Display device, control program, and display device control method

Abstract

To suppress deterioration in security of a display device capable of accepting remote operation from an external device.SOLUTION: A controller 11 of an MFP 10 can execute a remote panel and other functions, and executes approval processing for permitting other functions by the approval operation received via an input IF 17 on the displayed approval screen. The controller 11 determines whether the remote panel is being executed when a start request for the approval processing is received, and does not execute the approval processing when it is determined that the remote panel is being executed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the remote panel has not been executed, the approval processing is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for a display device that can be remotely controlled by an external terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a display device that can be remotely controlled by an external terminal. The display device described in Patent Document 1 displays a simulated input interface of the display device on the external terminal, and can accept instructions for remote control by operating the displayed input interface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-163292 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some devices execute an approval process to allow the start of a specific function using a display device, provided that the device has received an approval operation via an input interface. Display devices with such a configuration are designed to allow the start of a function only upon receipt of an approval operation from a user who is close to the display device. However, if remote operation of the display device by an external device is permitted, there is a concern that approval operations may be possible via a user interface displayed on the remote external device. In such a case, approval operations may become possible by people other than those close to the display device, potentially compromising the security of the display device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to prevent a decrease in security for a display device that can be remotely controlled from an external device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention relates to a display device comprising an input interface including a display, a communication interface, and a controller. The controller of the display device executes processes related to multiple functions, including a remote operation function that displays a remote operation screen corresponding to the input interface on an external terminal and remotely controls the display device based on instructions from the external terminal received via the communication interface in response to operations on the displayed remote operation screen, and other functions. The controller executes an approval process that displays an approval screen on the display and authorizes the start of another function based on an approval operation received on the displayed approval screen, a determination process that determines whether the remote operation function is being executed when a start request for the approval process is received, and an execution control process that does not execute the approval process if it determines in the determination process that the remote operation function is being executed, and executes the approval process if it determines in the determination process that the remote operation function is not being executed.

[0007] This prevents approval processing for other functions from being executed during remote operation by the external device, thereby preventing approval processing from being executed by another user operating the external device on behalf of a user who is near the display device, thereby preventing a decrease in security of the display device.

[0008] The present invention can be realized in various forms, and in addition to being an invention of a display device, it can also be realized as an invention of a control program executed by a controller of the display device, or an invention of a control method of the display device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In a display device that can be remotely controlled from an external device, it is possible to prevent a decrease in security for the display device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming system. [Figure 2] 6 is a timing chart illustrating processing related to a remote panel. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an administrator screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an approval screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a remote screen. [Figure 6] 10 is a timing chart illustrating online function setting. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a screen relating to online function settings. [Figure 8] 7 is a flowchart of the process executed in S37 of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 10 is a timing chart illustrating online function setting according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a screen displayed by an application. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of the process executed in S64 of FIG. 9. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a screen displayed by an application. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a notification screen displayed by an application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (First embodiment) An image forming system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The image forming system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an MFP 10, PCs 30 and 50, and a server 60. MFP is an abbreviation for multifunction peripheral. The MFP 10, PCs 30 and 50, and server 60 are connected to a network 200 and are capable of communicating with each other through the network 200. The network 200 is a LAN or the Internet. In this embodiment, the MFP 100 is an example of a display device.

[0012] Next, we will explain the configuration of the MFP 10. The MFP 100 includes a controller 11, a memory 12, a printer unit 13, a scanner unit 14, a FAX unit 15, a communication IF 16, an input IF 17, and a bus 18. IF is an abbreviation for interface.

[0013] The communication IF 16 connects the MFP 10 to the network 200 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication IF 16 is capable of performing wireless communication using the Wi-Fi® (registered trademark) system, for example, based on the IEEE 802.11 standard or equivalent standards. The input IF 17 is an interface interposed between the controller 11 and a user who directly operates the MFP 10, and has a touch panel 171 that can display images and operation keys 172 that are physical keys.

[0014] The printer unit 13 performs a printing operation to print an image on a recording medium such as a sheet or a disk. The recording method of the printer unit 13 can be an inkjet method, an electrophotographic method, or the like. The scanner unit 14 performs a scanning operation to read an image recorded on an original and generate image data. The FAX unit 15 performs a FAX operation to send and receive image data in a method compliant with the FAX protocol. The MFP 10 may also be capable of performing a composite operation that combines multiple operations. A copy operation that combines a print operation by the printer unit 13 and a scan operation by the scanner unit 14 is an example of a composite operation.

