Information processing device, control method thereof, and program

Abstract

To solve the problem in which conventionally a user can surely transmit image data to a predetermined unique transmission destination, but because a specific operation is required to make a file name or a folder name to be able to identify the image data, such an operation is not easy for the user.SOLUTION: In an information processing apparatus, setting for performing processing corresponding to a button displayed on a screen is registered. When a user instruction is received through the button displayed on the screen, an input of identification information given to image data generated by a function corresponding to the button is prompted to the user on the basis of the setting registered for the button having received user instruction. And the image data, to which the identification information input by the user is given, is output to a destination corresponding to the setting having registered correspondingly to the button.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a control method thereof, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Scanners and image forming devices are known that use a reading device to read an original document and convert it into image data. Users can use these devices to convert an original document into image data and send it to a destination such as a shared folder on a network.

[0003] In recent years, converting manuscripts into image data has become increasingly important. This is because converting manuscripts into image data eliminates the need for storage space and makes management easier than storing and managing the manuscripts in paper form. Furthermore, it makes it possible to find the data you need in a short amount of time. For this reason, methods for building workflows that are optimally customized for user work, such as manuscript reading and data transmission, are attracting attention.

[0004] Patent document 1 describes a technology that prevents sending to an incorrect destination in a workflow that includes document scanning and image data transmission processes by storing destination information in a workflow process instance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-35149 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In order to make the user's work more efficient, it is necessary to convert a manuscript into image data and send it with a minimum of operations. For example, in the case of work in a hospital, a large hospital needs to manage the referral letters and medical questionnaires of patients referred from other hospitals for each patient. Usually, the document format of the referral letters and medical questionnaires differs from hospital to hospital. Therefore, in order to make it easy to manage and search the image data, it is necessary to take measures such as putting the patient's identification information (ID, etc.) in the file name of the image data, or sending the image data to a folder with such identification information. In other words, in order to make such work more efficient, it is desirable that the user can store and manage the referral letters and medical questionnaires of the patient in a specified folder, etc., by simply issuing two commands, "enter the patient's identification information" and "start reading the manuscript."

[0007] By using the invention described in the above Patent Document 1, a user can reliably send image data to a predetermined unique destination. However, special operations are required to add identification information to the file name of the image data or to send the image data to a folder with a name to which the identification information has been added, and such operations are not easy for users to perform.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to The document is read, and the data is stored in the information processing device. To provide a mechanism for allowing a user to select whether or not to include the name of the button in the name of the file of input image data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. An information processing device, By operating the buttons A document is read, and the document is read and transmitted to the information processing device. Input image data , to the registered destination Output The above a display means for displaying a button and a name of the button; By operating the above button The information processing device and a selection means for allowing a user to select whether or not the name of the button is to be included in the name of the file of the input image data. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, by operating a button The document is read, and the data is stored in the information processing device. This has the effect of allowing the user to select whether or not to include the name of the button in the name of the file of the input image data. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a system configuration according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which a home screen is displayed on an operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an application management screen. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a button editing screen for setting and editing a button when the transmission type is “file”. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a keyword setting screen displayed when a “keyword string setting” button in FIG. 5 is pressed. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an address selection screen displayed when a “select from address book” button in FIG. 5 is pressed. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a button editing screen for setting and editing a button when the transmission type is "Email." [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a button editing screen for setting and editing a button when the transmission type is "USB memory." [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for registering a new address in a best member address book. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an address registration screen when the destination type is set to "file" on the screen of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an address registration screen when the destination type is set to "E-mail" on the screen of FIG. 10. [Figure 13] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating screen transitions when image data of a document read by a reading unit is transmitted in a conventional image forming apparatus. [Figure 14] 8A to 8C are diagrams for explaining the transition of screens when a referral button is pressed in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] 15 is a flowchart for explaining a process accompanying the screen transition in FIG. 14 by the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 15B. FIG. 15C is a flowchart for explaining the process of determining a basic file name in S1515 of FIG. [Figure 17] 15A is a flowchart for explaining the file transmission process in S1508 of FIG. [Figure 18] 1A is a diagram for explaining a basic folder created by an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining a basic file name created by an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0014] [Embodiment] First, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration according to an embodiment.

[0016] In the embodiment, an image forming apparatus 101 is shown as an example of an information processing apparatus, and a file server 102, a mail server 103, and an online storage 106 are shown as examples of destinations. The image forming apparatus 101, the file server 102, the mail server 103, and a PC 104 are connected to a network 100 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The network 100 is also connected to the Internet 105, and the image forming apparatus 101 and the online storage 106 can communicate with each other via these.

[0017] The image forming apparatus 101 can transmit image data obtained by scanning an original to a file server 102, a mail server 103, and an online storage 106. The file server 102 is a file server compatible with FTP and SMB protocols. The mail server 103 is a mail server compatible with SMTP protocol. The online storage 106 is an online storage compatible with WebDAV (a file sharing protocol using HTTP protocol). The PC 104 can refer to or update the setting values ​​of the image forming apparatus 101 by HTTP protocol. The network 100 may be configured to be connected wirelessly to an access point (not shown) as long as it is a network capable of transmitting image data.

