Terminal device, device and program

Abstract

To enhance usability for setting a device.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer of an information processing device which is communicative with an external device to function as each of the following means: receiving means for receiving first information, transmitted from the external device, regarding setting items of the external device; acquisition means for acquiring second information regarding the setting of the information processing device; and transmission means for causing the external device to transmit third information being based on first information and second information and regarding setting items of the external device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal device, a device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In a device that executes a predetermined process, such as a scanner or a printer, the user who purchases the device must perform the initial setup, including installing ink and setting up the network. In order to perform many settings in such an initial setup without excess or deficiency, devices equipped with a function to support the initial setup using other information processing devices such as a PC or a smartphone are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a printer and a PC are connected during setup, and whether or not settings have been completed for each setting item can be confirmed from a list displayed on the PC. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-201481 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above conventional technology, although the user can check in a list whether the setting of each setting item has been completed, the setting itself must be done manually by the user. Therefore, various settings of the device, including the initial setup, are time-consuming for the user, which may lead to a decrease in usability.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for improving usability in device configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, A computer of an information processing device capable of communicating with an external device, A receiving means for receiving first information related to a setting item of the external device transmitted from the external device; An acquisition means for acquiring second information regarding a setting of the information processing device; a transmission means for causing the external device to transmit, to the external device, third information relating to a setting item of the external device based on the first information and the second information; a determination means for determining whether or not the third information is to be transmitted by the transmission means; a display control means for causing a display unit to display information related to the setting items of the external device when the determination means determines not to transmit the third information; Functioning as a means to 、 the transmitting means transmits the third information to the external device when the determining means determines that the third information is to be transmitted. The program is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve usability in setting up an apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed by each device in a connection setup process using Wi-Fi. [Diagram 3] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a CPU of the terminal device. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing specific examples of setting steps in the setup when the recording apparatus is started for the first time after delivery. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a terminal device. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a CPU of the terminal device. [Figure 7] 1A is a diagram showing the contents of information included in the setup state information; FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the contents of information included in the guidance content; [Figure 8] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a CPU of the terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment <System configuration> 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system SY according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system SY includes a terminal device 101 and a recording device 151.

[0011] The terminal device 101 is an information processing device capable of communicating with a recording device 151 as an external device. In this embodiment, a smartphone is exemplified as the terminal device 101, but the terminal device 101 is not limited to this and may be various devices such as a mobile terminal, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital camera, etc.

[0012] The recording device 151 is a device capable of communicating with the terminal device 101 as an external device. In this embodiment, the recording device 151 is exemplified as a device capable of communicating with an external device, but various devices can be adopted. For example, the device capable of communicating with the external device may be an inkjet printer, a full-color laser beam printer, or a monochrome printer, etc., if it is a printer. The device capable of communicating with the external device may be not only a printer but also a copier, a facsimile machine, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a PDA, a digital camera, a music playback device, a television, a smart speaker, etc. The device capable of communicating with the external device may also be a multifunction device having multiple functions such as a copying function, a FAX function, and a printing function. In other words, the device capable of communicating with the external device may be a device that can communicate with the external device and can execute a predetermined process. Below, the configurations of the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 will be specifically described, but the functions are not limited to those shown in the figure.

[0013] <Terminal Device 101> The terminal device 101 includes a CPU 102 , a ROM 103 , a RAM 104 , an external storage device 105 , an input interface 106 , an output interface 107 , a display unit 108 , a communication unit 109 , a short-range communication unit 110 , and an image capturing device 111 .

[0014] The CPU 102 is a system control unit and controls the entire terminal device 101 . The ROM 103 stores fixed data such as control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 102, and embedded operating system (hereinafter, referred to as OS) programs. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 103 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 103.

[0015] The RAM 104 is composed of a static random access memory (SRAM) that requires a backup power source. Since the RAM 104 holds data using a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, it can store important data such as program control variables without volatilizing the data. The RAM 104 also has a memory area for storing setting information for the terminal device 101, management data for the terminal device 101, and the like. The RAM 104 is also used as the main memory and work memory for the CPU 102.

[0016] The external storage device 105 stores a program of an application (a setup application described later) that provides a setup function for the recording device 151. The external storage device 105 also stores various programs such as a print information generation program that generates print information that can be interpreted by the recording device 151, and an information transmission / reception control program that transmits and receives information to and from the recording device 151 connected via the communication unit 109. The external storage device 105 also stores various information used by these programs, as well as image data obtained from other information processing devices and the Internet.

[0017] The input interface 106 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from a user, and may include a physical keyboard, buttons, a touch panel, etc. Note that, like a touch panel, the output interface 107 and the display unit 108 may have the same configuration as the input interface 106, and the screen output and the reception of operations from the user may be performed by the same configuration.

[0018] The output interface 107 is an interface that controls the display unit 108 to display data and to notify the status of the terminal device 101 . The display unit 108 is composed of an LED (light emitting diode) and an LCD (liquid crystal display), and displays data and notifies the status of the terminal device 101. Note that a soft keyboard having keys such as numeric input keys, a mode setting key, a decision key, a cancel key, and a power key may be provided on the display unit 108 to accept input from the user via the display unit 108.

