation operation of the URL on the download designation screen, the application 21 transmits a download request for the scan data saved in the designated URL to the service providing server 30. At this time, a label name for identifying the scan data may be transmitted together with the download request.

[0054] Next, the process when information about a destination stored in the management information 42 is deleted will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In S41, the application 21 of the terminal 10 displays a registration screen on the user IF 13, and accepts a destination deletion operation by the user via the user IF 13. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a deletion operation is accepted for the terminal 10 displayed by the display name "User A".

[0055] In S42, the application 21 transmits information about the destination for which the deletion operation was accepted in S40, together with a deletion request, to the MFP 50. In S43, the service providing server 30 performs an update process for updating the management information 42 using the information transmitted from the terminal 10. As a result, the user ID of the destination to be deleted, the display name associated with this user ID, and the scan settings are deleted from the management information 42 stored in the service providing server 30. Furthermore, together with the deletion of the user ID, the push notification ID associated with this user ID is also deleted.

[0056] In S44, the service providing server 30 transmits the updated management information 42 to the information collecting server 31. In S45, the information collecting server 31 transmits the management information 42 transmitted from the service providing server 30 to the MFP 50 as is.

[0057] When the control program 40 of the MFP 50 receives the updated management information 42 sent from the information collecting server 31, in S46 it overwrites the management information 42 currently stored in the memory 57 with the updated management information 42. As a result, the user ID "User1" and the information related to this user ID, that is, the display name and scan settings, are deleted from the management information 42 stored in the memory 57. The device ID associated with the user ID is also deleted.

[0058] In S47, processing is performed to invalidate the shortcut key associated with the user ID of the destination to be deleted. Fig. 11 is a flowchart explaining the procedure of the processing executed by the control program 40 in S47. In S50, it is determined whether or not SSL is set. If SSL is set, various settings of the MFP 50 are locked, so a negative determination is made in S50 and the processing in Fig. 11 is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if SSL is not set, a positive determination is made in S50 and the process proceeds to S51.

[0059] In S51, the management information 42 stored in the log information 44 is compared with the management information 42 updated this time in S46. In this embodiment, since the management information 42 is updated in a lump, even if a new destination is registered for the same user ID after information about the destination is deleted, the display name stored in association with this user ID is changed.

[0060] In S52, it is determined whether or not the information regarding the destination has been deleted, depending on the result of the comparison of the management information 42 in S51. If a negative determination is made in S52, there is no shortcut key to be disabled, and so the process shown in Fig. 11 is terminated. On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in S52, the process proceeds to S53.

[0061] In S53, a shortcut key associated with the user ID of the destination to be deleted is detected. Specifically, the shortcut information 43 is referenced to detect a shortcut ID associated with the user ID of the destination to be deleted. If the corresponding user ID does not exist in the shortcut information 43, the process of FIG. 11 ends. On the other hand, if the corresponding shortcut ID is detected in S53, an affirmative decision is made in S54, and the process proceeds to S55. In this embodiment, the processes executed by the control program 40 in S52 to S54 are an example of a determination process.

[0062] In S55, it is determined whether a deletion instruction has been received from the user. In this embodiment, in S55, a screen for notifying the user IF 55 of whether deletion of the shortcut key has been executed or not is displayed. If an operation of an icon instructing to continue displaying the shortcut icon is received on this screen, a negative judgment is made in S55, and the processing of FIG. 11 is terminated. In this case, the shortcut key 94 is maintained displayed on the shortcut screen 90. On the other hand, if an operation of an icon instructing to hide the shortcut icon is received on the screen, an affirmative judgment is made in S55, and the process proceeds to S56.

[0063] In S56, it is determined whether or not the process corresponding to the operation of the designated shortcut key is ongoing. If an affirmative decision is made in S56, the process waits until the process ends. The process corresponding to the operation of the shortcut key is a process for displaying the scan execution screen 80 (FIG. 7) on the user IF 55 in response to the operation of the shortcut key, and a process for executing a push scan process when an operation of the execution icon 83 is accepted on this scan execution screen 80. On the other hand, if the process corresponding to the designated shortcut key has ended, a negative decision is made in S56, and the process proceeds to S57.