[0018] The image data in the embodiment is electronic data. Specifically, the image data is not limited to electronic data obtained by converting an image into RAW data, but may be electronic data in an image format such as TIFF or JPEG, or electronic data in a PDF format.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment.

[0020] The control unit 210 including the CPU 211 controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus 101. The CPU 211 loads a control program stored in the ROM 212 or the storage 214 into the RAM 213, and executes the loaded program to perform various controls such as reading control and printing control. The ROM 212 stores a control program executable by the CPU 211. The ROM 212 also stores a boot program and font data. The RAM 213 is the main memory of the CPU 211, and is used as a work area, and a temporary storage area for loading various control programs stored in the ROM 212 and the storage 214. The storage 214 stores image data, print data, an address book, various programs, and various setting information. In the embodiment, a flash memory is assumed as the storage 214, but an auxiliary storage device such as an SSD, HDD, or eMMC may be used.

[0021] In addition, in this image forming apparatus 101, one CPU 211 executes each process shown in the flowcharts described later using one memory (RAM 213), but other configurations are also possible. For example, each process shown in the flowcharts described later can be executed by using multiple CPUs, RAMs, ROMs, and storages in cooperation with each other. Also, some of the processes can be executed using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0022] The operation unit I / F 215 connects the operation unit 216 and the control unit 210. The operation unit 216 displays information to the user and detects input from the user. The reading unit I / F 217 connects the reading unit 216 and the control unit 210. The reading unit 216 reads an image of a document and converts the image into image data such as binary data. The image data generated by the reading unit 216 is transmitted to an external device, stored in an external recording device 222, or printed on recording paper. The printing unit I / F 219 connects the printing unit 220 and the control unit 210. The CPU 211 transfers image data to be printed (image data to be printed) to the printing unit 220 via the printing unit I / F 219 and causes it to be printed. The printing unit 220 prints an image on recording paper fed from a paper feed cassette (not shown).

[0023] The external storage I / F 221 connects the external storage device 222 and the control unit 210. The CPU 211 saves image data in the external storage device 222 via the external storage I / F 221. In the embodiment, a USB interface is assumed as the external storage I / F 221, and a USB memory is assumed as the external storage device 222, but an external storage device such as an SD card may also be used. The control unit 210 is connected to the network 100 by the communication unit I / F 223. The communication unit I / F 223 can transmit image data to the file server 102, transmit e-mail to the mail server 103, transmit image data to the online storage 106, and transmit various setting information inside the device to the PC 104. When the communication unit I / F 223 receives a request to refer to or change various setting information inside the device from the PC 104, it can read or change various setting information in the storage 214. The image data is transmitted using a protocol such as FTP, SMB, WebDAV, or SMTP. Moreover, the transmission of various setting information to the PC 104 and the reception of changes to the various setting information from the PC 104 are performed by a Web server application that processes HTTP.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a home screen is displayed on the operation unit 216 of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment.

[0025] The operation unit 216 has a touch panel 300, a data LED 307, and an error LED 308. The touch panel 300 displays a home screen that is displayed immediately after the image forming apparatus 101 is started. This home screen is a screen for instructing the execution of each function of the image forming apparatus 101. On the home screen, buttons for instructing each function executed by the image forming apparatus 101, such as a frequently used setting button, a scan button 301, a menu button, an address book button 302, a questionnaire button 303, and a referral button 304, are displayed. The scan button 301 is a button for executing the sending of image data obtained by the reading unit 216 by e-mail, the sending of a file of the image data, or the saving of the image data in a USB memory (external storage device 222). The address book button 302 is a button for displaying an address book management screen (not shown). Through the address book management screen, the user can save settings related to destination information to be sent for each destination. The destination information includes information such as the transmission type (email transmission, SMB transmission, FTP transmission, WebDAV transmission), name, destination information (email address, host name, server information, etc.). The medical questionnaire button 303 and the referral button 304 are one-touch transmission buttons. When the one-touch transmission button is pressed, it instructs the reading unit 216 to read an original document with a predetermined setting and to transmit the image data. The home button 305 is a button for displaying a home screen. The home button 305 is always displayed on the operation unit 216. The data LED 306 and the error LED 307 notify the user of the status of the image forming apparatus 101. The data LED 306 is lit while an e-mail or file transmission job is being executed, and the error LED 307 is lit when some error occurs in the image forming apparatus 101.

[0026] 4 to 9 are diagrams showing example screens for performing settings for managing one-touch buttons of image forming apparatus 101, which are displayed by an application executed by PC 104 according to the embodiment. The screens shown in Fig. 4 to 9 are displayed on a display device (not shown) having a touch panel function of PC 104 by connecting to image forming apparatus 101 via HTTP from PC 104 using a browser.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the application management screen.