[0019] The communication unit 109 connects to devices such as the recording device 151 and executes data communication. For example, the communication unit 109 may directly communicate with the recording device 151 by wireless communication. Also, the communication unit 109 may communicate with the recording device 151 via an external access point (access point 131 (hereinafter, AP131)) that exists outside the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151. Here, the AP131 is a device that constructs a network and determines a communication channel to be used in communication within the constructed network. In this embodiment, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) is used as the wireless communication method of the communication unit 109, but Bluetooth Classic or the like may also be used. Also, the AP131 may be, for example, a device such as a wireless LAN router. In the following description, a method in which the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 are directly connected without the AP131 is called a direct connection method. Also, a method in which the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 are connected via the AP131 is called an infrastructure connection method.

[0020] The short-range communication unit 110 wirelessly connects to devices such as the recording device 151 at short distances to perform data communication. The short-range communication unit 110 communicates using a communication method different from that of the communication unit 109. The short-range communication unit 110 can be connected to a short-range communication unit 160 in the recording device 151. Examples of communication methods of the short-range communication unit 110 include Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth Classic, and Wi-Fi Aware.

[0021] The photographing device 111 is a device that converts an image photographed by an image sensor into digital data. The digital data is temporarily stored in the RAM 104. After that, the digital data is converted into a predetermined image format by a program executed by the CPU 102, and is stored in the external storage device 105 as image data.

[0022] <Recording Device 151> The recording device 151 includes a CPU 152 , a ROM 153 , a RAM 154 , a print engine 155 , an input interface 156 , an output interface 157 , a display unit 158 ​​, a communication unit 159 , a short-range communication unit 160 , and a function control unit 161 .

[0023] The CPU 152 is a system control unit, and controls the entire recording device 151 . ROM 153 stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and OS programs executed by CPU 152. In this embodiment, each control program stored in ROM 153 performs software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing under the management of an embedded OS stored in ROM 153. ROM 153 also has a memory area for storing data that needs to be retained even when power is not supplied, such as setting information for recording device 151 and management data for recording device 151.

[0024] The RAM 154 is composed of a DRAM or the like that requires a backup power source. Since the RAM 154 holds data by being supplied with a data backup power source (not shown), it can store important data such as program control variables without volatilizing the data. The RAM 154 is also used as the main memory and work memory of the CPU 152, and stores a receiving buffer for temporarily storing print information received from the terminal device 101, etc., and various other information.

[0025] The print engine 155 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper using a recording agent such as ink based on information stored in the RAM 154 and a print job received from the terminal device 101, etc., and outputs the print result. Note that the print job transmitted from the terminal device 101, etc., has a large amount of transmission data and requires high-speed communication. Therefore, the print engine 155 receives the print job via a communication unit 159 that can communicate at a higher speed than the short-range communication unit 160.

[0026] The input interface 156 is an interface for receiving data input and operation instructions from the user, and is composed of a physical keyboard, buttons, a touch panel, etc. Note that the output interface 157 described below and the input interface 156 may be configured in the same manner, so that the screen output and the reception of operations from the user are performed by the same configuration.

[0027] The output interface 157 is an interface that controls the display unit 158 ​​to display data and to notify the status of the recording device 151 . Display unit 158 ​​is composed of an LED (light emitting diode), an LCD (liquid crystal display), etc., and displays data and notifies the status of recording device 151. Note that a soft keyboard equipped with keys such as numeric input keys, a mode setting key, a decision key, a cancel key, and a power key may be provided on display unit 158 ​​to accept input from the user via display unit 158.

[0028] The communication unit 159 connects to devices such as the terminal device 101 and executes data communication. In this embodiment, assume that Wi-Fi is used as the wireless communication method of the communication unit 159, but Bluetooth Classic or the like may also be used. Note that the communication unit 159 has an AP159a (hereinafter referred to as AP159a) for connecting to devices such as the terminal device 101 as an access point inside the recording device 151. AP159a can be connected to the communication unit 109 of the terminal device 101. Note that the communication unit 159 may communicate directly with the terminal device 101 via AP159a, or may communicate with the terminal device 101 via an external AP131. Also, AP159a may be hardware that functions as an access point, or the communication unit 159 may operate as AP159a by software for functioning as an access point. Hereinafter, it will be described assuming that the communication unit 159 operates as AP159a by software for functioning as an access point. Also, the AP159a inside the recording device 151 may be composed of a plurality of access points with different SSIDs and passwords. In this embodiment, assume that the AP159a inside the recording device 151 includes at least the connection setting AP159b described later.

[0029] The short-distance communication unit 160 wirelessly connects to devices such as the terminal device 101 at a short distance and executes data communication. The short-distance communication unit 160 communicates by a communication method different from that of the communication unit 159. The short-distance communication unit 160 can be connected to the short-distance communication unit 110 of the terminal device 101. Examples of the communication method of the short-distance communication unit 160 include Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth Classic, and Wi-Fi Aware.

[0030] The function control unit 161 manages the functional operation of whether or not the functions of the recording device 151 operate simultaneously.