[0015] The controller 11 is configured with a CPU, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), etc., and controls the operations of the printer unit 13, the scanner unit 14, the FAX unit 15, the communication IF 16, and the input IF 17. The memory 12 has a data storage area. The data storage area is an area for storing data necessary for executing programs, etc. The memory 12 is configured by combining RAM, ROM, SSD, HDD, etc. A buffer provided in the controller 11 and used when executing various programs may also be considered part of the memory 12. The memory 12 may be a storage medium readable by the controller 11. A storage medium readable by the controller 11 is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, electrical signals carrying programs downloaded from servers on the Internet, etc., are computer-readable signal media, which are a type of computer-readable medium, but are not included in non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

[0016] The memory 12 stores firmware 20 as a control program executable by the controller 11. In the following description, the controller 11 executing the program may be referred to simply as the program name. For example, the phrase "the firmware 20" is used to mean "the controller 11 executing the firmware 20." In this embodiment, the term primarily refers to the processing of the controller 11 in accordance with instructions written in the program. In other words, processes such as "determine," "extract," "select," "calculate," "decide," "identify," "acquire," "receive," and "control" in the following description represent the processing of the controller 11. Note that "acquire" is used as a concept that does not necessarily require a request. In other words, the process of the controller 11 receiving data without a request is also included in the concept of "the controller 11 acquiring data." Furthermore, "data" in this specification refers to a bit string that can be read by the controller. Data with essentially the same meaning but different formats are treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this specification.

[0017] The firmware 20 also functions as a web server for displaying a predetermined web page on the PC 30, 50. The firmware 20 can also provide a remote panel to the PC 30, 50. The remote panel is a remote operation function that displays a remote screen that simulates the input IF 17 of the MFP 10 on the PC 30, 50, allowing the MFP 10 to be remotely operated by operations on the remote screen. The firmware 20 can display the remote screen on a browser 41 (described later) of the PC 30, 50 by sending web page data for displaying the remote screen to the PC 30, 50. Information indicating various operations on the remote screen is notified to the MFP 10. The MFP 10, having received the information indicating the operations, executes processing in accordance with the operations, similar to when the operation screen displayed on the input IF 17 is operated. For example, when the MFP 10 receives information indicating an operation on a setting button from the PC 30, 50, the MFP 10 executes processing for setting parameters of the MFP 10, including displaying a setting screen. The remote screen is an example of a remote operation screen.

[0018] Next, we will explain the configuration of the PC 30. The PC 30 includes a communication IF 31, a memory 32, a controller 33, a display 34, and an input IF 35. The units 31, 32, 33, and 35 included in the PC 30 have the same configuration as the controller 11, memory 12, communication IF 16, and input IF 17 included in the MFP 30, and therefore, their explanation will be omitted.

[0019] The memory 32 stores an OS 40, a browser 41, and an application 42. The browser 41 is a program that, under the execution of the OS 40, causes the controller 33 to display on the display 34 an image corresponding to the web page data transmitted from the MFP 10.

[0020] The server 60 executes various processes for providing services using the MFP 10 to a user who operates the PC 30. In this embodiment, the server 60 is not limited to a single device, but is configured by a plurality of devices with different roles. Specifically, the server 60 includes a management server and a service server. The management server is a server for managing the MFP 10 and the PC 30 in order to provide services, and information on the MFP 10 and the PC 30 to be managed is registered in the management server. The service server is a server that provides services to the PC 30 and the MFP 10 registered in the management server.

[0021] In this embodiment, the services that can be provided by the server 60 include "Email Print," "Remote Print," and "Scan to Mobile." Email Print is a service in which email data to which print data is attached is transferred to the MFP 30 via the server 60 (service server), and the MFP 30 prints the print data attached to the email data. Remote Print is a service in which print data is transferred to the MFP 30 via the server 60, and the MFP 30 prints the print data. Scan to Mobile is a service in which scan data scanned by the MFP 10 is stored in the server 60, which can be accessed from the PCs 30 and 50 or mobile terminals.

[0022] Next, the procedure of the process executed between the MFC 10 and the PC 30 when the MFP 10 is remotely operated using a remote panel displayed on the PC 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] Prior to the processing of Fig. 2, controller 11 of MFP 10 displays an operation screen on touch panel 171 and changes the display of the operation screen in accordance with operations via touch panel 171, the operating status of MFP 10, etc. The processing of changing the operation screen is executed in parallel with the processing of Fig. 2. The operation screens include an execution screen that indicates that processing such as printing or scanning is in progress, an instruction screen for receiving execution instructions such as copying or scanning, a setting screen for changing various settings, a status screen that indicates the status of MFP 10, an execution instruction screen, a standby screen that waits for an instruction to display a setting screen, etc.

[0024] 2, the browser 41 of the PC 30 transmits a request to display a Web screen to the MFP 10. For example, when the browser 41 receives input of a URL specifying the MFP 10 from the user, the browser 41 transmits the request to the firmware 20. Communication between the browser 41 and the firmware 20 is performed in accordance with the http(s) protocol.