[0028] Application name 400 is an area for displaying the name of this application, and here the name "One Touch Scan to Send" is displayed. This "One Touch Scan to Send" is an application that scans an original document based on predetermined settings and transmits the image data obtained by the scan, and multiple buttons each with different settings can be registered.

[0029] Application information 401 is an area that displays the version of this application; here, version "1.00" is displayed. "Register new button" 402 is a button for creating a button that executes one-touch send scan. When the user presses "Register new button" 402, a button editing screen as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed. Button information area 403 is an area that displays the button name, send type, and display status, and displays information about the registered one-touch send button. The display status also includes button display settings 404, a show / hide switch button 405, and a delete button 406.

[0030] The button name displays the button name 501 set on the button edit screen in FIG. 5. The transmission type is an area that displays the transmission type set for the one-touch transmission button. The transmission type displays the transmission type 506 set on the button edit screen in FIG. 5. The button display setting 404 displays whether or not the button is displayed on the touch panel 301. When the button display setting 404 is set to "display", the button is displayed on the touch panel 301 as shown in FIG. 3. When the button display setting 404 is set to "non-display", the button is not displayed on the touch panel 301. The display / non-display switch button 405 is a button that can toggle between "display" and "non-display" of the button. When the display / non-display switch button 405 is pressed, the display of the button display setting 404 is switched. The delete button 406 is a button that deletes the button.

[0031] In Fig. 4, four buttons are registered as button names: "Application Form A," "Application Form B," "Letter of Referral," and "Medical Questionnaire." Button display setting 404 for "Letter of Referral" and "Medical Questionnaire" is set to "Display," so the buttons are displayed on touch panel 301 as shown in Fig. 3. However, button display setting 404 for "Application Form A" and "Application Form B" is set to "Hide," so the buttons are not displayed on touch panel 301 as shown in Fig. 3.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a button editing screen for setting and editing a button when the transmission type 506 is "file".

[0033] The OK button 512 is a button for confirming the button settings made on this button setting edit screen. When the OK button 512 is pressed, the information made on this screen is saved in the storage 214. The cancel button 513 is a button for discarding the settings made on this screen. When the OK button 512 or the cancel button 513 is pressed, the screen returns to FIG. 4.

[0034] Button name 501 is an edit box for setting the button name. Here, "Letter of Introduction" is displayed. File name 502 is a list box for selecting the filename naming method, and either "Button name" or "Automatic" can be selected. "Button name" is selected when the button name set in button name 501 is to be reflected in the filename. "Automatic" is selected when the filename is to be determined automatically.

[0035] Check box 503 and "Keyword string setting" button 504 are settings related to keywords (identification information) when outputting a file. When check box 503 is checked, the keywords when outputting a file are enabled. "Keyword string setting" button 504 is a button for setting keywords when outputting a file, and when this button 504 is pressed, a keyword string setting screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0036] Distribution 505 is a list box for selecting how to use the keywords set on the keyword setting screen in Fig. 6. Distribution 505 allows you to select one of "Do not distribute", "Distribute (file)", "Distribute (folder)" and "Distribute (files and folders)". If "Do not distribute" is selected, the keyword will not be used. If "Distribute (file)" is selected, the keyword will be included in the output file name. If "Distribute (folder)" is selected, the keyword will be included in the name of the folder where the files are output. If "Distribute (files and folders)" is selected, the keyword will be included in the file name and the name of the folder where the files are output.

[0037] The transmission type 506 and the switch button 507 are settings (output settings) related to the transmission method. The transmission type 506 is a list box for selecting the transmission type. The transmission type 506 can be selected from "File", "Email", and "USB memory". "File" is selected when a file is to be transmitted using a file transmission protocol such as SMB, FTP, or WebDAV. "Email" is selected when transmission is to be performed using SMTP, which is a mail transmission protocol. "USB memory" is selected when saving in a USB memory (external storage device 222) attached to the image forming apparatus 101. The switch button 507 is a button for determining the transmission type. When the switch button 507 is pressed, the display items of the transmission setting 508 change according to the setting selected in the transmission type 506. When the transmission type 506 is "File", the transmission type is displayed as shown in FIG. 5. When the transmission type 506 is "Email", the transmission type is displayed as shown in FIG. 8. When the transmission type 506 is "USB memory", the transmission type is displayed as shown in FIG. 9.

[0038] 5 is a setting item required for sending a "file." Although there are multiple setting items, the following description will focus on items related to the embodiment.

[0039] Destination 509 and "Select from address book" button 510 specify settings related to the destination. Destination 509 is a non-editable text display area, and displays the destination selected using "Select from address book" button 510. "Select from address book" button 510 is a button for setting the destination from the address book of image forming apparatus 101. When "Select from address book" button 510 is pressed, the address selection screen shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. File format 511 is a setting item related to the format of image data. Image data is converted to electronic data in a format (here, PDF) according to the setting of file format 511.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a keyword setting screen that is displayed when the “keyword string setting” button 504 in FIG. 5 is pressed.

