Electronic device, notification method and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus that can be notified of the existence of important information to be browsed on an information processing terminal.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus that is communicable with an information processing device includes: a reception unit that receives information about important information to be browsed on an information processing terminal, from the information processing device; and a notification unit that displays a notification screen for notifying the existence of the important information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device, a notification method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] An information processing system that delivers important information that a user wants to view to an information processing terminal is in use. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that notifies a user that there is an unread important document and restricts data processing until the unread important document is output, in order to ensure that the user can view the important document that the user wants to view. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, the conventional technology has a problem in that it may delay users' confirmation of important information. For example, a user who works on an information processing terminal that is not connected to the company network may not be aware that important information has been distributed, and may be delayed in confirming the important information.

[0004] In view of the above technical problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic device capable of notifying a user that there is important information to be viewed on an information processing terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, an electronic device that is one embodiment of the present invention is an electronic device that can communicate with an information processing device, and is equipped with a receiving unit that receives information regarding important information from the information processing device to be viewed on an information processing terminal, and a notification unit that displays a notification screen notifying that important information is available. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can notify a user that there is important information to be viewed on an information processing terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a functional configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a notification method according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user information table according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure of a notification determination unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a notification screen according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a confirmation screen according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, components having the same functions are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0009] [Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention is an information processing system in which a management server distributes important information that a user wants to view to an information processing terminal. In this embodiment, the important information is controlled by the management server so that the user cannot view the important information unless the user logs in to the management server from an information processing terminal connected to an internal network. Therefore, if the user is using a user terminal 3 that is in a state where the important information cannot be viewed (for example, if the user is using an information processing terminal connected to an external network, or if the user is using an information processing terminal connected to the internal network without logging in to the management server), the user will not be able to know that important information has been distributed.

[0010] Therefore, the information processing system in this embodiment notifies the electronic device used by the user that there is important information to view on the information processing terminal, thereby enabling the user to know early that important information has been distributed and to check the important information without delay.

[0011] <Overall configuration of information processing system> First, the overall configuration of an information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0012] 1, an information processing system 100 in this embodiment includes a management server 1, an electronic device 2, and a user terminal 3. The management server 1, the electronic device 2, and the user terminal 3 in this embodiment are each connected to a communication network N1.

[0013] The communication network N1 is configured so that the devices connected thereto can communicate with each other. The communication network N1 is constructed by a wired communication network such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0014] The communication network N1 may include not only wired communication, but also wireless communication networks such as wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication, or mobile communication networks such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or 5G (5th Generation).

[0015] The management server 1 is an information processing device that manages important information distributed to users. The management server 1 holds authentication information set for each user and authenticates the user in response to a request from the electronic device 2 or the user terminal 3.

[0016] The electronic device 2 is a type of electronic device used by a user. The user can use various functions of the electronic device 2 by logging in to the management server 1 using the electronic device 2.

[0017] The user terminal 3 is any of various information processing devices used by a user. By logging in to the management server 1 using the user terminal 3, the user can view the notification information that the management server 1 has distributed to the user.

[0018] In this embodiment, the management server 1 controls the important information delivered to the user so that it can only be viewed on the user terminal 3 connected to the predetermined network. In other words, the user cannot view the important information on the user terminal 3 and electronic device 2 that are not connected to the predetermined network.

[0019] An example of the management server 1 and the user terminal 3 is an information processing device. An example of the electronic device 2 is an image forming device (printer, FAX machine, MFP (Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer: digital multifunction device), scanner device). Note that the management server 1, the electronic device 2, and the user terminal 3 are not limited to information processing devices or image forming devices, as long as they are devices equipped with a communication function.

[0020] The management server 1, electronic device 2, and user terminal 3 may be, for example, an output device such as a PJ (Projector), an IWB (Interactive White Board: an electronic white board with a blackboard function that allows mutual communication), digital signage, a HUD (Head Up Display) device, industrial machinery, an imaging device, a sound collection device, medical equipment, network home appliances, an automobile (Connected Car), a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a game console, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital camera, a wearable PC, or a desktop PC.