[0031] <Wi-Fi Communication (P2P (Peer to Peer) Mode)> In this embodiment, the recording device 151 can operate in P2P mode (software AP mode or Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) mode) to establish a P2P connection (hereinafter, P2P connection) in Wi-Fi communication. A P2P connection is a connection method in which devices directly connect to each other wirelessly without going through an external device such as the AP 131. When operating in P2P mode, the recording device 151 operates as a parent device in the network to which the recording device 151 belongs. The P2P mode includes the WFD mode and software AP mode described below.

[0032] WFD is a standard established by the Wi-Fi Alliance. WFD enables the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151, which are WFD-compatible devices, to connect wirelessly directly to each other without going through another access point. A device that is WFD-compatible and plays the role of an access point (parent station) is particularly called a Group Owner. A mode in which P2P connection is performed by WFD is called a WFD mode.

[0033] The recording device 151 also has a software access point (soft AP) function for the communication unit 159 to operate as AP 159a. The recording device 151 activates (starts) the soft AP in the recording device 151, and the terminal device 101 connects to the soft AP by normal Wi-Fi instead of WFD. This allows the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 to wirelessly connect to each other directly without going through another access point. A mode in which the communication unit 159 of the recording device 151 executes a P2P connection by enabling and operating the soft AP in the recording device 151 is called a software AP mode. Note that when the software AP mode is stopped, the recording device 151 disables the soft AP in the recording device 151, and is placed in a state in which a P2P connection with another device using the soft AP cannot be established.

[0034] In the P2P mode, since the recording device 151 operates as a master device, the recording device 151 can determine which communication channel to use for communication in the P2P mode. For example, when the recording device 151 operates in parallel in the infrastructure mode and the P2P mode, the recording device 151 controls to also use the communication channel used for communication in the infrastructure mode for communication in the P2P mode. Also, for example, as the channel used for communication in the P2P mode, the recording device 151 may preferentially select the communication channel used for connection to the AP 131 over other channels. Further, the connection information (such as SSID and password) for another device to connect to the recording device 151 in the P2P mode may be arbitrarily changed by a user operation or the like via the input interface 106 of the recording device 151.

[0035] <Wi-Fi Communication (Infrastructure Mode)> In the present embodiment, the recording device 151 is operable in the infrastructure mode in order to establish an infrastructure - type connection (hereinafter referred to as an infrastructure connection) in Wi-Fi communication. Here, the infrastructure connection is a connection method in which an external device that manages a network such as the AP 131 operates as a master device, and devices are wirelessly connected via the master device. The recording device 151 operating in the infrastructure mode operates as a slave device within the network to which the recording device 151 belongs.

[0036] In the infrastructure mode, the recording device 151 and the terminal device 101 are connected via the AP 131. Therefore, communication via the AP 131 becomes possible between the recording device 151 and the terminal device 101. Note that the channel used for communication in the infrastructure mode here may be a frequency band other than 2.4 GHz (such as the 5.0 GHz band).

[0037] In order for the terminal device 101 to communicate with the recording device 151 via the AP 131, the terminal device 101 needs to recognize that the recording device 151 belongs to the network formed by the AP 131 and to which the terminal device 101 belongs. Specifically, the terminal device 101 transmits a search signal via the AP 131 to the network to which the terminal device 101 belongs, and confirms communication with the recording device 151.

[0038] In this embodiment, the infrastructure-connected state is simply a state in which the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 are connected to the same AP 131. In other words, in this embodiment, even if the terminal device 101 or the recording device 151 does not recognize that the other device belongs to the network to which it belongs, the infrastructure-connected state is considered to be established if the terminal device 101 or the recording device 151 is connected to the same AP 131.

[0039] <Connection setting mode> In this embodiment, a P2P connection for connection setting between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 is used for transmitting and receiving information in the connection setting process between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151. Hereinafter, the mode in which the recording device 151 performs a P2P connection for connection setting may be referred to as a connection setting mode. Specifically, a P2P connection for connection setting is used for transmitting an infrastructure setting command or a P2P setting command and transmitting and receiving various information for establishing a P2P connection. In addition, in this embodiment, a connection by Wi-Fi (a connection by the communication unit 109 and the communication unit 159) is used as the P2P connection for connection setting. However, a connection by BLE (a connection by the short-range communication unit 110 and the short-range communication unit 160) may be used as the P2P connection for connection setting. In addition, a communication method other than Wi-Fi or BLE, such as Classic Bluetooth, may be used as the P2P connection for connection setting.

[0040] As described above, recording device 151 can operate in the connection setting mode. A trigger for recording device 151 to start operating in the connection setting mode may be, for example, a user pressing a connection setting mode button, or recording device 151 being started up (powered ON) for the first time after arriving at the user's location. The connection setting mode button may be a hard button provided in recording device 151, or may be a soft button displayed on display unit 158 ​​by recording device 151.