[0041] An OK button 601 is a button for confirming the settings made on the keyword setting screen. A cancel button 602 is a button for discarding the settings. When the OK button 601 or the cancel button 602 is pressed, the screen returns to the screen in FIG.

[0042] Character type 603 is a list box for selecting the type of keyword characters. One of "numbers only" and "alphanumeric characters" can be selected for character type 603. Number of characters 604 is an edit box for setting the number of characters in the keyword string. The maximum number of characters that can be set is 16. Display during input 605 is an edit box for setting the character string to be displayed when entering a keyword string. The maximum number of characters that can be set is 64.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an address selection screen that is displayed when the "select from address book" button 510 in FIG. 5 is pressed.

[0044] The OK button 701 is a button for confirming the address selection with the contents set on this address selection screen. The Cancel button 702 is a button for discarding the contents set on this address selection screen. When the OK button 701 or the Cancel button 702 is pressed, the screen returns to that of Fig. 5. When the OK button 701 is pressed, the selected address is reflected in the destination 509 of Fig. 5.

[0045] Type 703 and display switch button 704 are used to determine the address book from which an address is to be selected. Type 703 is a list box, and either "Best Members" or "Speed ​​Dial" (not shown) can be selected. "Best Members" and "Speed ​​Dial" (not shown) are both address books in which addresses such as e-mail addresses and file upload destinations (server names and folders) are registered. Display switch button 704 is a button for determining the address book from which an address is to be selected. When display switch button 704 is pressed, name 705 of the address book selected in type 703 is displayed. In addition, address list 706 of the address book with name 705 of that address book is displayed.

[0046] Address book name 705 is a display area where the name of the address book is displayed; here, "Best Members" is displayed. Address list 706 is an area where a list of addresses registered in the "Best Members" address book is displayed; the information for each address consists of selection, number, type, name, and destination. Selection of each address is performed using a check box provided for each address. However, here, either one of two types of check boxes, a checkable check box or an uncheckable check box, is displayed. The number displays the management number of the address. The type is an area where an icon is displayed; the icon differs depending on the type of address. The name displays the name given to the address. The destination displays the address.

[0047] Next, we will explain in more detail about the display of checkable and uncheckable checkboxes.

[0048] Fig. 7 shows the state when "File" has been selected in transmission type 506 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows an example of the display when selecting an address from the "Best Members" address book, which has two addresses with a transmission type of "Email" and two addresses with a transmission type of "File." Here, a checkable checkbox is displayed for addresses whose type matches transmission type 506. Specifically, uncheckable checkboxes are displayed for addresses numbered "01" and "02," and checkable checkboxes are displayed for addresses numbered "03" and "04."

[0049] Based on the above explanation, the settings of the "letter of referral" button 304 in this embodiment can be summarized as follows. In Fig. 5, the "letter of referral" button has a keyword set by having button name 501 set to "letter of referral", file name 502 set to "button name", and check box 503 checked. Then, sorting 505 is set to "sort (files and folders)", and transmission type 506 is set to "file". Furthermore, with regard to the keyword, in Fig. 6, character type 603 is set to "numbers only", number of characters 604 is set to "7", and display when entering 605 is set to "Please enter the patient number". Furthermore, in Fig. 7, the "letter of referral" button 304 has a destination "\\file server\letter of referral" with the number "03" set.

[0050] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a button editing screen for setting and editing buttons when transmission type 506 is "Email". This screen is displayed when switch button 507 is pressed on the screen in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 explains the setting of the "Application Form A" button as an example.

[0051] The OK button 801, cancel button 802, and transmission type 506 are the same as in FIG. 5, so their explanation will be omitted. Transmission settings 508 are setting items required for "E-mail" transmission. There are multiple setting items, but the explanation will focus on the items related to the embodiment. Transmission destination 803, add button 804, transmission destination list 805, "select from address book" button 806, "switch To / Cc / Bcc" button 807, and delete button 808 are settings related to the transmission destination when transmission type 506 is "E-mail".

[0052] Destination 803 and Add button 804 are used when setting a new destination in destination list 805. Destination 803 is an edit box, and an email address can be entered using a keyboard (not shown) of PC 104. Add button 804 is pressed when setting the email address entered in destination 803 in destination list 805.

[0053] The destination list 805 is a text display area that can be selected on an email address basis. The destination list 805 displays the field name and email address when sending an email. When sending an email, one of three field names, To, Cc, or Bcc, is displayed. Note that when an email address is added to the destination list 805, the default field name is To.

[0054] A "Select from Address Book" button 806 is pressed when selecting an address from an address book. When the "Select from Address Book" button 806 is pressed, an address selection screen (FIG. 7) is displayed. When an address is selected on the address book selection screen (FIG. 7), it is displayed in a text box 805 that displays a list of destinations.