[0025] When the firmware 20 receives a request to display a web screen, in S11 it transmits screen data, which is web page data for displaying the web screen, to the PC 30. When the browser 41 receives the screen data, in S12 it causes the display 34 to display a home screen indicated by the received screen data. The home screen displays multiple tabs that accept designation operations for functions executable by the MFP 10 and for permissions (Administrator, General). When one of the tabs is selected, the home screen transitions to a screen associated with the selected tab. In this embodiment, when "Administrator," which is an administrator permission, is selected on the home screen, the home screen transitions to a screen that requests a login password from the user operating the PC 30.

[0026] When a login operation is performed on the home screen displayed on the display 34, the browser 41 requests the MFP 10 to display an administrator screen, which is displayed only to users with administrator privileges, in S13. At this time, the browser 41 transmits the input login password and other information to the MFP 10 along with the display request. Upon receiving the request to display the administrator screen, the firmware 20 authenticates the login password. Then, on condition that the authentication is successful, the firmware 20 transmits screen data for the administrator screen to the PC 30 in S14.

[0027] When the browser 41 receives the image data, in S15 it displays an administrator screen on the display 34. The administrator screen 300 shown in Fig. 3 includes an item selection area 301 and a function display area 302. The item selection area 301 is an area where a list of permitted functions and the like is displayed for a user with administrator authority. The function display area 302 is an area where an image related to the function selected in the item selection area 301 is displayed.

[0028] When the browser 41 receives a selection operation of the "Remote Panel" item 303 displayed in the item selection area 301 from the user of the PC 30, the browser 41 requests the MFP 10 to perform approval processing in S16. In this embodiment, when the item 303 is selected, the browser 41 requests a login operation again, and requests approval processing on the condition that the login operation is successful. In FIG. 3, a login screen 310 that accepts input of a user name and a password is displayed superimposed on the administrator screen 300. The browser 41 requests approval processing from the MFP 10 in S16 on the condition that the input of the user name and password on the login screen 310 is accepted.

[0029] When the firmware 20 of the MFP 10 receives the request for approval processing, it executes the approval processing in S17. Specifically, the firmware 20 displays an approval screen on the display 34 and transitions to an approval waiting state in which approval operation by the user can be accepted. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an approval screen 400 displayed on the display 34 during approval processing by the MFP 10. The approval screen 400 includes a text area 401, a YES button 402, and a NO button 403. The text area 401 displays text asking the user whether or not to approve execution of a remote panel for the MFP 10. The YES button 402 is a button that accepts approval operation when the user approves execution of the remote panel. The NO button 403 is a button that accepts operation when the user does not approve execution of the remote panel.

[0030] When the user operates the YES button 402 (i.e., an approval operation), in S18 the firmware 20 transmits to the PC 30, as an approval result, information indicating that the remote panel has been approved. At this time, the firmware 20 issues a token related to the remote panel and transmits the token to the PC 30. The token issued by the firmware 20 is a one-time token that authorizes the PC 30 to execute the remote panel. Specifically, the token contains information such as the type of approved function, information for identifying the PC 30, a status (function being executed, function completed), and a login ID if the user executing the function has authority. The firmware 20 stores, for example, information indicating whether a token has been issued according to the type of function in the memory 12. On the other hand, when the user operates the NO button 403, in S18 the firmware 20 transmits, as an approval result, information indicating that the remote panel has not been approved.

[0031] When the browser 41 receives an approval result from the MFP 10 indicating that the remote panel has been approved, in S19, the browser 41 transmits a request to display a remote screen to the MFP 10. When the firmware 20 receives the request to display a remote screen, in S20, the firmware 20 transmits remote screen data, which is Web page data for updating the Web screen. In this embodiment, the remote screen data is data including data representing the operation screen currently displayed on the touch panel 171 of the MFP 10. When the browser 41 receives the remote screen data, in S21, the browser 41 interprets the remote screen data and displays the remote screen on the display 34. FIG. 5 shows, as an example, a screen displayed on the display 34 in S21. On the administrator screen 300 displayed in S21, a remote screen 330 is displayed in the function display area 302. The remote screen 330 includes a screen display area 331, an operation key display area 332, and an end button 333. The screen display area 331 displays the same screen as the operation screen currently displayed on the touch panel 171 of the MFP 10. 5, as an example, a standby screen is displayed in the screen display area 331. In the operation key display area 332, images that mimic the operation keys 172 of the input IF 17 are displayed.

[0032] The data indicating the operation screen, operation keys, and end button included in the remote screen data may be in the same data format, such as raster data, or may be in another data format. The data indicating the operation screen, operation keys, and end button may be in different data formats. Furthermore, the firmware 20 may transmit only data indicating the operation screen as remote screen data to the browser 41 in S20, and the browser 41 may display the remote screen by superimposing data indicating the operation keys and end button on the remote screen data in S21. Furthermore, instead of transmitting the remote screen data to the browser 41 in S20, the firmware 20 may transmit web page data for displaying the entire screen including the remote screen data to the browser 41.