[0041] When the recording device 151 starts operating in the connection setting mode, it enables both Wi-Fi communication and BLE communication. Specifically, the recording device 151 enables the connection setting AP 159b inside the recording device 151, which is dedicated to the connection setting mode, as an enabling process for Wi-Fi communication. This enables the recording device 151 to establish a P2P connection with the terminal device 101 by Wi-Fi. Here, it is assumed that the terminal device 101 holds connection information (SSID and password) for connecting to the connection setting AP 159b in a setup application installed in the terminal device 101 in advance, and recognizes this connection information in advance. Therefore, unlike the connection information of other APs enabled in the P2P mode, it is assumed that the connection information for connecting to the connection setting AP 159b cannot be arbitrarily changed by the user. Note that in the connection setting mode, the recording device 151 may connect to the terminal device 101 by Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) instead of normal Wi-Fi. That is, the recording device 151 may act as a group owner and receive a setting command from the terminal device 101 through WFD communication.

[0042] Also, as an activation process for BLE communication, the recording device 151 starts transmitting advertisement information. As a result, the recording device 151 becomes capable of establishing a connection with the terminal device 101 via BLE. In this embodiment, the recording device 151 is in a state where it can receive a pairing request via BLE for a predetermined period after BLE communication is activated. Then, when the recording device 151 receives a pairing request via BLE during the predetermined period, it performs pairing with the device that is the source of the pairing request and establishes a BLE connection. If the recording device 151 does not receive a pairing request via BLE during the predetermined period, it may disable BLE communication.

[0043] When the recording device 151 enables both Wi-Fi communication and BLE communication in the connection setting mode, it receives a setting command via those communications and executes processing according to the received setting command.

[0044] After an infrastructure connection or a P2P connection via Wi-Fi is established between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 by the connection setting process, communication becomes possible between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 via the established connection. For example, the terminal device 101 can transmit a print job for causing the recording device 151 to execute printing or a scan job for causing the recording device 151 to execute scanning to the recording device 151 via the established connection.

[0045] <Regarding the connection setting process and registration process using Wi-Fi> FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the processing executed by each device in the connection setting process using Wi-Fi. The processing shown in the sequence diagram of FIG. 2 is realized, for example, by the CPU of each device reading a program stored in the memory of each device into the RAM of each device and executing it. In the following description, each step is simply denoted as S201 or the like.

[0046] In S201, the terminal device 101 connects to the AP 131 via Wi-Fi. In S202, the recording device 151 starts operating in the connection setting mode. When the recording device 151 starts operating in the connection setting mode, it activates the connection setting AP 159b inside the recording device 151, which is dedicated to the connection setting mode. This puts the recording device 151 in a state in which it can establish a P2P connection with the terminal device 101 via Wi-Fi. In this embodiment, when the recording device 151 further starts operating in the connection setting mode, it activates the BLE function and starts transmitting advertising information. This puts the recording device 151 in a state in which it can establish a connection with the terminal device 101 via BLE.

[0047] In S203, the terminal device 101 receives an instruction to execute a connection setting process from the user via the screen of the setup application displayed on the display unit .

[0048] In S204, the terminal device 101 stores in memory information about the AP (AP 131) to which the terminal device 101 is connected when the terminal device 101 receives an instruction to execute the connection setting process. The information about the AP 131 is, for example, connection information (SSID and password) for connecting to the AP 131, or information about the frequency and channel used for connecting to the AP 131.

[0049] In S205, the terminal device 101 disconnects the Wi-Fi connection with the AP 131. In S206, the terminal device 101 uses connection information for connecting to the connection setting AP 159b that is recognized in advance to establish a connection via Wi-Fi with the connection setting AP 159b inside the recording device 151. As a result, the terminal device 101 temporarily establishes a P2P connection via Wi-Fi with the recording device 151.

[0050] In S207, the terminal device 101 communicates with the recording device 151, acquires identification information for identifying the recording device 151, and stores the acquired information in memory. The identification information for identifying the recording device 151 may be, for example, a serial number, a Media Access Control address (MAC address), or a Bonjour name.

[0051] In S208, the terminal device 101 transmits a connection setting process start command to the recording device 151 via a Wi-Fi connection. Note that after the connection setting process start command is transmitted, an AP list, which will be described later, is received, and therefore the connection setting process start command may be regarded as a request command for the AP list. In S209, the recording device 151 searches for access points to which the recording device 151 can connect via Wi-Fi. The recording device 151 then transmits the search result, a list of access points to which the recording device 151 can connect via Wi-Fi (AP list), to the terminal device 101 via a Wi-Fi connection. That is, the terminal device 101 obtains the AP list from the recording device 151 via a Wi-Fi connection. The timing of the access point search is not limited to this timing, and may be, for example, immediately after starting operation in the connection setting mode.

[0052] In S210, the terminal device 101 transmits an infrastructure setting command to the recording device 151 via a Wi-Fi connection. The infrastructure setting command includes connection information for connecting to an access point to be connected to the recording device 151. For example, if the AP list includes the AP 131 stored in the memory in S204, the access point to be connected to the recording device 151 is the AP 131 stored in the memory in S204. Also, for example, if the AP list does not include the AP 131 stored in the memory in S204, the access point to be connected to the recording device 151 is an access point selected by the user from the AP list. Here, a case will be described in which the access point to be connected to the recording device 151 is the AP 131 stored in the memory in S204. At this time, the terminal device 101 may accept input of additional connection information (such as a password) for connecting to the AP 131 from the user, and transmit the additional connection information to the recording device 151 as an infrastructure setting command.

