Information processing device and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing program of the present disclosure capable of recommending installation of software suitable for use of a device after replacement.SOLUTION: The information processing apparatus includes a processor, and the processor refers to a usage status of each function of a device before replacement accumulated in the device before replacement, and when the usage status of the function of the device before replacement corresponding to the function of the device after replacement satisfies predetermined requirements, the information processing apparatus recommends installation of software relating to the function of the replaced device corresponding to the function of the device before replacement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is technology that recommends software based on usage. Patent document 1 discloses an information processing device capable of executing a program, characterized in that it has a collection means for collecting information relating to the usage status of the information processing device, a detection means for using the information collected by the collection means to detect programs recommended for use on the information processing device, and a display means for displaying information relating to the functions of the programs detected by the detection means on a display device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-181854 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a technology that accumulates the usage status of a device and recommends software for that device based on the accumulated usage status.

[0005] On the other hand, when replacing a device and introducing a new device, it is not possible to obtain the usage status of the device before the replacement, so it is not possible to recommend software that is appropriate for the usage status of the device before the replacement.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein aims to provide an information processing device and an information processing program that can recommend the installation of software suitable for use in a replaced device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing device according to the first aspect includes a processor that refers to the usage status of each function of the pre-replacement device stored in the pre-replacement device, and if the usage status of the function of the pre-replacement device corresponding to the function of the post-replacement device satisfies predetermined requirements, recommends the installation of software related to the function of the post-replacement device corresponding to the function of the pre-replacement device whose usage status satisfies the requirements.

[0008] An information processing device according to a second aspect is the information processing device according to the first aspect, wherein the recommendation to install the software is made to a user terminal that uses the replaced device.

[0009] In the information processing device of the third aspect, in the information processing device of the first or second aspect, the processor recommends installation of software related to functions of the replaced device that correspond to functions of the pre-replacement device whose usage status meets the requirements, from a list that associates functions of the replaced device with software that is a candidate for installation for using the replaced device.

[0010] In the information processing device of the fourth aspect, in the information processing device of the third aspect, the functions of the pre-replacement device and the software of the installation candidates are classified into categories, and when the software of the installation candidates includes software with no associated functions and the usage status of the functions of the pre-replacement device classified into a category corresponding to the category of the software of the installation candidates satisfies the predetermined requirements, the processor recommends installation of the software of the installation candidates classified into a category corresponding to the category of the pre-replacement device whose usage status satisfies the requirements.

[0011] In the information processing device of the fifth aspect, in the information processing device of the third or fourth aspect, the software candidates for installation and the software already installed on the user terminal using the replaced device are classified into categories, and the processor tally up the number of pieces of software installed on the user terminal by category, and if the tally exceeds a threshold value, recommends the installation of the software candidates for installation classified into a category corresponding to the category that exceeds the threshold value.

[0012] An information processing device according to a sixth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein when there are multiple pieces of software candidates for installation related to one function, the processor recommends installation of the software with the highest predetermined priority for each piece of software candidate for installation.

[0013] An information processing device according to a seventh aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein, if the functions of the replaced device do not match any of the functions of the original device, the processor recommends the installation of software related to the functions of the replaced device.

[0014] An information processing device according to an eighth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the usage status includes the last usage date and the number of usages, and the predetermined requirement is that the last usage date is within a predetermined period and the number of usages exceeds a threshold value.

[0015] An information processing device according to a ninth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the processor refers to the usage status for each user operating a user terminal that uses the replaced equipment.

[0016] An information processing device according to a tenth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the processor acquires the usage status before the pre-replacement device is replaced, stores the acquired usage status in a memory unit, and refers to the stored usage status.

[0017] An information processing device according to an eleventh aspect is the information processing device according to the tenth aspect, wherein the processor periodically collects information from the replaced device.

[0018] An information processing device according to a twelfth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the processor does not recommend the installation of software related to a wired connection function if the distance between the user terminal using the replaced device and the replaced device is greater than a predetermined distance.