[0033] When an operation is received on the remote screen 330 (FIG. 5) displayed on the display 34, the browser 41 requests the firmware 20 to provide an instruction corresponding to the received operation in S22. At this time, the browser 41 transmits a token already issued by the firmware 20 along with the instruction request corresponding to the operation. For example, if the operation on the remote screen 330 is an operation related to updating the screen, the browser 41 transmits a request to display the updated remote screen together with the token to the firmware 20. Upon receiving the instruction from the PC 30, the firmware 20, on condition that the token is correct, reflects the screen currently displayed on the touch panel 171 in accordance with the instruction received via the remote screen in S23. In S24, remote screen data for displaying the updated remote screen 330 is created and transmitted to the browser 41.

[0034] The remote screen 330 displayed on the display 34 of the PC 30 is also updated when the user of the MFP 10 operates the input IF 17. In this case, when the firmware 20 receives an operation to change the screen displayed on the touch panel 171, it transmits remote screen data for the updated remote screen 330 to the PC 30. When the browser 41 receives an operation input from the user pressing the end button 333, in S25, the firmware 20 requests the firmware 20 to terminate the remote panel along with the token. When the firmware 20 receives the termination request from the PC 30, the firmware 20 performs termination processing to terminate the remote panel in S26, provided that the token is valid. When the firmware 20 terminates the remote panel, various information stored in the memory 12 is deleted, such as information indicating the execution status of the remote panel, information indicating that a token has been issued, and information indicating the permission status of the remote panel. Note that the firmware 20 may terminate the remote panel in the same manner as when the end button is pressed, even if there has been no access from the browser 41 for a certain period of time since the remote panel was started.

[0035] Next, we will explain the processing that takes place between the MFP 10, PC 30, and server 60 when operating PC 30 to execute online function setting, which is a function other than the remote panel. The online function setting is a function that operates PC 30 to perform initial settings online for the above-mentioned "Email Print," "Remote Print," "Scan to Mobile," etc. The online function setting makes it possible to register PC 30 and MFP 10 with server 60 as devices to be used for various services.

[0036] When a user operates PC 30 to perform a display operation to display a Web screen, browser 41, in S30, requests MFP 10 to display the Web screen. Upon receiving the request to display the Web screen, firmware 20 of MFP 10 transmits screen data for displaying the Web screen in S31.

[0037] Upon receiving the screen data, browser 41 displays a home screen using the received screen data in S32. The home screen displayed in S32 is the same as the home screen displayed in S12 of FIG. 2. Assume that the user selects the tab "General (guest)" on the home screen and selects the item "Online function settings" in item selection area 301. In S33, browser 41 transmits a display request for a screen related to "Online function settings" to MFP 10. Note that online function settings can also be selected from an administrator screen displayed by selecting the tab "Administrator" on the home screen. In this case, similar to the case shown in S12 of FIG. 2, a login operation is requested from the user operating PC 30 on the home screen.

[0038] When the firmware 20 of the MFP 10 receives the screen display request, in S34 it sends screen data related to the online function setting to the PC 30. In S35, the browser 41 uses the received screen data to display the online function setting screen 410 shown in FIG. 7. The screen 410 shown in FIG. 7 includes a text display area 411 and an execute button 412. The text display area 411 displays text indicating that the initial settings for various services, including "Email Print," can be performed online. The execute button 412 is a button for accepting an operation to start the online function setting.

[0039] When the user operates the execute button 412 via the input IF 35, the browser 41 requests the activation of the online function setting in S36. When the firmware 20 receives the activation request, the firmware 20 performs a determination process in S37 to determine whether or not to permit the approval process for the online function setting.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the details of the determination process executed in S37. In S50, the currently issued token is analyzed. As described above, a token is information issued when execution of various functions or services is permitted. In particular, when a remote panel for the MFP10 is permitted, the firmware 20 stores in the memory 12 that a token has been issued to the PC that performs remote operation. Specifically, when a remote panel is being executed between the PC 50 and the MFP10 prior to setting up the online function with the PC 30, the MFP10 issues a token to the PC 50.

[0041] If a token related to the remote panel has currently been issued, an affirmative decision is made in S51, and the process proceeds to S52. In S52, the decision flag is set to a value that disallows approval processing for the online function setting. The approval processing is a process in which an approval screen is displayed on touch panel 171, and execution of the function is permitted on the condition that an approval operation is received on this approval screen from a user who is close to MFP 10. However, if the remote panel is permitted for MFP 10, approval operations can be performed by people other than those close to MFP 10, which raises concerns about a decrease in security of MFP 10.

[0042] On the other hand, if a token related to the remote panel has not currently been issued, a negative judgment is made in S51, and the process proceeds to S53. In S53, the judgment flag is set to a value that permits the approval process for the online function setting. This is because, if the remote panel is not running, even if the approval process is performed, there is little possibility that the security of the MFP 10 will be reduced. When the process of S52 or S53 is completed, the process proceeds to S38 in FIG. 6.