[0064] In S57, the shortcut key associated with the shortcut ID detected in S53 is deleted from the shortcut information 43. Specifically, the user ID "User1" associated with the shortcut ID "Shortcut1" is deleted from the shortcut information 43. As a result, the shortcut key 94 is changed to an unregistered key. FIG. 12 shows the shortcut screen 90 after the shortcut key associated with the user ID "User1" has been deleted. In the shortcut screen 90, the shortcut key 94 corresponding to the push scan process destined for the terminal 10 has been changed to an unregistered key and is not displayed. In this embodiment, the process of S57 executed by the control program 40 is an example of an invalidation process.

[0065] In S58, a notification process is performed. The notification process is a process of notifying the user by causing the printer unit 53 of the MFP 50 to print text indicating that the shortcut key has been deleted. If the MFP 50 and the terminal 10 are capable of communicating with each other via the network 200, in the notification process of S56, the control program 40 may transmit information indicating that the shortcut key has been deleted to the terminal 10 by push notification or the like. When the process of S58 ends, the process proceeds to S48 in FIG. 10.

[0066] In S48, the history information 45 is updated. If the shortcut key is deleted in S47, the shortcut ID and user ID of the deleted shortcut key and the time of deletion are stored in the history information 45. Then, the process of FIG. 10 ends.

[0067] The present embodiment described above can provide the following advantages. When a user ID corresponding to a destination is deleted, the control program 40 of the MFP 50 determines whether or not a shortcut key associated with the user ID to be deleted has been deleted. When the control program 40 determines that the shortcut key has not been deleted, it deletes the shortcut key. This makes it possible to prevent a shortcut key that is not associated with a destination from remaining in the user IF 55 of the MFP 50, and thus makes it possible to suppress a decrease in usability of the user IF 55.

[0068] The control program 40 disables the shortcut key by deleting the shortcut key from the shortcut screen 90. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the user from operating the shortcut key by mistake, since the shortcut key that is not associated with the destination is not displayed on the user IF 55.

[0069] When it is determined that the shortcut key associated with the user ID has not been deleted, the control program 40 notifies the user as to whether or not to delete the shortcut key, and when an instruction to delete the shortcut key is received, the control program 40 deletes the shortcut key from the shortcut screen 90. This allows the shortcut key to be deleted from the shortcut screen 90 after considering the user's decision accompanying the notification.

[0070] When the control program 40 receives an instruction to disable a shortcut key during execution of a scan process associated with the operation of the shortcut key to be deleted, the control program 40 does not delete the shortcut key until the scan process ends. This makes it possible to suppress adverse effects caused by the shortcut key being deleted during the operation of the shortcut key to be deleted.

[0071] When SSL is being executed, the control program 40 does not delete shortcut keys that are not associated with destinations. This makes it possible to prevent changes to scanner settings made under unintended circumstances by the scanner administrator, etc., when changes to scanner settings via the user IF 55 are restricted.

[0072] When a shortcut key is deleted, the control program 40 notifies the user of the deletion of the shortcut key, thereby enabling the user to recognize that the shortcut key has been disabled.

[0073] When a shortcut key is registered in association with a user ID, the control program 40 displays the shortcut key on the shortcut screen 90. The control program 40 notifies the user that a shortcut key is associated with a user ID. This allows the shortcut keys to be used effectively, for example, when the number of shortcut keys that can be set is limited.

[0074] The service providing server 30 updates the management information 42 in response to an instruction from the terminal 10, and transmits the updated management information 42 to the MFP 50. The controller 56 determines whether or not the information relating to the destination has been deleted, based on the result of updating the management information stored in the memory 57. This makes it possible to apply the present invention to an MFP 50 that is capable of deleting the information relating to the destination in response to an operation of the terminal 10.

[0075] (Modification of the first embodiment) In the process of S47 in the first embodiment described above, the user ID, display name, and device ID that were once deleted may be restored. In this case, when the control program 40 receives an instruction to restore information from the user in S47, the control program 40 refers to the log information 44, and based on the referred log information 44, re-stores the user ID, display name, and device ID that were once deleted in association with the user ID.