[0053] In S211, the terminal device 101 disconnects the P2P connection with the recording device 151 via Wi-Fi. In S212, the recording device 151 connects to the AP 131 via Wi-Fi based on the infrastructure setting command, using the connection information for connecting to the AP 131 received in S210. As a result, an infrastructure connection is established between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 via the AP 131.

[0054] In S213, the terminal device 101 reconnects to the AP 131 via Wi-Fi using the connection information for connecting to the AP 131 stored in the memory in S204. In S214, the terminal device 101 detects the recording device 151 on the network formed by the AP 131, using the identification information for identifying the recording device 151 that was stored in the memory in S207.

[0055] In S215, the terminal device 101 acquires detailed information about the recording device 151 from the recording device 151 via a network configured by the AP 131. The detailed information about the recording device 151 is information for using the functions of the recording device 151 on the terminal device 101. For example, the detailed information about the recording device 151 includes items that can be set when executing printing (media size, media type, color / monochrome setting, borderless setting, double-sided printing setting, etc.), or information about the presence or absence of a scan function.

[0056] In S216, the terminal device 101 saves the detailed information about the recording device 151 acquired in S215. At this time, it is preferable that the detailed information about the recording device 151 is saved in a non-volatile area such as the ROM 103.

[0057] Through the above sequence, an infrastructure connection is established between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 via the AP 131.

[0058] <Processing after connection> 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the CPU 102 of the terminal device 101. This flowchart is realized by the CPU 102 reading a program of a setup application installed in the terminal device 101 into the RAM 104 and executing it. For example, this flowchart is executed after an infrastructure connection is established between the terminal device 101 and the recording device 151 via the AP 131.

[0059] In S301, the setup application checks the setup state of the recording device 151. In this embodiment, the setup application receives setup state information from the recording device 151 via the communication unit 109. The setup state information may be, for example, a character string in an XML format. Also, for example, the setup state information may be in an HTML format or a json format. The setup application obtains necessary information by parsing the setup state information in accordance with the format. FIG. 7(a) is a diagram showing the contents of information included in the setup state information.

[0060] In this embodiment, the setup status information includes completion determination information as to whether or not the setup of the recording device 151 has been completed. Here, the completion determination information may include information as to whether the settings from when the recording device 151 is started up for the first time after the recording device 151 arrives at the user's place until the recording device 151 is ready for use have been completed.

[0061] More specifically, the information included in the completion determination information is:<printer_setup> If the information included in the completion determination information is described as a parameter of an XML tag such as<printer_setup / > In the case where the tag is an empty element tag as shown in the figure, it may be determined that the setup is complete. The completion determination information is not limited to this, and it may be determined that the setup is complete or incomplete based on, for example, a parameter character string of a specific XML tag.

[0062] The setup state information also includes setting step information indicating which setting step in the setup the recording device 151 is in. The setting step information is an XML tag that includes XML tag information included in the setting step information, which will be described later.

[0063] The setting step information includes a unique setting step ID assigned to each setting step described as a parameter of an XML tag. The setting step ID may be a number or a character string such as "cover_copen" for the step "open the cover."

[0064] The setting step information also includes a list of configurable items in the setting step, such as a list of language codes defined by ISO639 when setting a language, or a list of country codes defined by ISO3166 when setting country information.

[0065] Furthermore, the setting step information includes automatic transmission permission information for determining whether the setting step allows automatic transmission by the setup application. The automatic transmission permission information may be, for example,<auto_reply> A specific string is used as the condition for the parameter of an XML tag like this: if True is entered, automatic sending is possible, and if False is entered, automatic sending is not possible.

[0066] The setup application may receive only the completion determination information as the setup state information in S301. Then, the setup application may receive the completion determination information and the setting step information as the setup state information in S304 described later.

[0067] In S302, the setup application ends the flowchart if the setup of the recording device 151 is complete based on the completion determination information acquired in S301, and proceeds to S303 if the setup of the recording device 151 is not complete.

[0068] In S303, the setup application acquires guidance content. The guidance content is content for displaying guidance for setting up the recording device 151 to the user via the display unit 108. For example, the setup application acquires the guidance content stored in an external server via a network such as the Internet. In another example, the setup application acquires the guidance content stored in the recording device 151 by communication via the AP 131. In another example, the setup application acquires the guidance content stored in the setup application as a bundle.

[0069] 7(b) is a diagram showing the information included in the guidance content. In this embodiment, the guidance content includes a group of image files and a group of display text list files to be displayed on the display unit 108 in each setting step, and a guidance screen information file of the image files and display text. The group of image files is a still image or video file, and examples of the format include PNG, JPEG, and GIF.

[0070] The phrase list file group is a list of pairs of a phrase ID and a phrase localized in association with the phrase ID, organized by language. The file format is assumed to be XML, but is not limited to this. Each file includes a language code defined by ISO639, for example, in its file name, and the setup application compares the language code of the language set in the terminal device 101 with the file name of the phrase list to determine the file to be used. If the language set in the terminal device 101 does not exist in the phrase list file group, it is substituted with a language set as a default in the setup application, such as English.