[0043] In S38, it is determined whether the approval process is permitted by the determination process in S37. Specifically, if the determination flag is set to a value indicating permission in S38, the process proceeds to S40. In S40, the firmware 20 transitions to an approval waiting state in order to perform the approval process. That is, in the approval process, the firmware 20 displays an approval screen on the display 34 and accepts an approval operation by the user via the input IF 17. The approval screen displayed in S40 is a screen that accepts an approval operation to approve or disapprove the execution of the online function configuration, similar to the approval screen on the remote panel shown in FIG. 4. If the firmware 20 accepts the approval operation on the approval screen, the process proceeds to S41. On the other hand, if the firmware 20 does not accept the approval operation on the approval screen, the firmware 20 ends the process of FIG. 6 and does not execute the online function configuration.

[0044] In S41, a main body setup process is performed between the firmware 20 and the management server to register the MFP 10 as a device to be used for various services. In S42, a process to obtain a token related to online function setting is performed between the firmware 20 and the management server. As described above, the token is information issued when online function setting is permitted.

[0045] In S43, firmware 20 transmits a URL indicating the address of a setting screen for online function setting to PC 30. The setting screen whose address is specified by the URL transmitted in S43 is a screen for configuring various service settings online, and is a web page provided by a service server. In S44, browser 41 of PC 30 redials the URL transmitted from MFP 10, thereby displaying the setting screen for online function setting on display 34.

[0046] If the determination flag is set to a value indicating disapproval in S38, the process proceeds to S39. In S39, the firmware 20 performs notification processing to notify the user that the online function setting has been disapproved. Specifically, the firmware 20 displays on the touch panel 171 that the remote panel is currently running and that the online function setting has been disapproved. At this time, because the remote panel is running for the MFP 10, the firmware 20 may also display on the PC 30 a screen indicating that the online function setting has been disapproved, which is displayed on the touch panel 171, for the PC remotely controlled by the remote panel. In other words, if it is determined that the remote panel is running, the firmware 20 does not display an approval screen on the display 34. Note that after the process of S39 is completed, the process of FIG. 6 is terminated. In this embodiment, the processes of S38, S39, and S40 executed by the firmware 20 are an example of execution control processing.

[0047] The above-described embodiment can achieve the following effects. Controller 11 of MFP 10 can permit the start of online function configuration by an approval operation received on the approval screen displayed on touch panel 171. When controller 11 receives a request to start the approval process, if it determines that the remote panel is running, it does not execute the approval process, and if it determines that the remote panel is not running, it executes the approval process. This prevents the approval process from being executed by remote operation by a user who is not near MFP 10, and ultimately prevents a decrease in security of MFP 10.

[0048] When controller 11 determines that the remote panel is running, it displays that the remote panel is running on touch panel 171. This allows the user operating MFP 10 to determine that online function setting cannot be performed because the remote panel is running.

[0049] (Second embodiment) In the second embodiment, the configuration different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the browser 41 of the PC 30 executes the online function setting using the web page data transmitted from the firmware 20. Instead, in the present embodiment, the PC 30 can execute the online function setting on the application 42 in addition to executing the online function setting on the browser 41.

[0051] 9 is a timing chart showing the processing of each device when online function setting is executed in this embodiment. First, a case will be described where the user performs an operation to select online function setting on application 42. In S60, application 42 requests MFP 10 to acquire capability information. The capability information is information indicating the types of functions and services that can be executed by MFP 10. Specifically, if MFP 10 supports online function setting, the items indicated by the capability information include online function setting.

[0052] When the firmware 20 of the MFP 10 receives the capability information acquisition request, in S61 it reads the capability information of its own device from the memory 12 and transmits it.

[0053] The application 42 of the PC 30 can determine, based on the capability information transmitted in S61, that the MFP 10 supports online function setting. Therefore, in S62, the application 42 displays a setting screen corresponding to the online function setting. Specifically, the application 42 displays a setting screen 500 shown in FIG. 10. The setting screen 500 includes a text display area 501 and an enable button 502. The text display area 501 displays text indicating that online function setting for various services can be performed via the network 200. The enable button 502 is a button for accepting an operation to start the online function setting.

[0054] When the application 42 detects that the activation button 502 on the setting screen 500 has been operated, it requests the MFP 10 to activate the online function setting in S63.

[0055] When the firmware 20 of the MFP 10 receives the activation request, it performs a determination process in S64 to determine whether or not to permit execution of the online function setting. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the details of the determination process executed in S64, and is mainly carried out by the firmware 20. In S50, the currently issued token is analyzed. If it is determined in S50 that a token related to the remote panel has currently been issued, an affirmative determination is made in S51 and the process proceeds to S80.