[0019] An information processing device according to a 13th aspect is an information processing device according to the 12th aspect, wherein the processor determines that the distance between a user terminal using the replaced device and the replaced device is not greater than a predetermined length when the user terminal and the replaced device are connected to each other via short-range wireless communication with a limited communication distance.

[0020] An information processing device according to a 14th aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to 13th aspects, wherein the processor does not recommend installation of software other than drivers if the location information of the user terminal using the replaced device, the original device, or the replaced device is a public place.

[0021] The information processing program of the 15th aspect causes a computer to execute a process of referring to the usage status of each function of the pre-replacement device stored in the pre-replacement device, and, if the usage status of the function of the pre-replacement device corresponding to the function of the post-replacement device satisfies predetermined requirements, recommending the installation of software related to the function of the post-replacement device corresponding to the function of the pre-replacement device whose usage status satisfies the requirements. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] According to the first and fifteenth aspects, it is possible to recommend the installation of software suitable for use in the replaced device.

[0023] According to the second aspect, it is possible to recommend to the user terminal that software be installed that is suitable for use with the replaced device.

[0024] According to the third aspect, it is possible to recommend software to install from among the candidates for installation prepared in advance.

[0025] According to the fourth aspect, even if no function is associated with the software, it is possible to recommend the installation of the software.

[0026] According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to recommend the installation of software that may be used by software installed on the user terminal.

[0027] According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to prevent duplicate installation of software having the same function.

[0028] According to the seventh aspect, it is possible to recommend the installation of software with a function that does not exist in the device before replacement, ie, the installation of software with a new function.

[0029] According to the eighth aspect, it is possible to recommend the installation of software that has been used a certain number of times within a predetermined period of time.

[0030] According to the ninth aspect, it is possible to recommend to each user the installation of software that is suitable for use with the replaced device.

[0031] According to the tenth aspect, the usage status of the replaced device can be acquired before the device becomes unusable.

[0032] According to the eleventh aspect, the usage status can be backed up periodically.

[0033] According to the twelfth aspect, when it is assumed that a user will use the system from a remote location, it is possible to prevent the installation of a function that cannot be used from a remote location.

[0034] According to the thirteenth aspect, it can be determined that the user is not in a distant location without calculating the distance from the position information.

[0035] According to the fourteenth aspect, it is possible to recommend installation of only the driver software required for temporary use. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of an information processing device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of software installation recommendation processing of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is an example showing a usage state of an image forming apparatus before replacement according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is an example showing a list of software that can be installed on the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is an example showing a software selection screen of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of software installation recommendation processing of an information processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is an example showing a category correspondence table of the information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of software installation non-recommended processing in the information processing device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of software installation non-recommended processing in the information processing device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the technology of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or equivalent components and parts in each drawing. Also, the dimensional proportions of the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0038] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an information processing device 10 of the present disclosure. When replacing a device, the information processing device 10 refers to the usage status of the device 1 before replacement and recommends the installation of software suited to the usage status. Here, the information processing device 10 may recommend installation to the user terminal 3. That is, the information processing device 10 refers to the usage status of the device 1 before replacement and recommends the installation of software suitable for the usage status to the user terminal 3 that uses the replaced device (not shown). In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the device is an image forming device. In particular, in the following, when replacement is performed, the image forming device before replacement will be referred to by reference symbol 1. The information processing device 10 may also recommend installation to a replaced image forming device. That is, the information processing device 10 refers to the usage status of the image forming device 1 before replacement, and recommends installation of software suitable for the usage status to the replaced image forming device.

[0039] Here, both the image forming apparatus 1 before replacement and the image forming apparatus after replacement are apparatuses capable of performing processes such as printing, copying, scanning, and facsimile. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, when there is no need to distinguish between before and after replacement, they may be referred to as image forming apparatuses without a reference symbol. The image forming apparatus can store its own usage status regarding the above-mentioned processes.

[0040] [First embodiment] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of information processing device 10. Information processing device 10 has components including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so as to be able to communicate with each other. In the following description, ROM 12 or storage 14 may be referred to as a storage unit.