[0076] In the disabling process of S47 in the first embodiment described above, the shortcut key is deleted from the shortcut screen 90. Alternatively, the shortcut key corresponding to the user ID of the deleted destination may be disabled by not accepting any operation while maintaining its display. In this case, the disabled shortcut key may be distinguished from the non-disabled shortcut keys by, for example, displaying it in a grayed-out state.

[0077] In the first embodiment described above, the scan settings are stored in the management information 42. Alternatively, the scan settings may not be stored in the management information 42. In this case, the controller 56 of the MFP 50 only needs to individually accept changes in the scan settings via the user IF 55 when executing a push scan. The control program 40 does not need to update the history information 45 (S19 in FIG. 4, S48 in FIG. 10) and perform the backup process (S20 in FIG. 4).

[0078] In the above-described first embodiment, a user ID is stored in the management information 42. Alternatively, a push notification ID may be stored in place of the user ID in the management information 42. Even in this case, the control program 40 associates each piece of information stored in the management information 42 with a destination by using a user ID stored in the memory 57 separately from the management information 42.

[0079] Second embodiment In the second embodiment, the configuration different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0080] In the first embodiment, the disabling process is performed by deleting the shortcut key from the shortcut screen 90. Instead, in the present embodiment, the shortcut key is disabled by displaying the shortcut key in a grayed-out state on the shortcut screen 90.

[0081] Fig. 13 shows the shortcut screen 90 according to this embodiment. The shortcut key 194 is a key that was disabled in S47 of Fig. 10. In this embodiment, the shortcut key 194 is displayed in a grayed-out state, unlike the other shortcut keys. That is, unlike the first embodiment, the shortcut key is not immediately deleted from the shortcut screen 90 in this embodiment.

[0082] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process executed by the control program 40 when the disabled shortcut key shown in Fig. 13 is operated. In S60, it is determined whether the operated key is a shortcut key displayed in gray out. If the operated key is in the normal display form, a negative judgment is made in S60, and the process shown in Fig. 14 is terminated. In this case, the control program 40 executes processes corresponding to the operated key in parallel.

[0083] If an affirmative decision is made in S60, then in S61 a notification screen is displayed to notify the user whether or not to delete the shortcut key. In S62, it is determined whether or not a deletion instruction has been received on the notification screen. If an icon operation to instruct the user to continue displaying the shortcut icon has been received on the notification screen, then a negative decision is made in S62, and the processing in FIG. 14 is terminated. In this case, the shortcut key 194 is maintained displayed on the shortcut screen 90 in a grayed-out state. On the other hand, if an icon operation to instruct the user to not display the shortcut icon has been received on the notification screen, then an affirmative decision is made in S62, and the processing proceeds to S63.

[0084] In S63, it is determined whether or not the process corresponding to the operation of the designated shortcut key is continuing. If the result of S63 is positive, the process waits until the process ends. On the other hand, if the process corresponding to the designated shortcut key has ended, the result of S63 is positive, and the process proceeds to S64.

[0085] In S64, the grayed-out shortcut key is deleted from the shortcut screen 90. In this case, the shortcut key is changed to an unregistered key, and is deleted from the shortcut screen 90. When the process of S64 ends, the process of FIG. 14 ends.

[0086] In the embodiment described above, after the shortcut key is displayed in a grayed-out state, a deletion instruction from the user is received, thereby making it possible to prevent the shortcut key from being inadvertently deleted from the shortcut screen 90.

[0087] (Other embodiments) The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible. In each of the above-described embodiments, the invalidation process is performed on the shortcut key after the information on the destination is deleted. Alternatively, the invalidation process may be performed on the shortcut key before the information on the destination is released. In this case, in FIG. 10, when the control program receives the updated management information 42, it executes the invalidation process of S47 before the process of S46. Then, the process of S46 may be executed.

[0088] In the above-described embodiments, the push scan process executed by the MFP 50 has been described as an example. Alternatively, when the MFP 50 performs a process of transmitting scan data to a specified email address, the shortcut key may be disabled depending on whether or not the email address as destination information has been deleted. In this case, when an email address is deleted in S46 of FIG. 10, the control program 40 may disable the shortcut key associated with the deleted email address in S47. Also, when the MFP 50 performs a process of transmitting scan data to a specified FTP server, the shortcut key may be disabled depending on whether or not the address of the specified FTP server has been deleted.