[0055] A "Switch To / Cc / Bcc" button 807 is a button to be pressed when changing the field name. When an address is selected in the destination list 805 and the "Switch To / Cc / Bcc" button 807 is pressed, the initial value of the field name can be switched in the following order: To → Cc → Bcc → To.

[0056] Delete button 808 is a button for deleting a selected address from destination list 805. When an address is selected from destination list 805 and delete button 808 is pressed, the selected address is deleted from destination list 805. File format 809 is similar to file format 511 in Fig. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0057] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a button editing screen for setting and editing a button when the transmission type 506 is "USB memory." Fig. 9 illustrates an example of setting the "Application B" button.

[0058] The OK button 801, the cancel button 802, and the transmission type 506 are the same as those in Figs. 5 and 8, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. The transmission settings 508 are setting items required for "USB memory" transmission. There are multiple setting items, but the explanation will be limited to the items related to the embodiment. When the transmission type 506 is "USB memory", the image data is saved in the USB memory (external storage device 222). Therefore, the transmission settings 508 do not display settings related to the transmission destination. The file format 901 is the same as the file format 511 in Fig. 5, and therefore its explanation will be omitted.

[0059] 10, 11, and 12 are diagrams showing examples of address registration screens. These screens are displayed on a display device (not shown) of PC 104 by connecting to image forming apparatus 101 via HTTP from PC 104 using a browser.

[0060] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for registering a new address in the best members' address book.

[0061] An address book selection area 1001 is an area for selecting an address book in which to register an address. Two address books, "Best Members" and "Speed ​​Dial", are displayed in the address book selection area 1001, and either one can be selected. In the explanations of Figs. 10, 11, and 12, it is assumed that "Best Members" is selected as the address book.

[0062] "Type of address to register" 1002 is an area for selecting the type of address to register. In FIG. 10, either "Email" or "File" can be selected, and this selection is made using a radio button. OK button 1003 is a button that is pressed when entering detailed address information. When OK button 1003 is pressed with "File" selected, FIG. 11 is displayed. When OK button 1003 is pressed with "Email" selected, FIG. 12 is displayed. Cancel button 1004 is a button that is pressed when discarding the settings and canceling the address book registration.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the address registration screen when the type of destination (output destination) is set to "file" on the screen of FIG.

[0064] An address book display area 1100 is an area for displaying an address book in which addresses are registered. In Fig. 11, "Best Members" is selected. An area 1101 is for setting detailed file settings. The detailed file settings 1101 include settings 1102 to 1109.

[0065] Number 1102 is a unique management number of the address book of "Best Members". Name 1103 is an edit box for setting the name of the address, and "Letter of Introduction 2" is set here. Protocol 1104 is a list box for selecting the protocol to be used for transmission. One of three types of protocol 1104 can be selected from SMB, FTP, and WebDAV. In FIG. 11, SMB is selected. Host Name 1105 is an edit box for setting the host name to be sent. A server name or IP address that can be resolved to an IP address is input. "File Server" is specified here. "Path to Folder" 1106 is an edit box for specifying which folder on the server specified by the host name 1105 is to be set as the destination, and the folder "Letter of Introduction 2" is specified here. User Name 1107 is an edit box for setting the user name to access the server specified by the host name 1105. "iryou01" is specified here. Check box 1108 is checked when a password is to be used to access the server specified by the host name 1105. When the check box 1108 is checked, the password set in the password 1109 is used when accessing the server specified in the host name 1105. The password 1109 is an edit box for setting a password for accessing the server specified in the host name 1105. The OK button 1110 is a button for confirming the button settings with the contents set on this screen. When the OK button 1110 is pressed, the confirmed settings are saved in the storage 214 of the image forming apparatus 101. The cancel button 1111 is a button for discarding the contents of the settings.

[0066] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the address registration screen when the destination type is set to "E-mail" on the screen of FIG.

[0067] The address book display area 1200 is an area for displaying an address book in which an address is registered. In FIG. 12, "Favorite Member" is selected. 1201 is an area for setting detailed settings of an e-mail. 1201 includes settings from 1202 to 1204. Number 1202 is a unique management number of the address book of "Favorite Member". Name 1203 is an edit box for setting the name of the address, and "Letter of Introduction 2" is set here. E-mail address 1204 is an edit box for setting the e-mail address to be sent. OK button 1205 is a button for confirming the button settings with the contents set on this screen. When the OK button 1205 is pressed, the contents set on the screen are saved in the storage 214 of the image forming apparatus 101. Cancel button 1206 is a button for discarding the contents set on this screen.

[0068] 13 is a diagram illustrating the transition of a screen when image data of a document read by a reading unit is transmitted in a conventional image forming apparatus. The screen illustrated in FIG. 13 is a screen displayed on a touch panel of the image forming apparatus.