[0041] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each component. That is, the CPU 11 reads programs from the ROM 12 or storage 14 and executes the programs using the RAM 13 as a work area. The CPU 11 controls the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 12 or storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or storage 14 stores an information processing program that recommends the installation of software.

[0042] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

[0043] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various inputs.

[0044] The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display unit 16 may also function as the input unit 15 by adopting a touch panel system.

[0045] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as a database, and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0046] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 will be described. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of software installation recommendation processing by the information processing device 10. The software installation recommendation processing is performed by the CPU 11 reading out a software installation recommendation program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, expanding it into the RAM 13, and executing it.

[0047] In step S100, CPU 11 collects usage status from image forming apparatus 1 before replacement. For example, CPU 11 periodically collects usage status accumulated by the image forming apparatus before replacing the image forming apparatus. CPU 11 stores the collected usage status in storage 14. A specific example of usage status will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. CPU 11 proceeds to step S101.

[0048] In step S101, the CPU 11 refers to the usage status, and then the process proceeds to step S102.

[0049] In step S102, the CPU 11 acquires a list of software that is a candidate for installation. For example, the CPU 11 acquires the list of software that is a candidate for installation from an external server that has the list stored therein in advance. The CPU 11 then proceeds to step S103.

[0050] In step S103, the CPU 11 starts a list loop iterative process. In step S103, the CPU 11 determines whether the iterative process has been performed for all the installation candidate software. If it is determined that the iterative process has been performed for all the installation candidate software, the CPU 11 proceeds to step S104. If it is determined that the iterative process has not been performed for all the installation candidate software, the CPU 11 ends the list loop. In the following description, the installation candidate software that is the target of the iterative process will be referred to as "target software."

[0051] In step S104, the CPU 11 determines whether the usage status of the related functions of the target software satisfies predetermined requirements. That is, the CPU 11 determines whether the usage status of the functions of the pre-replacement device that correspond to the functions of the replaced device satisfies the predetermined requirements. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. If it is determined that the usage status of the related functions of the target software satisfies the predetermined requirements (step S104: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S105. If it is determined that the usage status of the related functions of the target software does not satisfy the predetermined requirements (step S104: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S106.

[0052] In step S105, the CPU 11 sets the target software as a recommendation candidate, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S110.

[0053] In step S106, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a function is associated with the target software. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. If it is determined that a function is not associated with the target software (step S106: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S107. If it is determined that a function is associated with the target software (step S106: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S108.

[0054] In step S107, CPU 11 determines whether the usage status of the functions classified into the category of the target software satisfies predetermined requirements. That is, CPU 11 determines whether the usage status of the functions of the pre-replacement device classified into a category corresponding to the category of the software to be installed satisfies the predetermined requirements. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. If it is determined that the usage status of the functions classified into the category of the target software satisfies the predetermined requirements (step S107: Yes), CPU 11 proceeds to step S105. If it is determined that the usage status of the functions classified into the category of the target software does not satisfy the predetermined requirements (step S107: No), CPU 11 proceeds to step S108. When there are multiple functions classified into the category of the target software, the CPU 11 may determine whether any of the functions satisfies the requirements.

[0055] In step S108, CPU 11 determines whether the function of the target software matches any of the functions of image forming device 1 before replacement. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. If it is determined that the function of the target software does not match any of the functions of image forming device 1 before replacement (step S108: Yes), CPU 11 proceeds to step S105. If it is determined that the function of the target software matches any of the functions of image forming device 1 before replacement (step S108: No), CPU 11 proceeds to step S109.

[0056] In step S109, the CPU 11 does not select the target software as a recommendation candidate, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S110.

[0057] In step S110, CPU 11 ends the repeating process of the list loop. Whether or not to end the repeating process is determined based on whether or not the processes of steps S104 to S109 have been executed for all the installation candidate software. When the processes have been executed for all the installation candidate software, step S110 is executed. When there is an unprocessed installation candidate software, the processes from step S104 onwards are executed for the next unprocessed installation candidate software.