[0021] <Hardware configuration of information processing system> Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0022] <Hardware configuration of information processing device> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration when the management server 1 and the user terminal 3 are realized by an information processing device. As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing device includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a HD (Hard Disk) 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0023] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire information processing device. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501.

[0024] The display 506 displays various types of information such as a cursor, menus, windows, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various types of external devices. In this case, the external devices are, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories, printers, etc. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using a communication network. The bus line 510 is an address bus, data bus, etc. for electrically connecting the components such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that this is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0026] <Hardware configuration of image forming device> 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration when the electronic device 2 is realized by an image forming device. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming device includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950.

[0027] Of these, the controller 910 has a CPU 901, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907, which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0028] Of these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus. The NB 903 is a bridge that connects the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0029] The MEM-P 902 comprises a ROM 902a, which is memory for storing programs and data that realize the functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b, which is used for expanding the programs and data and as a drawing memory during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0030] The SB 904 is a bridge for connecting the NB 903 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The ASIC 906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and serves as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD 908, and MEM-C 907. The ASIC 906 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 907, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the scanner unit 931 and printer unit 932 via the PCI bus 922. A USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) interface may also be connected to the ASIC 906.

[0031] The MEM-C907 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD909 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD909 under the control of the CPU901. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing, and direct high-throughput access to the MEM-P902 enables the graphics accelerator card to operate at high speed.

[0032] Further, the short-distance communication circuit 920 includes a short-distance communication circuit 920a. The short-distance communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth.

[0033] Furthermore, the engine control unit 930 is made up of a scanner unit 931 and a printer unit 932. The operation panel 940 is equipped with a panel display unit 940a, such as a touch panel, that displays current setting values ​​and selection screens and receives inputs from the operator, and an operation panel 940b that includes a numeric keypad that receives setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density setting conditions and a start key that receives a copy start command. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and inputs from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 includes an image processing unit that performs error diffusion, gamma conversion, and the like.

[0034] The image forming apparatus can sequentially switch among the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. When the document box function is selected, the apparatus enters document box mode, when the copy function is selected, the apparatus enters copy mode, when the printer function is selected, the apparatus enters printer mode, and when the facsimile mode is selected, the apparatus enters facsimile mode.

[0035] The network I / F 950 is an interface for performing data communication using a communication network. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I / F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via a PCI bus 922.

[0036] <Functional configuration of information processing system> Next, the functional configuration of the information processing system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device included in the information processing system 100 in this embodiment.

[0037] <<Functional configuration of the management server>> As shown in FIG. 4, the management server 1 in this embodiment includes a user information storage unit 10, an important information management unit 11, an authentication processing unit 12, and an important information transmission unit 13.

[0038] The user information storage unit 10 is realized, for example, by using the HD 504 shown in Fig. 2. Reading or writing of data stored in the HD 504 is performed via an HDD controller 505, for example.

[0039] The important information management unit 11, the authentication processing unit 12, and the important information transmission unit 13 are realized by, for example, processing that is executed by the CPU 501 in accordance with a program loaded from the HD 504 onto the RAM 503 shown in FIG.

[0040] The user information storage unit 10 stores user information relating to users, including authentication information used for authenticating the users and management information relating to important information distributed to the users.

[0041] The important information management unit 11 manages the important information stored in the user information storage unit 10. The management of important information includes the creation and status change of important information.

[0042] The authentication processing unit 12 receives an authentication request from the electronic device 2 or the user terminal 3. Furthermore, the authentication processing unit 12 uses the authentication information stored in the user information storage unit 10 to authenticate the user.

[0043] When the authentication processing unit 12 has successfully authenticated a user, the important information transmission unit 13 acquires management information related to the important information distributed to the user from the user information storage unit 10. Furthermore, the important information transmission unit 13 transmits the acquired management information to the electronic device 2 or the user terminal 3 that has sent the authentication request.

[0044] <Functional configuration of electronic devices> As shown in FIG. 4, the electronic device 2 in this embodiment includes an authentication request unit 21, a notification determination unit 22, and an important information notification unit .