[0056] In S80, it is determined whether the importance of the online function setting to be approved is higher than the importance of the remote panel. In this embodiment, the importance of functions executed with administrator authority is set higher than the importance of functions executed with guest authority. Specifically, the importance of the online function setting on the browser 41 executed with administrator authority is the same as the importance of the remote panel. On the other hand, the importance of the online function setting on the browser 41 executed with guest authority is lower than the importance of the remote panel. Furthermore, since the online function setting executed on the application 42 is executed with guest authority, its importance is lower than the importance of the remote panel. In this embodiment, the online function setting on the browser 41 executed with administrator authority is an example of a first function. The guest authority is an example of an authority lower than the administrator authority. The online function setting on the browser 41 executed with guest authority and the online function setting executed on the application 42 are examples of a second function.

[0057] If the importance of the function to be subject to approval processing is the same as or lower than the importance of the remote panel, a negative judgment is made in S80, and the process proceeds to S82. In S82, it is determined whether the importance of the function to be subject to approval processing is the same as the importance of the remote panel. In this case, since the object of approval processing is online function setting on the application 42, a negative judgment is made in S82, and the process proceeds to S52. In S52, the judgment flag is set to a value indicating that approval processing for the online function setting is not permitted.

[0058] On the other hand, if the remote panel is not currently running and a negative judgment is made in S51, the process proceeds to S53, where the judgment flag is set to a value indicating permission for the approval process for the online function setting. When the process in S52 or S53 is completed, the process proceeds to S65 in FIG.

[0059] In S65, the firmware 20 of the MFP 10 determines whether or not execution of the approval process for the online function setting is permitted by the determination process in S64. Specifically, if the determination flag in S64 is a value indicating permission of the approval process, the process proceeds to S67.

[0060] In S67, the firmware 20 transitions to an approval waiting state to start the approval process. When the firmware 20 transitions to the approval waiting state, it displays an approval screen on the touch panel 171. At this time, if a negative judgment is made in S51 of FIG. 11 and the process proceeds to S53, the remote panel is not being executed for the MFP 10. Therefore, the firmware 20 executes the approval process only through operations on the approval screen displayed on the touch panel 171 of the MFP 10. In this case, the firmware 20 displays on the PC 30 a screen 510 indicating that the approval process is currently in progress, as shown in FIG. 12. Note that when the user operates the cancel button 511 on the screen 510 shown in FIG. 12, a request to terminate the approval process is transmitted from the PC 30 to the MFP 10. On the other hand, if the approval operation is accepted on the approval screen, the process proceeds to S68. Note that if the approval operation is not accepted on the approval screen, the firmware 20 terminates the online function setting.

[0061] In S68, a main body setup process is performed between the firmware 20 and the management server to register the MFP 10 as a device to be used for various services. In S69, a terminal setup process is performed to set the PC 30 as a terminal to be used for various services. At this time, a token acquisition process is performed between the application 42 and the management server.

[0062] In S70, the application 42 sends an access end notification to the firmware 20, indicating that the processes in S68 and S69 have ended. In S71, the firmware 20 receives the access end notification, and then in S72 sends a response notification to the PC 30. In S72, the firmware 20 determines whether the remote panel is temporarily suspended by the process of S81 (FIG. 11), which will be described later. Here, the process of S81 determines that the remote panel is not suspended, and the firmware 20 does not execute the process of S72.

[0063] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in S65, the process proceeds to S66, where the firmware 20 performs notification processing to notify the user that the approval processing for the online function setting has been denied. In the notification processing performed in S66, the firmware 20 transmits screen data for displaying a notification screen 530 shown in FIG. 13 to the PC 30. The notification screen 530 includes text indicating that another user is using the MFP 10 via a remote panel and a back button 532 for accepting an operation to terminate the online function setting. If the user operates the back button 532 via the input IF 35 of the PC 30, the processing in FIG. 9 is terminated. Note that in S66, as in the notification processing performed in S39, the firmware may display on the touch panel 171 that the remote panel is currently being executed and that the approval processing for the online function setting has been denied. In this embodiment, the processing in S65, S66, and S67 performed by the firmware 20 is an example of execution control processing.

[0064] Next, a case will be described in which the user selects online function setting on the browser 41, as in the first embodiment. When online function setting is performed on the browser, the processes of S60, S61, and S62 in FIG. 9 can be replaced with the processes of S30, S31, and S32 in FIG. 6. After determining whether or not a token related to the remote panel exists in S50 in FIG. 11, which shows the process of S64 in detail, the process proceeds to S51. If the determination in S51 is affirmative, the process proceeds to S80, where it is determined whether the importance of the function to be subject to the approval process is higher than the importance of the remote panel. If the subject of the approval process is online function setting on the browser 41 executed with guest privileges, a negative determination is made in S80, and the process proceeds to S82. Furthermore, if the determination in S82 is negative, the process proceeds to S52, where the determination flag is set to a value indicating non-permission.