[0058] In step S111, the CPU 11 determines whether or not there are multiple pieces of software that are candidates for recommendation related to one function. If it is determined that there are not multiple pieces of software that are candidates for recommendation related to one function (step S111: No), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S112. If it is determined that there are multiple pieces of software that are candidates for recommendation related to one function (step S111: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S113.

[0059] In step S112, the CPU 11 recommends the installation of the recommended software. A specific example will be described later with reference to Fig. 6. The CPU 11 then ends the process.

[0060] In step S113, CPU 11 recommends installation of software with the highest predetermined priority. Note that the priority is determined in advance for each software candidate for installation. A specific example will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. CPU 11 ends the process.

[0061] FIG. 4 is an example showing the usage status 120 of the image forming apparatus 1 before replacement according to the first embodiment. The usage status 120 has the following items: function item, category item, last used date item, and number of uses item. The function item lists the names of the functions provided in the image forming apparatus 1 before replacement. The category item lists the categories into which each function is classified. The last used date lists the date on which each function was last used. The number of uses item lists the number of times each function has been used.

[0062] In the above-mentioned step S100, the CPU 11 collects the usage status 120.

[0063] In step S104, the CPU 11 determines whether the usage status 120 satisfies predetermined requirements. For example, the CPU 11 determines that the predetermined requirements are that the last usage date is within a predetermined period and that the number of usages is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0064] FIG. 5 is an example showing a list 130 of software candidates for installation on the information processing device 10 according to the first embodiment. The list 130 of software candidates for installation includes software items for installation candidates, related function items, category items, and priority items. The software items for installation candidates list software that can be installed on a replaced image forming device. The related function items list the functions of each software candidate for installation. Note that the related functions may correspond to the functions of the function items in FIG. 4 described above. Note also that the information processing device 10 may determine the related functions based on a correspondence table for resolving differences due to differences in the model, version, or manufacturer of the image forming device. The category items list the categories into which each software candidate for installation is classified. The priority items list the priority of each software candidate for installation.

[0065] In step S104, the CPU 11 determines which function is related to the target software based on the related function item in the usage status 120. As a specific example, if the target software is an ARTEX driver, the CPU 11 determines that "Print from PC," which is a related function item of the "ARTEX driver," is the related function. The ARTEX driver is a type of printer driver.

[0066] In step S106, the CPU 11 determines whether a function is associated based on the associated function item. For example, the CPU 11 determines that the function is not associated because the associated function item for the "setup disk creation tool" is "-". On the other hand, the CPU 11 determines that the function is associated because the associated function item for the "ARTEX driver" is "print from PC".

[0067] Furthermore, in step S107 described above, the CPU 11 determines which of the functions classified into the category of the target software refers to based on the category items in the usage status 120 and the category items in the installation candidate software list 130. As a specific example, if the target software is a setup disk creation tool, the CPU 11 identifies the "Print" category in Fig. 5, which is the category to which the "setup disk creation tool" is classified. Then, the CPU 11 determines whether the usage status 120 of the "Print from PC" function and the "USB Print" function classified into the "Print" category in Fig. 4, which corresponds to the "Print" category in Fig. 5, meets predetermined requirements.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned step S108, CPU 11 determines whether the function of the target software matches the function of the related function item in list 130 of software candidates for installation, and the function of image forming apparatus 1 before replacement matches the function of the function item in usage status 120. As a specific example, when the target software is a network scanner utility, CPU 11 determines whether "Mailbox," which is a related function of "Network Scanner Utility" in Fig. 5, matches the function of the function item in Fig. 4.

[0069] Furthermore, in step S113 described above, the CPU 11 recommends installation of the software with the highest priority based on the priority of the priority items in the installation candidate software list 130. As a specific example, if the priority of the "ARTEX driver" is 1 and the priority of the "PS driver" is 2, the CPU 11 will recommend only the "ARTEX driver" which has the highest priority.