[0045] The authentication request unit 21, the notification determination unit 22, and the important information notification unit 23 are realized by, for example, processing that is executed by the CPU 901 in accordance with a program loaded from the HD 909 onto the RAM 902b shown in FIG.

[0046] In response to a user operation, the authentication request unit 21 transmits an authentication request to the management server 1. The authentication request includes authentication information input by the user. The authentication request unit 21 also receives from the management server 1 management information related to important information distributed to users who have been successfully authenticated.

[0047] The notification determination unit 22 determines, based on the management information received from the management server 1, whether or not there is unread important information.

[0048] The important information notification unit 23 displays a notification screen on the operation panel 940 or the like, informing the user that there is unread important information, in accordance with the determination result of the notification determination unit 22.

[0049] <<Functional configuration of user terminal>> As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 3 in this embodiment includes an authentication request unit 31 and an important information display unit 32.

[0050] The authentication request unit 31 and the important information display unit 32 are realized by, for example, processing that is executed by the CPU 501 in accordance with a program loaded from the HD 504 onto the RAM 503 shown in FIG.

[0051] In response to a user operation, the authentication request unit 31 transmits an authentication request to the management server 1. The authentication request includes authentication information input by the user. The authentication request unit 31 also receives important information delivered to a user who has been successfully authenticated from the management server 1.

[0052] In response to a user operation, the important information display unit 32 displays the important information received from the management server 1 on the display 506 etc. The important information display unit 32 also requests the management server 1 to change the state of the displayed important information.

[0053] <Information processing system processing procedure> Next, a notification method executed by the information processing system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the notification method executed by the information processing system 100 in this embodiment.

[0054] In step S11A, the important information management unit 11 included in the management server 1 creates important information to be distributed to users in response to an operation by an administrator of the information processing system 100. Next, the important information management unit 11 stores management information related to the created important information in association with the user information stored in the user information storage unit 10.

[0055] Here, the user information in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the user information in this embodiment.

[0056] In this embodiment, user information is stored in a user information table. As shown in Fig. 6, the user information table in this embodiment has, as data items, authentication information (employee ID and password) and management information related to important information distributed to the user (total number of pieces of information, one or more information IDs, and read flags). The total number of pieces of information is the number of important information pieces distributed to the user.

[0057] The employee ID is identification information that identifies the user. The information ID is identification information that identifies the content of the important information delivered to the user. The read flag is a flag that indicates whether the important information has been read or not.

[0058] The important information management unit 11 first identifies, in the user information table, user information related to the user to whom important information is to be distributed. Next, the important information management unit 11 updates the user information table so as to associate the important information with the identified user information. At this time, the important information management unit 11 sets the read flag to "unread." Furthermore, the important information management unit 11 increments the total number of pieces of information.

[0059] Returning to Fig. 5, the explanation will be made. In step S21, the authentication request unit 21 included in the electronic device 2 transmits an authentication request to the management server 1 in response to a user operation. The authentication request includes authentication information entered by the user. The authentication information may be entered into the electronic device 2, for example, by reading an IC card on which the authentication information is recorded using the short-range communication circuit 920, or by the user entering the authentication information into an authentication screen displayed on the operation panel 940.

[0060] In step S12A, the authentication processing unit 12 included in the management server 1 receives an authentication request from the electronic device 2. Next, the authentication processing unit 12 determines whether or not any authentication information stored in the user information storage unit 10 matches the authentication information included in the received authentication request.

[0061] If matching authentication information exists, the authentication processing unit 12 determines that the authentication is successful. On the other hand, if matching authentication information does not exist, the authentication processing unit 12 determines that the authentication is unsuccessful. If the authentication is successful, the authentication processing unit 12 sends the authentication result to the important information transmission unit 13. The authentication result includes the employee ID of the employee who was successfully authenticated. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the user authentication was successful.

[0062] In step S13A, the important information transmission unit 13 included in the management server 1 receives the authentication result from the authentication processing unit 12. Next, the important information transmission unit 13 identifies the user information stored in the user information storage unit 10 by the employee ID included in the received authentication result.