[0069] After placing the document on the reading unit, the user presses the scan button 301 on the home screen 1301. This displays a screen 1302 for selecting the type of scan. The screen 1302 for selecting the type of scan displays three options: "Email," "File," and "USB Memory." If the user wants to save the image data in a USB memory (external storage device 222), the user selects "USB Memory." If the user wants to send the image data to the mail server 103 by email, the user selects "Email." Also, if the user wants to send the image data to the file server 102 or online storage 106, the user selects "File." In FIG. 13, it is assumed that the user has selected "File."

[0070] When the user selects "File" on screen 1302, screen 1303 for specifying a destination is displayed. This screen 1303 for specifying a destination includes "Destination Settings" and "Transmission Settings", and the "Destination Settings" is used to set the destination. The "Transmission Settings" is used to set image data such as the document reading size and image data format.

[0071] On screen 1303, it is possible to input settings related to the destination from a keyboard or to select a destination from an address book. When "keyboard input" is selected on screen 1303, keyboard screen 1307 is displayed, and the user can input the destination using the keyboard displayed on screen 1307. When specifying the destination using a keyboard, the protocol 1104, path to folder 1106, user name 1107, and password 1109 in Fig. 11 are also set, but are not shown in Fig. 13.

[0072] On the other hand, when "Address Book" is selected on the screen 1303, a keyboard screen 1308 is displayed, and the user can select a desired address book from the list of address books displayed on the screen 1308 and specify a destination.

[0073] When "Transmission settings" is selected on screen 1303, a "Transmission settings" screen 1304 is displayed. On screen 1304, the "scanning size," "file format," "density," and "file name" can be set. When "file name" is selected, a keyboard screen 1309 is displayed, and the user can input a file name using the keyboard displayed on screen 1309.

[0074] When the user specifies a destination on screen 1303, it becomes possible to press a "black and white start" button 1305 or a "color start" button 1306. The "black and white start" button 1305 is a button that is pressed when converting an original into image data in grayscale, and the "color start" button 1306 is a button that is pressed when converting an original into electronic data in color. When the user specifies a destination on the destination specification screen and presses the "black and white start" button 1305 or the "color start" button 1306, reading of the original by reading unit 216 begins, and the image data is sent to the specified destination.

[0075] In the screen transition of FIG. 13, when image data is sent with a file name to which a patient number is added, or when image data is sent by specifying a folder of a patient number, the user needs to perform many screen operations. For example, when sending image data with a file name to which a patient number is added, the user needs to input a file name after performing a screen operation to display a "send setting" screen 1304. Also, when sending image data by specifying a folder of a patient number, the user needs to input a server name, a protocol, a folder of a patient number, a user name, and a password using a keyboard after performing a screen operation to display a screen 1303. Alternatively, the user needs to create an address in which a patient number is set in a path to a folder 1106 by using the address book registration screen of FIG. 11. In any case, in the standard screen flow of FIG. 13, it takes a lot of time to set a file name and a destination using a different patient number for each patient.

[0076] Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the transition of the screen when the introduction button 304 is pressed in the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment. Like Fig. 13, Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the flow when image data of a document read by the reading unit is transmitted, and the screen shown in Fig. 14 is a screen displayed on the touch panel 300 of the operation unit 218.

[0077] After placing the document on the reading unit 216, the user presses the referral button 304 on the home screen. The setting of the referral button 304 is as described with reference to Figs. 4 to 9. When the referral button 304 is pressed, a referral button screen 1400 is displayed, and a message 1404 saying "Please enter the patient number" and a patient number input box 1401 set in "Display when entering" 605 in Fig. 6 are displayed. When the user presses the "No" button 1403, the screen returns to the home screen. When the user presses the "Yes" button 1402, if the patient number ("0123456" in Fig. 14) satisfies the conditions of the character type 603 and the number of characters 604, the reading of the document by the reading unit 216 is started and image data is transmitted. If not, the reading of the document is not started.

[0078] As is clear from a comparison with the example of FIG. 13, the effort required of the user to read and register the patient's referral letter is greatly reduced.

[0079] Fig. 15 is a flowchart for explaining processing accompanying the screen transition of Fig. 14 by the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment. Note that the processing shown in this flowchart is achieved by the CPU 211 executing a program loaded from the ROM 212 or the storage 214 to the RAM 213.

[0080] FIG. 15A is a flowchart illustrating the overall process of reading a document (letter of introduction) when the letter of introduction button 304 is pressed, and transmitting the image data to a specified destination.