[0070] FIG. 6 shows an example of a software selection screen 140 of the information processing device 10 according to the first embodiment. The information processing device 10 displays a software selection screen 140 having a software display area 141 on the display unit 16. The software display area 141 has check items, software items of installation candidates, priority items, and recommended items. The check items are items for checking software to be installed. That is, the information processing device 10 accepts the user's selection of software to be installed using the check items. The software items and priority items of installation candidates are the same as the software items and priority items of installation candidates in the software list 130 of installation candidates. The recommended items indicate whether or not each software of installation candidate is recommended.

[0071] In step S112 or S113 described above, CPU 11 marks the recommended software with a circle, indicating that the software is recommended, in the recommended item in software display area 141. CPU 11 may also turn on a check box in software display area 141 for the recommended software, and display software selection screen 140. CPU 11 may also highlight the text of the software item that is a candidate for installation in software display area 141 for the recommended software.

[0072] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. The method of the second embodiment recommends the installation of software for using a replaced image forming apparatus based on the software installed on the user terminal 3. In addition to the method of the first embodiment, the method of the second embodiment also performs processing to recommend the installation of software. The hardware configuration of the second embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration of the first embodiment. Furthermore, parts with the same configuration and function as those of the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0073] The operation of the information processing device 10 will now be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of software installation recommendation processing by the information processing device 10. The processing shown in the flowchart in Fig. 7 is executed before or after the processing shown in the flowchart in Fig. 3 described above. The information processing device 10 recommends software installation by executing the processing shown in the flowcharts in Fig. 3 and Fig. 7. The processing shown in the flowchart in Fig. 7 may be executed independently of or in parallel with the processing shown in the flowchart in Fig. 3 described above.

[0074] In step S120, the CPU 11 acquires a category correspondence table. For example, the CPU 11 acquires the category correspondence table from a server that stores a category correspondence table created in advance. The category correspondence table will be described later with reference to Fig. 8. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S121.

[0075] In step S121, the CPU 11 counts up, for each category, the number of pieces of software already installed in the user terminal 3 based on the category correspondence table. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S122.

[0076] In step S122, CPU 11 recommends the installation of software candidates for installation that are classified into categories whose aggregated values ​​exceed the threshold. That is, CPU 11 recommends the installation of software candidates for installation that are classified into categories whose aggregated values ​​exceed the threshold, based on the category items in software candidate for installation list 130. CPU 11 then ends the software installation recommendation process.

[0077] 8 is an example showing a category correspondence table 150 of the information processing device 10 according to the second embodiment. The category correspondence table 150 lists categories corresponding to software installed in the user terminal 3. The information processing device 10 acquires the category correspondence table 150, which has been created in advance, from a server (not shown) or the like.

[0078] In step S121, the CPU 11 counts the number of pieces of software for each category based on the category correspondence table 150. As a specific example, the software installed on the user terminal 3 classified in the "Print" category is "Word" and "Photoshop (registered trademark)", so the counted value is 2.

[0079] Furthermore, in step S122 described above, the CPU 11 recommends the installation of software candidates for installation that are classified into a category whose aggregated value exceeds a threshold. As a specific example, when the threshold is 1, the CPU 11 recommends the "ARTEX Driver," "PS Driver," and "Setup Disk Creation Tool," which are software candidates for installation shown in FIG. 5 and are classified into the "Print" category whose aggregated value is 2. As described above in step S113 of FIG. 3, among the "ARTEX Driver" and "PS Driver," only the "ARTEX Driver," which has the highest priority, may be recommended. The software recommended for installation by the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 may be recommended together with the software recommended for installation by the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, or may be recommended separately.

[0080] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. The method of the third embodiment discourages the installation of software for using a replaced image forming apparatus based on the location information of the user terminal 3. The method of the third embodiment performs processing to cancel the recommendation of software that was recommended by the method of the first or second embodiment. The hardware configuration of the third embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration of the first embodiment. Furthermore, parts with the same configuration and function as the first or second embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0081] The operation of the information processing device 10 will now be described. 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing the flow of software installation non-recommended processing by the information processing device 10. Note that the processing shown in the flowcharts of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 is executed after the processing shown in the flowchart of Fig. 3 or Fig. 7 described above.