[0063] Next, the important information transmission unit 13 acquires the management information included in the identified user information. Then, the important information transmission unit 13 returns the acquired management information to the electronic device 2. In the electronic device 2, the authentication request unit 21 receives the management information from the management server 1. Next, the authentication request unit 21 sends the received management information to the notification determination unit 22.

[0064] In step S22, the notification determination unit 22 included in the electronic device 2 receives the management information from the authentication request unit 21. Next, the notification determination unit 22 determines whether or not to perform a notification based on the received management information.

[0065] Here, the determination process performed by the notification determination unit will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the notification determination unit.

[0066] In step S22-1, the notification determination unit 22 determines whether the total number of pieces of information included in the management information received from the management server 1 is 1 or more. If the total number of pieces of information is 1 or more (YES), the notification determination unit 22 proceeds to step S22-2. If the total number of pieces of information is 0 (NO), the notification determination unit 22 proceeds to step S22-4.

[0067] In step S22-2, the notification determination unit 22 counts the number of read flags included in the management information received from the management server 1 that are set to "unread" (hereinafter also referred to as "number of unread items"). Then, the notification determination unit 22 determines whether the number of unread items is 1 or more. If the number of unread items is 1 or more (YES), the notification determination unit 22 proceeds to step S22-3. If the number of unread items is 0 (NO), the notification determination unit 22 proceeds to step S22-4.

[0068] In step S22-3, the notification determination unit 22 determines that a notification has been made. In this case, the notification determination unit 22 sends the number of unread items to the important information notification unit 23. On the other hand, in step S22-4, the notification determination unit 22 determines that no notification has been made. In this case, the notification determination unit 22 ends the processing. In the following, the explanation will continue assuming that a notification has been made.

[0069] 5, in step S23, the important information notification unit 23 included in the electronic device 2 receives the number of unread items from the notification determination unit 22. Next, the important information notification unit 23 displays a notification screen including the number of unread items on the operation panel 940 or the like.

[0070] The notification screen in this embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the notification screen in this embodiment.

[0071] 8, a notification screen 2000 in this embodiment is displayed on the operation panel 940. The notification screen 2000 includes the number of unread items ("n items" in FIG. 8), and displays a message instructing the user to check the important information from the user terminal 3 ("Log in to your computer and check the contents" in FIG. 8).

[0072] 5, in step S31, the authentication request unit 31 included in the user terminal 3 transmits an authentication request to the management server 1 in response to a user operation. The authentication information is input into the user terminal 3 by, for example, the user inputting the authentication information into an authentication screen displayed on the display 506.

[0073] In step S12B, the authentication processing unit 12 included in the management server 1 receives an authentication request from the user terminal 3. Next, the authentication processing unit 12 determines whether or not any authentication information stored in the user information storage unit 10 matches the authentication information included in the received authentication request. If the authentication is successful, the authentication processing unit 12 sends the authentication result to the important information transmission unit 13. In the following, the explanation will continue assuming that the user authentication is successful.

[0074] In step S13B, the important information transmission unit 13 included in the management server 1 receives the authentication result from the authentication processing unit 12. Next, the important information transmission unit 13 identifies the user information stored in the user information storage unit 10 by the employee ID included in the received authentication result.

[0075] Next, the important information transmission unit 13 acquires the management information included in the identified user information. Then, the important information transmission unit 13 returns the acquired management information to the user terminal 3. In the user terminal 3, the authentication request unit 31 receives the management information from the management server 1. Next, the authentication request unit 31 sends the received management information to the important information display unit 32.

[0076] In step S32A, the important information display unit 32 included in the user terminal 3 receives the management information from the authentication request unit 31. Next, the important information display unit 32 displays a confirmation screen for displaying the important information on the display 506 or the like, based on the management information received from the management server 1.

[0077] The confirmation screen in this embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the confirmation screen in this embodiment.

[0078] 9, confirmation screen 3000 in this embodiment has a display field 3001 for displaying the contents of important information, a "Confirm" button 3007, a "Next" button 3008, and a "Close" button 3009. Note that if the total number of pieces of information included in the management information is one, "Next" button 3008 is controlled so that it cannot be pressed.