[0071] The guide screen information file is an XML file that describes guide screen information for image files and display text. The guide screen information includes multiple setting step tags in which the setting step ID of the setting step information is specified as an attribute. Within the setting step tag, the image file name and text ID are set as parameters in the specified XML tag according to the screen format predetermined by the setup application. For example, <title> For tags, you can specify the screen title text ID,< / title> <content>The tag may specify the file name of the image file to be displayed in the center of the screen. The automatic transmission permission information for determining whether automatic transmission by the setup application, which can be obtained from the recording device 151, is possible may be included in this setting step tag. In that case,<auto_reply / > It may be determined that automatic transmission is possible by including an automatic transmission possible tag such as the above.

[0072] S304 and S305 correspond to the same processes as S301 and S302, respectively. In S304, if it is confirmed in S301 and S302 that the setup of the recording device 151 is not complete, the setup application again requests setup status information from the recording device 151 and receives that information. If the setup of the recording device 151 is not complete in S305, the process proceeds to S306.

[0073] In S306, the setup application determines whether the recording device 151 is in a setting step that is subject to automatic transmission. If the setup application is in a step that is subject to automatic transmission, the process proceeds to S307, otherwise the process proceeds to S310. Specifically, if True is entered in the parameter of the XML tag of the automatic transmission availability information acquired in S304, the setup application proceeds to S307, and if False is entered, the process proceeds to S310.

[0074] In addition, in the case where the automatic transmission availability information is not acquired in S304 but is included in a guidance information file that can be acquired from an external server, the setup application makes the determination as follows. That is, the setup application searches the guidance information file for the setting step ID acquired in S304, and checks whether an automatic transmission possible tag is included in a setting step in which the same setting step ID is set as an attribute. Then, if an automatic transmission possible tag is included, the setup application determines that the setting step is the target for automatic transmission.

[0075] In S307, the setup application executes an automatic transmission determination process. The setup application compares the list of configurable items of the recording device 151 in the setting step acquired in S304 with the settings of the terminal device 101, and determines whether automatic transmission can be executed.

[0076] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a specific example of the process of S307. In S3071, the setup application acquires information related to the settings of the terminal device 101. The language set in the terminal device 101 is recognized by the setup application acquiring the language code of the currently set language from the OS. The information acquired by the setup application from the OS is not limited to the language code, but may include a country code, etc.

[0077] In S3072, the setup application compares the information acquired in S3071 with information on the setting items of the recording device 151, and determines whether or not to automatically transmit the setting information of the terminal device 101 to the recording device 151. For example, when setting the language of the recording device 151, the setup application acquires a list of languages ​​that can be set by the recording device 151 as a settable item list included in the setting step information in S304. If the language set by the terminal device 101 is present in the list of languages ​​that can be set by the recording device 151, the setup application determines that the language set by the terminal device 101 can be automatically transmitted to the recording device 151. In other words, the setup application determines that the setting of the recording device 151 can be performed using the setting information of the terminal device 101, and determines to transmit information on the setting items of the recording device 151 based on the setting information of the terminal device 101 to the recording device 151. On the other hand, if the language set by the terminal device 101 is not present in the list of languages ​​that can be set by the recording device 151, the setup application determines that automatic transmission is not possible.

[0078] Furthermore, if a priority order of languages ​​is set, the setup application may compare the language with a list of languages ​​that can be set by the recording device 151 according to the priority order, not limited to the language set by the terminal device 101. Alternatively, the setup application may determine the language used by the user from the location information of the terminal device 101.

[0079] In S308, if the setup application determines in the process of S307 that automatic transmission is possible, the process proceeds to S309, and if the setup application determines that automatic transmission is not possible, the process proceeds to S310.

[0080] In S309, the setup application transmits automatically transmittable terminal setting information to the recording device 151, and proceeds to S304 again. For example, if the terminal device 101 is set to "Japanese", the automatically transmittable terminal setting information is the language code for "Japanese".

[0081] In S310, the setup application creates a setup guide screen from the guide content acquired in S303 and the setting step information acquired in S304, displays it to the user via display unit 108, and then proceeds to S304 again. That is, the setup application executes display control for causing display unit 108 to display information related to setting items of recording device 151. Here, the setup guide screen displayed on display unit 108 may be configured to allow the user to input settings by operating display unit 108, or may display only operation guidance when physical setting of recording device 151 is required.

[0082] The setup application may hold the setup state information acquired in S304 and compare the previous setup state information acquired in S304 with the newly acquired setup state information by returning to S304 from S309 or S310. If there is no change in this information, the setup application may skip the process of S305 and execute S304 again after a certain period of time.

[0083] The steps S304 to S310 are repeated until it is determined in S305 that the setup is complete.

[0084] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining each setting step in the setup when the recording device 151 is started for the first time after arrival. For example, when the recording device 151 is started for the first time after arrival, it operates in a setting mode for performing initial setup. The setup application detects the current setting step of the recording device 151 by communicating with the recording device 151 at regular intervals, and executes the process shown in FIG. 3 for that. In each setting step, the process proceeds to the next step depending on the completion of the process to be executed in the step. Therefore, if the user has already performed the setting and there is no need to perform the setting again, it is skipped.