[0081] First, in S1501, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the user has pressed the referral button 304 on the home screen. If it is determined that the referral button 304 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S1502. If not, the process remains in S1501. In S1502, the CPU 211 displays the referral button screen 1400 on the touch panel 300 and proceeds to S1503. In S1503, the CPU 211 determines whether or not the user has pressed the "No" button 1403 on the referral button screen 1400. If the "No" button 1403 has been pressed, the CPU 211 displays the home screen on the touch panel 300 and returns to S1501. On the other hand, if the "No" button 1403 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to S1504, where it is determined whether or not the user has pressed the "Yes" button 1402 and a patient number has been entered in the patient number input box 1401. At this time, it is also determined whether or not the characters of the patient number entered by the user ("0123456" in Fig. 14) satisfy the conditions of character type 603 and number of characters 604 in Fig. 6. If a patient number has been entered here and the conditions are satisfied, the process proceeds to S1505, but if not, the process returns to S1503.

[0082] In S1505, the CPU 211 reads the document (letter of introduction) placed on the reading unit 216 in accordance with the reading settings set on the button editing screen described above, and proceeds to S1506. In S1506, the CPU 211 converts the image data of the read document into an electronic file in accordance with various settings set in association with the "letter of introduction" button 304, and proceeds to S1507.

[0083] In S1507, CPU 211 executes a process for determining the folder and file configuration. Details of the process in S1507 will be described later with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 15(B). Next, the process proceeds to S1508, and CPU 211 transmits the file to the specified destination according to the settings associated with "Letter of Introduction" button 304. When transmission is completed in this manner, this process ends. The process in S1508 will be described later with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 17.

[0084] FIG. 15B is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the folder and file configuration in S1507 of FIG. 15A.

[0085] 5 and proceeds to S1511. In S1511, the CPU 211 determines whether the setting of the sorting 505 is "sort (folder)" or "sort (files and folders)", and if so, proceeds to S1512, and if not, proceeds to S1514.

[0086] In S1512, the CPU 211 creates a folder with the folder name of the patient number ("0123456") entered by the user in the root folder of the temporary storage area of ​​the storage 214, and proceeds to S1513. Note that the root folder of the temporary storage area is not the root folder of the file system of the storage 214. In this embodiment, it is assumed that \tmp of the file system is assigned as the root folder of this temporary area.

[0087] Next, the process proceeds to S1513, where the CPU 211 determines the folder with the folder name of the patient number ("0123456") created under the root folder of this temporary area as the basic folder, and proceeds to S1515. In S1515, the CPU 211 determines the root folder of this temporary area as the basic folder, and proceeds to S1516. Details of the process of S1515 will be described later with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 16. Then, in S1516, the CPU 211 saves the image data in the basic folder with the basic file name, and ends the process. Here, the basic folder is a folder that is the reference for the file transmission process (S1508) in this embodiment.

[0088] FIG. 18A is a diagram illustrating a basic folder created by the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment.

[0089] If "Folder Allocation" is set to "No", the root folder of the temporary area will be the basic folder. On the other hand, if "Folder Allocation" is set to "Yes", the folder with the folder name represented by the patient number created in the root folder of the temporary area will be the basic folder. For example, in the example in Figure 18(A), the name of the basic folder will be \temp\0123456.

[0090] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining the basic file name determination process of S1515 in FIG. 15(B).

[0091] 5 in S1601, and proceeds to S1602. In S1602, the CPU 211 obtains the setting of check box 503 for keyword use, and proceeds to S1603. In S1603, the CPU 211 obtains the file format of transmission settings 508, and proceeds to S1604. In the example of Fig. 5, the setting for file name 502 is "button name", check box 503 is checked, and the file format is set to PDF.

[0092] Next, the process proceeds to S1604, where the CPU 211 determines whether the setting of distribution 505 is "distribute (file)" or "distribute (file and folder)", and if so, proceeds to S1605. On the other hand, if not, proceeds to S1607. In S1605, the CPU 211 determines whether the check box 503 is checked and the setting is to use keywords, and if so, proceeds to S1606, but if not, proceeds to S1607. In S1606, the CPU 211 secures an area for the "include patient number" flag in the RAM 213, sets the flag to "yes", and proceeds to S1608. On the other hand, in S1607, the CPU 211 secures an area for the "include patient number" flag in the RAM 213, sets the flag to "no", and proceeds to S1608.

[0093] At S1608, the CPU 211 determines whether the setting of the file name 502 is "button name", and if so, proceeds to S1609, but if not, proceeds to S1610. At S1609, the CPU 211 secures an area for the "include button name" flag in the RAM 213, sets the flag to "yes", and proceeds to S1611. On the other hand, at S1610, the CPU 211 secures an area for the "include button name" flag in the RAM 213, sets the flag to "no", and proceeds to S1611.

[0094] In S1611, the CPU 211 acquires the current date and time, and proceeds to S1612. In this embodiment, it is assumed that "June 1, 2017, 12:00:00" is acquired. Next, the process proceeds to S1612, and the CPU 211 creates a basic file name based on the above information.

[0095] Here, the basic file name is determined based on the "include patient number" flag, the "include button name" flag, the file format in the transmission settings 508, and the current date and time.

[0096] FIG. 18B is a diagram for explaining a basic file name created by the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment.