[0065] On the other hand, if the target of the approval process is online function setting on browser 41 executed with administrator privileges, its importance is the same as that of the remote panel, so after a negative decision is made in S80, an affirmative decision is made in S83 and the process proceeds to S83. In S83, a query screen is displayed on touch panel 171. The query screen is a screen that asks a user around MFP 10 whether or not to display an approval screen for online function setting even while the remote panel is running. If the user performs an operation on the query screen that prioritizes approval process, an affirmative decision is made in S84 and the process proceeds to S53. In S53, the determination flag is set to a value that permits approval process for online function setting. This is because the user himself / herself selected to execute approval process while the remote panel was running.

[0066] If the user performs an operation on the inquiry screen that does not prioritize approval processing, a negative judgment is made in S84, and the process proceeds to S85. In S85, it is determined whether the remote panel has ended, and if a negative judgment is made in S85, the process waits. That is, the value of the judgment flag is not set until the currently running remote panel has ended. For example, if the currently running remote panel has ended by the PC 50 and an instruction to end the remote panel has been received from the PC 50, an affirmative judgment is made in S85, and the process proceeds to S53. In S53, the judgment flag is set to a value that permits approval processing for the online function setting.

[0067] If an affirmative decision is made in S82, the firmware 20 may not display the inquiry screen on the touch panel 171. In this case, if an affirmative decision is made in S82, the process immediately proceeds to S53. Therefore, the processes of S83 and S84 may be omitted.

[0068] If the importance of the function that is the target of the approval process is higher than the importance of the remote panel in S80, an affirmative decision is made in S80, and the process proceeds to S81. In S81, execution of the remote panel is temporarily suspended. This is to prevent remote operation by another user during the approval process because the function that is the target of the approval process is of high importance. When the process of S81 ends, the process proceeds to S53, where the determination flag is set to a value that permits approval processing for the online function setting. When the process of S52 or S53 ends, the process proceeds to S65 in FIG. 9. Thereafter, if the firmware 20 makes an affirmative decision in S65, the process proceeds to S67, and executes approval processing. At this time, if an affirmative decision is made in S84 in FIG. 11 and approval processing is executed, the remote panel is being executed for the MFP 10. Therefore, during the approval process, the user can perform an approval operation on the approval screen displayed on the touch panel 171 of the MFP 10 or the approval screen (remote screen) displayed on the display 34 of the PC 50. In other words, the MFP 10 can permit the start of online function configuration based on an instruction received by the communication IF 16 in response to an approval operation on the approval screen (remote screen) displayed on the display 34 of the PC 30.

[0069] After the processes of S68 to S71 are executed, the firmware 20 determines in S72 whether or not the execution of the remote panel has been temporarily suspended by the process of S81 (FIG. 11). If the execution of the remote panel has been suspended by the process of S81, the firmware 20 releases the suspension of the remote panel.

[0070] The present embodiment described above can achieve the following effects. When the controller 11 determines that the remote panel is running and the importance of another function that has received a request to start approval processing is higher than the importance of the remote panel, the controller 11 executes the approval processing for which the start request was received with the remote panel suspended, and resumes the remote panel after the approval processing is completed. When the controller 11 determines that the remote panel is running and the importance of the function that has received a request to start approval processing is lower than the importance of the remote panel, the controller 11 does not execute the approval processing for which the start request was received. As a result, approval processing is executed for functions with high importance even during the remote panel, and it is possible to uniformly suppress adverse effects caused by approval processing for which a start request was not executed.

[0071] When the controller 11 determines that the remote panel is running and the importance of another function for which a request to start approval processing has been accepted is the same as the importance of the remote panel, the controller 11 displays on the display an inquiry screen inquiring whether or not to prioritize the approval processing. When an instruction operation to prioritize the approval processing is performed on the inquiry screen, the controller 11 displays the approval screen on the display 34 and permits the start of the other function in accordance with the approval operation on the approval screen, and when an instruction operation to not prioritize the approval processing is performed on the inquiry screen, the controller 11 suspends the approval processing for which a start request has been accepted. As a result, even when the remote panel is running, if the user agrees to the approval processing, the approval processing is performed, which allows for more flexible permission or denial of permission to other functions than when the approval processing is not uniformly performed.

[0072] The controller 11 suspends the approval process for which a start request has been accepted, and then executes the suspended approval process when an instruction to terminate the remote panel is received from an external terminal. This makes it possible to execute approval processes related to other functions while avoiding situations in which security may be compromised.

[0073] (Modification of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment described above, the importance is compared based on whether or not the user has the authority (administrator authority, guest authority) to execute the function. Alternatively, the importance may be determined in advance for each function. In this case, if the importance of the online function setting is set higher than the importance of the remote panel, the firmware 20 makes a positive determination in S80 of FIG. 11 and proceeds to S81. On the other hand, if the importance of the online function setting is set lower than the importance of the remote panel, the firmware 20 makes a negative determination in S80 and S82 of FIG. 11 and proceeds to S52.