[0085] 4, the completion determination information includes information that determines that the setup is not complete. Also, in S401 and S402, the automatic transmission permission information includes information that determines that automatic transmission is possible. On the other hand, in steps S403 and after, the automatic transmission permission information includes information that determines that automatic transmission is not possible.

[0086] S401 is a step of setting a language in the recording device 151. If the language set in the terminal device 101 is present in the list of languages ​​that can be set in the recording device 151, automatic transmission of information related to the language setting is executed based on the flowchart of Fig. 3 (S308: Yes -> S309). On the other hand, if the language set in the terminal device 101 is not present in the list of languages ​​that can be set in the recording device 151, the list of languages ​​is displayed on the display unit 108 (S308: No -> S310).

[0087] S402 is a step for setting a country / region in the recording device 151. If the country / region set in the terminal device 101 is present in the list of countries / regions that can be set in the recording device 151, automatic transmission is executed based on the flowchart of Fig. 3 (S308: Yes -> S309). On the other hand, if the country / region set in the terminal device 101 is not present in the list of countries / regions that can be set in the recording device 151, the list of countries / regions is displayed on the display unit 108 (S308: No -> S310).

[0088] S403 is a step for removing the packaging material of the recording device 151. Since this step is not a target step for automatic transmission, the terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 a method for removing the packaging material when the head that stores the ink tanks of the recording device 151 is fixed by the packaging material (S306: No → S310). Note that in the subsequent steps as well, the terminal device 101 causes the display unit 108 to display necessary information in S306 and S310 of FIG. 3.

[0089] In step S404, the terminal device 101 waits for the cover of the recording device 151 to be opened. The terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 how to open the cover of the recording device 151 in order to install an ink tank.

[0090] In step S405, an ink tank is attached to the recording device 151. The terminal device 101 displays, on the display unit 108, a method for attaching an ink tank to the recording device 151.

[0091] In step S406, the terminal device 101 waits for the cover of the recording device 151 to be closed. After the ink tanks have been installed in the recording device 151, the terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 how to close the cover.

[0092] S407 is a step for selecting whether or not to execute processing for adjusting the position of the head of the recording device 151. The terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 a screen for prompting the user to select whether or not to execute processing for adjusting the position of the head in order to improve the print quality of the recording device 151.

[0093] S408 is a conditional branch regarding head position adjustment. If it is selected in S407 to execute the process of adjusting the head position, the recording apparatus 151 proceeds to S409, and if not, ends the flow chart.

[0094] In S409, the terminal device 101 waits for the paper cassette to be removed from the recording device 151. The terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 how to remove the paper cassette from the recording device 151.

[0095] S410 is a step for waiting for paper to be set in the paper cassette of the recording device 151. The terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 a method for setting paper in the paper cassette.

[0096] S411 is a step for confirming the automatic update setting of the recording device 151. The terminal device 101 displays on the display unit 108 a screen for prompting the user to select whether to set the firmware of the recording device 151 to be automatically acquired from the server and updated.

[0097] Based on the completion of the above steps, the recording device 151 updates the completion determination information to information indicating that the setup is complete.

[0098] 4 includes a step for displaying on the display unit 108 a screen explaining the setting items to be set by the user in this embodiment, but the display contents are not limited thereto. For example, in S406 and S407, a screen may be displayed indicating that confirmation processing after ink installation is being performed. Also, for example, between S409 and S410, a screen may be displayed indicating that head position adjustment processing is being performed. In this way, a screen may be displayed that indicates to the user that the recording device 151 is performing some processing.

[0099] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of the terminal device 101. Specifically, in S310 of Fig. 3, the actual setup guide screen displayed on the display unit 108 based on the guide content acquired in S303 by the setup application and the setting step information acquired in S304 is shown. While each setting step S401 to S411 of the flowchart of Fig. 4 is being executed on the recording device 151 side, a series of processes from S304 to S310 of Fig. 3 is being repeatedly executed on the terminal device 101 side. Therefore, if the setting step on the recording device 151 side has changed in S310, the setup application displays a setup guide screen of the corresponding setting step. Fig. 5 shows an example of the setup guide screen of the setting steps in S401, S404, S405, and S407.

[0100] Screen 500a is displayed in S401 when the language is not present in the list of languages ​​that can be set in recording device 151. Screen 500b is displayed in S404. Screen 500c is displayed in S405. Screen 500d is displayed in S407. By displaying such screens on display unit 108, it is possible to prompt the user to perform operations for various settings.

[0101] As described above, according to this embodiment, since the setting information on the terminal device 101 side can be used to set up the recording device 151, it is possible to easily set up the recording device 151. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability in setting up the device.

[0102] Furthermore, for setting items for which the setting information on the terminal device 101 side cannot be used, a description screen can be displayed on the display unit 108 of the terminal device 101 to prompt the user to perform the setting operation.

[0103] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, the recording device 151 is set up in each setting step, but this is not limiting. For example, a configuration in which setting steps that can be automatically transmitted are executed together may also be adopted.

[0104] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the CPU 102 of the terminal device 101. Specifically, Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the CPU 102 when the setting steps of the recording device 151 capable of automatic transmission are executed all at once. Note that a description of the same processing as in the flowchart of Fig. 3 will be omitted.