[0089] In the above-described embodiments, the user ID has been described as an example of the destination information. Alternatively, the serial number of the device, the program ID for identifying the application 21, or even the push notification ID may be used as the destination information. In this case, in S16 of FIG. 4, the control program 40 may store at least one of the serial number, the program ID, and the push notification ID included in the information on the destination transmitted from the server in the management information 42.

[0090] In the above-described embodiments, the shortcut key is an icon displayed on the shortcut screen 90. Alternatively, the shortcut key may be the operation key 59, which is a physical key of the user IF 55. In this case, the control program 40 may disable the shortcut key in S47 by not accepting a signal even if the shortcut key is operated.

[0091] The MFP 50 has been described as a scanner only as an example, and the scanner may be a device that only has a scanning operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 40: control program, 50: MFP, 55: user IF, 56: controller, 57: memory

Claims

1. 1. A scanner comprising a memory, a controller, a user interface, and a communication interface, The controller: a destination storage process for storing destination information corresponding to the destination of the scan data in the memory; an associating process for associating the destination information stored in the memory with a shortcut key of the user interface; a scan process for executing a process for transmitting created scan data to a destination corresponding to the destination information associated with the shortcut key when the shortcut key is operated; a receiving process for receiving updated destination information from a server via the communication interface; a comparison process for comparing the updated destination information received in the reception process with the destination information stored in the memory; a determination process for determining whether or not the shortcut key associated with the deleted destination information has been disabled when the destination information stored in the memory has been deleted from the updated destination information received in the receiving process as a result of the comparison process; a disabling process of disabling the shortcut key when it is determined that the shortcut key is not disabled by the determination process; Scanner to run.

2. The user interface has a display unit, the shortcut key is an icon displayed on the display unit, The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the disabling process disables the shortcut key by deleting the shortcut key from the display unit.

3. In the invalidation process, when it is determined that the shortcut key associated with the destination information is not disabled, notifying whether or not to disable the shortcut key; 3. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the shortcut key is disabled when an instruction to disable the shortcut key is received.

4. 4. The scanner according to claim 3, wherein, in the disabling process, when an instruction operation to disable the shortcut key is received during execution of the scanning process in response to operation of the shortcut key to be disabled, the shortcut key is not disabled until the scanning process is completed.

5. the controller executes a restriction process for restricting changes to settings of the scanner in response to an instruction received via the user interface; A scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, in the disabling process, if it is determined that the shortcut key associated with the destination information has not been disabled and the restriction process is being executed, the shortcut key is not disabled.

6. 6. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the controller notifies the user of the disabling of the shortcut key when the shortcut key is disabled by the disabling process.

7. 7. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the controller stores in the memory an association between the destination information and the shortcut key as backup information.

8. The controller: When new destination information is associated with the disabled shortcut key, the disabled shortcut key associated with the new destination information is released; 8. The scanner according to claim 1, further comprising a notification that the new destination information is associated with the shortcut key from which the invalidation has been released.

9. The scanner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the controller stores in the memory as history at least one of a case where the destination information is associated with the shortcut key and a case where the shortcut key is disabled.

10. The server is capable of storing the destination information, and in response to an instruction from a terminal, updates the destination information and transmits the updated destination information to the scanner; 10. The scanner according to claim 1, wherein in the destination storage process, the updated destination information transmitted from the server is stored in the memory.

11. a control program readable by a controller of a scanner having a memory, a user interface, and a communications interface, the control program comprising: The controller, a destination storage process for storing destination information corresponding to the destination of the scan data in the memory; an associating process for associating the destination information stored in the memory with a shortcut key of the user interface; a scan process for executing a process for transmitting created scan data to a destination indicated by the destination information associated with the shortcut key when the shortcut key is operated; a receiving process for receiving updated destination information from a server via the communication interface; a comparison process for comparing the updated destination information received in the reception process with the destination information stored in the memory; a determination process for determining whether or not the shortcut key associated with the deleted destination information has been disabled when the destination information stored in the memory has been deleted from the updated destination information received in the receiving process as a result of the comparison process; a disabling process of disabling the shortcut key when it is determined that the shortcut key has not been disabled by the determination process; A control program that executes the above.

Images