[0082] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the software installation non-recommended process performed by the information processing device 10.

[0083] In step S140, the CPU 11 acquires the location information of the replaced image forming apparatus and the user terminal 3. For example, the CPU 11 acquires the location information from a GPS (Global Positioning System) installed in the replaced image forming apparatus and the user terminal 3. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S141.

[0084] In step S141, the CPU 11 calculates the distance between the replaced image forming apparatus and the user terminal 3. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S142.

[0085] In step S142, the CPU 11 determines whether the distance is greater than a predetermined length. If it is determined that the distance is greater than the predetermined length (step S142: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S143. If it is determined that the distance is not greater than the predetermined length (step S142: No), the CPU 11 ends the software installation non-recommended process.

[0086] In step S143, the CPU 11 does not recommend the installation of software related to a wired connection function. The wired connection function is, for example, a USB connection function, etc. The CPU 11 ends the process of not recommending the installation of software.

[0087] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the software installation non-recommended process performed by the information processing device 10.

[0088] In step S150, the CPU 11 acquires location information of the user terminal 3, etc. The user terminal 3, etc. is the image forming apparatus 1 before replacement, the image forming apparatus after replacement, or the user terminal 3. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S151.

[0089] In step S151, the CPU 11 determines whether the location information of the user terminal 3 or the like is a public place. A public place is, for example, a library or a convenience store. If it is determined that the location information of the user terminal 3 or the like is a public place (step S151: Yes), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S152. If it is determined that the location information of the user terminal 3 or the like is not a public place (step S151: No), the CPU 11 ends the software installation non-recommendation processing.

[0090] In step S152, the CPU 11 does not recommend the installation of software other than the driver. In other words, when the location information of the user terminal 3 or the like indicates that it is in a public place, the CPU 11 recommends the installation of only the driver software. The CPU 11 ends the process of not recommending the installation of software.

[0091] 9 or 10 may be executed before displaying the software display area 141 of the software selection screen 140. That is, the CPU 11 may execute the flowchart shown in Fig. 9 or 10 before marking the recommended item in the software display area 141 described above in Fig. 6 with a circle.

[0092] [Variations] The information processing apparatuses 10 of the first, second, and third embodiments have been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various improvements and modifications are possible.

[0093] The information processing device 10 may be installed in the user terminal 3 or a replaced image forming device, etc., so that the user terminal 3 or the replaced image forming device can be used as an information processing device.

[0094] 3, the CPU 11 may refer to the usage status 120 of the user who operates the user terminal 3. That is, the image forming device 1 before replacement may store the usage status 120 for each user. This allows the information processing device 10 to recommend the installation of software suitable for each user.

[0095] 9, if the user terminal 3 and the replaced device are connected to each other by short-range wireless communication with a limited communication distance, the CPU 11 may determine that the distance between them is not greater than a predetermined distance. Examples of short-range wireless communication include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0096] The information processing device 10 may recommend the installation of software having a specific attribute when the location information of the user terminal 3 or the like is within a predetermined range. For example, when the location information of the user terminal 3 is a company office, the information processing device 10 recommends the installation of software sold by a specific company.

[0097] If a driver that can be used in the replaced image forming apparatus is already installed, the information processing apparatus 10 may not recommend installing other driver software. For example, if a model-wide driver is already installed, the information processing apparatus 10 may not recommend installing other driver software.

[0098] The information processing device 10 may recommend the installation of driver software with the same PDL (Page Description Language) as the PDL of the currently installed driver.

[0099] The above processing can also be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit, in which case it may be executed by a single piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware.