[0105] S602 to S605 and S610 are similar processes to S302 to S305 and S310, respectively.

[0106] S601 and S606 to S609 are similar processes to S301 and S306 to S309, respectively, with the difference being that S306 to S309 are executed for only one setting item, whereas S606 to S609 can be applied to multiple setting items.

[0107] For example, in each setting step as shown in FIG. 4, there are two steps, S401 and S402, for which automatic transmission is possible, and therefore the processing will be as follows.

[0108] In S601, the setup application obtains a list of setting step information that can be automatically transmitted in addition to the information that can be obtained in S301.

[0109] In S606, the setup application checks whether the automatically transmittable setting step information acquired in S601 includes a setting step. If at least one setting step is included, the process proceeds to S607; if not, the process proceeds to S604.

[0110] In S607 and S608, the setup application compares, for each piece of setting step information included in the list of automatically transmittable setting step information acquired in S601, the list of configurable items in the recording device 151 with the corresponding settings of the terminal device 101, and determines whether automatic transmission is executable. If there is at least one setting step for which automatic transmission is executable, the process proceeds to S609; if there is not, the process proceeds to S610.

[0111] In S609, the setup application transmits the setting items of the setting steps that can be automatically transmitted to the recording device 151. In this way, in this embodiment, the setting items that can be automatically transmitted can be transmitted collectively at first to the recording device 151. This allows the recording device 151 to collectively set the setting items that can be set based on the information of the terminal device 101. Therefore, the setting steps in FIG. 4 can be performed as necessary, and the initial setup can be performed efficiently.

[0112] <Other embodiments> In this embodiment, the communication device capable of communicating with the terminal device 101 (information processing device) as an external device is the recording device 151, but it may be another communication device. For example, it may be an image reading device such as a scanner that reads an original using a reading element, or it may be a processing device that performs other predetermined processes.

[0113] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0114] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 101: terminal device, 102: CPU, 109: communication unit, 151: recording device< / content>

Claims

1. A computer of an information processing device capable of communicating with an external device, a receiving means for receiving first information relating to a setting item of the external device transmitted from the external device; an acquisition means for acquiring second information regarding a setting of the information processing device; a transmitting means for causing the external device to transmit, to the external device, third information relating to a setting item of the external device based on the first information and the second information; a determination means for determining whether or not the third information is to be transmitted by the transmission means; a display control means for causing a display unit to display information related to the setting items of the external device when the determination means determines that the third information should not be transmitted; and The transmission means transmits the third information to the external device when the determination means determines that the third information is to be transmitted.

2. A computer of an information processing device capable of communicating with an external device, A confirmation means for confirming the setup status of the external device; a request means for requesting, when the confirmation means confirms that the setup of the external device has not been completed, first information on a setting item of the external device from the external device; A receiving means for receiving the first information transmitted from the external device; an acquisition means for acquiring second information regarding a setting of the information processing device; a transmitting means for causing the external device to transmit, to the external device, third information relating to a setting item of the external device based on the first information and the second information; A program that functions as a means to

3. A computer of an information processing device capable of communicating with an external device, a receiving means for receiving first information relating to a setting item of the external device transmitted from the external device; an acquisition means for acquiring second information regarding a setting of the information processing device; a transmitting means for causing the external device to transmit, to the external device, third information relating to a setting item of the external device based on the first information and the second information; and the external device is operable in a configuration mode in which configuration of the external device can be performed by connecting to another device; The transmitting means is a program for causing the external device operating in the setting mode to transmit the third information corresponding to the current setting step.

4. The program according to claim 2 or 3, The computer, a determining unit that determines whether or not the third information is to be transmitted by the transmitting unit; the transmitting means transmits the third information to the external device when the determining means determines that the third information is to be transmitted. program.

5. The program according to claim 1 or 4, the determination means determines that the third information is to be transmitted when the setting item specified by the first information can be set based on the second information. program.

6. The program according to claim 5, The setting item identified by the first information is a setting item related to a language used. program.

7. The program according to claim 5, The setting item identified by the first information is a setting item related to a country or region. program.

8. The program according to claim 1 or 3, The computer, A confirmation means for confirming the setup status of the external device; a request unit that requests the first information from the external device when the confirmation unit confirms that the setup of the external device has not been completed; program.

9. 3. The program according to claim 1 or 2, the external device is operable in a configuration mode in which configuration of the external device can be performed by connecting to another device; the transmitting means causes the external device operating in the setting mode to transmit the third information corresponding to a current setting step. program.

10. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the external device is operable in a configuration mode in which configuration of the external device can be performed by connecting to another device; the transmitting means transmits the third information regarding a plurality of setting items that can be set in the setting mode. program.

11. The program according to any one of claims 3, 9 and 10, The setting mode is a mode in which the external device operates based on the first activation of the external device after delivery. program.

12. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The third information is information for setting a setting item related to a language used in the external device. program.

13. The program according to claim 12, the third information is information for setting a language set in the information processing device as a setting item related to the language used in the external device; program.

14. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The third information is information for setting a setting item related to a country or region in the external device. program.

Images