[0074] (Other embodiments) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the online function setting has been described as an example of the other function. However, the other function is not limited to this, and may be any function or service that requires approval processing. For example, the other function may be services such as "email print," "remote print," and "scan to mobile." In this case, if approval processing is required prior to execution of each service, the PC 30 may execute the determination processing of S37 when it requests the MFP 30 to start the service (for example, when it requests activation in S36 of FIG. 6).

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the MFP 10 has been described as an example of a display device, but the display device may be a touch panel, a display, or the like that can display an approval screen, and may also be a printer, a scanner, a copier, etc. Although the above-described embodiment has been described as an example of a terminal that is a PC, the terminal may also be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10...MFC, 11...controller, 17...input IF, 20...firmware, 30, 50...PC, 100...image forming system

Claims

1. an input interface including a display; A communication interface; A display device comprising: the controller executes processes related to a plurality of functions, the plurality of functions including a remote operation function of causing an external terminal to display a remote operation screen corresponding to the input interface, and remotely operating the display device according to an instruction from the external terminal received by the communication interface in response to an operation on the displayed remote operation screen, and other functions; The controller: an approval process of displaying an approval screen on the display and permitting the start of the other function based on an approval operation received on the displayed approval screen; a determination process for determining whether the remote operation function is being executed when a request to start the approval process is received; an execution control process for not executing the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is being executed, and for executing the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is not being executed; A display device that performs the above.

2. The functions have a level of importance defined; In the execution control process, When it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is being executed and the importance of the other function for which the start request for the approval process has been received is higher than the importance of the remote operation function, the approval process for which the start request has been received is executed with the remote operation function suspended, and after the approval process is completed, the remote operation function is resumed; A display device as described in claim 1, wherein when the judgment process determines that the remote control function is being executed and the importance of the function that has received the start request for the approval process is lower than the importance of the remote control function, the approval process for which the start request has been received is not executed.

3. In the execution control process, The display device of claim 2, wherein when the judgment process determines that the remote control function is being executed and the importance of the other function that has received the request to start the approval process is the same as the importance of the remote control function, the approval screen is displayed on the display and the start of the other function is permitted based on an instruction from an external terminal received by the communication interface in response to an approval operation on the approval screen.

4. In the execution control process, displaying, on the display, an inquiry screen inquiring whether or not to give priority to the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is being executed and the importance of the other function for which the start request for the approval process has been received is the same as the importance of the remote operation function; when an instruction operation to prioritize the approval process is performed on the inquiry screen, the approval screen is displayed on the display, and the start of the other function is permitted in response to an approval operation on the approval screen; The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the display device suspends the approval process, the start request of which has been accepted, when an instruction operation to not prioritize the approval process is performed on the inquiry screen.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the execution control process executes the pending approval process when an instruction to terminate the remote control function is received from an external terminal after the approval process for which the start request has been accepted is suspended.

6. the other functions include a first function executed with administrator authority and a second function executed with authority lower than the administrator authority; 6. The display device according to claim 2, wherein the importance of the first function is higher than the importance of the second function.

7. A display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, in the execution control process, if it is determined in the judgment process that the remote control function is being executed, the display is caused to display that the remote control function is being executed.

8. A control program executable by a controller of a display device including an input interface including a display and a communication interface, causing the controller to execute processes relating to a plurality of functions, the plurality of functions including a remote operation function of causing an external terminal to display a remote operation screen corresponding to the input interface, and remotely operating the display device according to an instruction from the external terminal received by the communication interface in response to an operation on the displayed remote operation screen, and other functions; The controller, an approval process of displaying an approval screen and permitting the start of the other function based on an approval operation received via the input interface on the displayed approval screen; a determination process for determining whether the remote operation function is being executed when a request to start the approval process is received; an execution control process for not executing the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is being executed, and for executing the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is not being executed; A control program that executes the above.

9. A method for controlling a display device including an input interface including a display and a communication interface, comprising the steps of: causing the display device to execute processes relating to a plurality of functions, the plurality of functions including a remote operation function for causing an external terminal to display a remote operation screen corresponding to the input interface, and remotely operating the display device according to an instruction from the external terminal received by the communication interface in response to an operation on the displayed remote operation screen, and other functions; The display device includes: an approval process of displaying an approval screen on the display and permitting the start of the other function based on an approval operation received via the input interface on the displayed approval screen; a determination process for determining whether the remote operation function is being executed when a request to start the approval process is received; an execution control process for not executing the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is being executed, and for executing the approval process when it is determined in the determination process that the remote operation function is not being executed; A method for controlling a display device to execute the above.

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