[0100] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0101] Furthermore, the operations of the processor in each of the above embodiments may be performed not only by a single processor but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0102] The program for operating the information processing device 10 may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a flexible disk, or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is typically transferred and stored in a memory or storage device. The program may be provided as standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of each device of the information processing device 10 as a function of the information processing device 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 Image forming device before replacement 3. User terminal 10. Information processing equipment 120 Usage 130 List of software candidates for installation 140 Software selection screen 141 Software display area 150 Category Correspondence Table

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: Refer to the usage status of each function of the device before replacement that has been stored in the device before replacement, recommending installation of software related to the functions of the replaced device that correspond to the functions of the replaced device whose usage status satisfies a predetermined requirement when the usage status of the functions of the replaced device satisfies a predetermined requirement; The processor: From a list of software to be installed on the replaced device in association with functions of the replaced device, the installation of software related to functions of the replaced device that correspond to functions of the replaced device and whose usage status satisfies the requirements is recommended. Information processing device.

2. The functions of the device before replacement and the software candidates for installation are classified into categories; The processor: If the software candidates for installation include software with no associated functions, and if the usage status of the functions of the pre-replacement device classified into a category corresponding to the category of the software candidates for installation satisfies the predetermined requirement, recommend installation of the software candidates for installation classified into a category corresponding to the category of the pre-replacement device whose usage status satisfies the requirement. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the software candidates for installation and the software already installed on the user terminal using the replaced device are classified into categories; The processor: Counting the number of pieces of software installed on the user terminal by category; If the aggregated value exceeds a threshold, it is recommended to install the software of the installation candidate classified into a category corresponding to the category in which the threshold is exceeded.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. The processor: When there are a plurality of software programs that are candidates for installation related to one function, the software program having the highest predetermined priority for each of the software programs that are candidates for installation is recommended for installation. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a processor; The processor: Refer to the usage status of each function of the device before replacement that has been stored in the device before replacement, recommending installation of software related to the functions of the replaced device that correspond to the functions of the replaced device whose usage status satisfies a predetermined requirement when the usage status of the functions of the replaced device satisfies a predetermined requirement; The processor: If the functionality of the replacement device does not match any of the functionality of the previous device, recommend installing software related to the functionality of the replacement device. Information processing device.

6. a processor; The processor: Refer to the usage status of each function of the device before replacement that has been stored in the device before replacement, recommending installation of software related to the functions of the replaced device that correspond to the functions of the replaced device whose usage status satisfies a predetermined requirement when the usage status of the functions of the replaced device satisfies a predetermined requirement; The processor: When the distance between the user terminal using the replaced device and the replaced device is greater than a predetermined distance, installation of software related to a wired connection function is not recommended. Information processing device.

7. The processor: When a user terminal using the replaced device and the replaced device are connected to each other by short-range wireless communication with a limited communication distance, it is determined that the distance is not greater than a predetermined length. The information processing device according to claim 6 .

8. a processor; The processor: Refer to the usage status of each function of the device before replacement that has been stored in the device before replacement, recommending installation of software related to the functions of the replaced device that correspond to the functions of the replaced device whose usage status satisfies a predetermined requirement when the usage status of the functions of the replaced device satisfies a predetermined requirement; The processor: If the location information of the user terminal using the replaced device, the original device, or the replaced device is a public place, installation of software other than drivers is not recommended. Information processing device.

9. The recommendation to install the software is made to a user terminal that uses the replaced device. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The usage status includes the last usage date and the number of usages, The predetermined requirement is that the last use date is within a predetermined period and the number of uses exceeds a threshold. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The processor: The usage status is referenced for each user who operates a user terminal that uses the replaced device. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The processor: acquiring the usage status of the pre-replacement device before the replacement; storing the acquired usage status in a storage unit; Refer to the stored usage status The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The processor: The usage status is periodically collected from the device before replacement. The information processing device according to claim 12.

14. Refer to the usage status of each function of the device before replacement that has been stored in the device before replacement, recommending installation of software related to the functions of the replaced device that correspond to the functions of the replaced device whose usage status satisfies a predetermined requirement when the usage status of the functions of the replaced device satisfies a predetermined requirement; From a list of software to be installed on the replaced device in association with functions of the replaced device, the installation of software related to functions of the replaced device that correspond to functions of the replaced device and whose usage status satisfies the requirements is recommended. An information processing program that causes a computer to execute a process.

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