[0097] Here, the file name of the basic file that is generated differs depending on whether or not to "include patient number" in the file name and whether or not to "include button name." If both "include patient number" and "include button name" are set to "no," the file name will include the date and time that the file was created, for example, as in 1801. If only "include patient number" is set to "yes," the file name will include the date and time and have the patient number added to the beginning, as in 1802. Furthermore, if only "include button name" is set to "yes," the file name will include the date and time and have the button name ("Referral letter") added to the beginning, as in 1803. And if both "include patient number" and "include button name" are set to "yes," the file name will include the date and time and have the patient number and button name added to the beginning, as in 1804.

[0098] FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating the file transmission process in S1508 of FIG.

[0099] At S1701, the CPU 211 acquires the setting of the transmission type 506 and proceeds to S1702. At S1702, the CPU 211 determines whether the setting of the transmission type 506 is "file", and if so, proceeds to S1704, but if not, proceeds to S1703. At S1703, the CPU 211 determines whether the setting of the transmission type 506 is "USB memory", and if so, proceeds to S1705, but if not, proceeds to S1707. At S1704, the CPU 211 acquires the setting of the transmission destination 509 and proceeds to S1705. At S1705, if the transmission destination is "file", the CPU 211 copies it to the transmission destination via the network while maintaining the configuration of the basic folder and basic file in the temporary storage area of ​​the storage 214.

[0100] Specifically, in the case of the "Letter of Introduction" button 304 in the embodiment, a folder with the folder name "0123456" is created in the directory "\\File Server\Letter of Introduction", and "0123456_Letter of Introduction_20170601120000.pdf" is copied thereto. If the destination is a "USB memory", the file is copied to the root directory of the USB memory while maintaining the configuration of the basic folder and basic file in the temporary storage area of ​​the storage 214. When the copy is completed in this way, the process proceeds to S1706. In S1706, the CPU 211 deletes the basic folder and basic file in the temporary storage area of ​​the storage 214, and ends this process.

[0101] In addition, in S1707, since the setting of the transmission type 506 is "E-mail", the CPU 211 acquires the setting of the destination list 805 in FIG. 8 and proceeds to S1708. In S1708, the CPU 211 converts the file into one file that can be attached to an e-mail while maintaining the basic folder and basic file configuration in the temporary storage area of ​​the storage 214. When converting into this single file, the size may be compressed using an archiver such as ZIP. When the process of converting into one file is completed in S1708, the process proceeds to S1709. In S1709, the CPU 211 attaches the file created in S1708, while maintaining the basic folder and basic file configuration in the temporary storage area, to an e-mail, and sends the file by e-mail to the destination in the destination list 805. When the e-mail sending is completed in this manner, the process proceeds to S1706.

[0102] As described above, according to the embodiment, the user only needs to press a desired button and input predetermined information (e.g., patient number) to read the document and output the image data of the document to the output destination in a format that makes it easy to manage the image data. Specifically, the identification information input by the user is automatically added to the file name and folder name of the image data, thereby making it possible to streamline the work of converting documents into image data and its management. In the above embodiment, the PC 104 remotely performs various setting operations such as button settings in the image forming apparatus 101, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the screens shown in Fig. 4 to Fig. 12 may be displayed on the display unit of the operation unit of the image forming apparatus 101, and the user may operate the screen to perform the above-mentioned various settings.

[0103] (Other embodiments) 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.

[0104] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 100... network, 101... image forming apparatus, 102... file server, 103... mail server, 104... PC, 105... Internet, 106... online storage

Claims

1. An information processing device, a display unit for displaying a button for reading an original document by operating the button and outputting image data input to the information processing device by reading the original document to a registered destination and a name of the button; a selection means for allowing a user to select whether or not to include the name of the button in a name of a file of the image data input to the information processing device by operating the button; 13. An information processing device comprising:

2. A receiving means for receiving a name of the button; a registration means for registering the button name received by the reception means; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a transmission unit which reads the original document by operating the button, and transmits the image data input to the information processing apparatus by reading the original document to the destination.

4. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said registration means further registers a transmission type to be transmitted by said transmission means.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the transmission type includes email transmission.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the transmission type includes an SMB transmission.

7. The apparatus further includes a reading means for reading the document, 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the operation of the button causes the reading means to read the document and input the image data.

8. The apparatus further includes an input unit for inputting a reading setting for the reading unit, 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the registration means further registers the reading settings inputted by the input means.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the reading settings include a color mode.

10. 10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the registration means further registers a file format of the file.

11. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a storage unit for storing the image data input by operating the button in a storage unit.

12. A control method for controlling an information processing device, comprising: a display step of displaying a button and a name of the button for reading an original document by operating a button and outputting image data input to the information processing device by reading the original document to a registered destination; a selection step in which a selection means allows a user to select whether or not to include the name of the button in a name of a file of the image data input to the information processing device by operating the button; A control method comprising the steps of:

13. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the control method according to claim 12.

Images