[0079] The display field 3001 displays a text obtained by converting the information ID included in the management information into natural language. The conversion from the information ID to the text is performed, for example, according to a correspondence table between the information ID and the text. The correspondence table may be stored in the management server 1 or in the user terminal 3.

[0080] When the "Confirm" button 3007 is pressed on the confirmation screen 3000, the important information display unit 32 requests the management server 1 to change the displayed important information to read. When the "Next" button 3008 is pressed, the important information display unit 32 displays a message corresponding to the next important information in the display field 3001. When the "Close" button 3009 is pressed, the important information display unit 32 closes the confirmation screen 3000.

[0081] Returning to Fig. 5, in step S32B, the important information display unit 32 included in the user terminal 3 sends a status change request to change the displayed important information to read to the management server 1. The status change request includes the employee ID and the information ID.

[0082] In step S11B, the important information management unit 11 included in the management server 1 receives the status change request from the user terminal 3. Next, the important information management unit 11 identifies the user information stored in the user information storage unit 10 by the employee ID included in the status change request. Then, the important information management unit 11 changes the read flag corresponding to the information ID included in the status change request to "read" in the identified user information.

[0083] <Effects of the embodiment> The electronic device 2 in this embodiment receives information regarding important information to be viewed on the user terminal 3 and displays a notification screen notifying that there is unread important information. As a result, the electronic device 2 in this embodiment can notify a user who is using a user terminal 3 that is in a state where it cannot display important information that there is important information. Therefore, the electronic device 2 in this embodiment can allow the user to check the important information without delay.

[0084] For example, a user who works from home or in a remote office without connecting to the company network (or without logging in to the management server 1) can be notified that there is important information that should be checked on the user terminal 3 by a notification screen that is displayed on the operation panel 940 when using the electronic device 2. The user who receives the notification can check the important information by logging in to the user terminal 3 connected to the company network.

[0085] In particular, the electronic device 2 in this embodiment displays a notification screen immediately after the user is successfully authenticated. Since an authentication request in the electronic device 2 requires an operation on the operation panel, the possibility that the user will overlook the notification screen can be reduced.

[0086] Furthermore, the electronic device 2 in this embodiment displays a notification screen every time user authentication is successful until all important information has been read. Since the notification is repeated until the user has confirmed the important information, it is possible to ensure that the user confirms the important information.

[0087] [supplement] In each of the above embodiments, the management server is an example of an information processing device, the user terminal is an example of an information processing terminal, and the authentication request unit 21 is an example of a receiving unit.

[0088] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a conventional circuit module designed to perform each function described above.

[0089] The devices described in the embodiments represent only one of multiple computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the management server 1 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and perform the processes disclosed herein.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 Management Server 2 Electronic equipment 3. User terminal 10 User information storage unit 11 Important Information Management Department 12 Authentication processing section 13 Important Information Transmission Department 21 Authentication Request Section 22 Notification Judgment Unit 23 Important Information Notification Department 31 Authentication Request Section 32 Important information display section 100 Information Processing Systems [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0092] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-157073

Claims

1. An electronic device capable of communicating with an information processing device, an authentication request unit that transmits an authentication request for the user to the information processing device in response to the user's operation on an operation panel; a receiving unit that receives, from the information processing device, information about important information that is controlled so that it can be viewed only from an information processing terminal connected to a predetermined network; a notification unit that, when authentication of a user using the information processing terminal that is not connected to the predetermined network is successful, displays on the operation panel a notification screen instructing the user to view the important information distributed to the user on the information processing terminal; An electronic device comprising:

2. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, the information about the important information includes information indicating whether the important information has been read or not; the notification unit displays the notification screen when there is unread important information. electronic equipment.

3. An electronic device capable of communicating with an information processing device, an authentication request procedure for transmitting an authentication request for the user to the information processing device in response to a user's operation on an operation panel; a receiving step of receiving, from the information processing device, information regarding important information that is controlled so that it can be viewed only from an information processing terminal connected to a predetermined network; a notification step of displaying, on the operation panel, a notification screen instructing a user who uses the information processing terminal that is not connected to the predetermined network to view the important information distributed to the user on the information processing terminal when the authentication of the user is successful; Notification method to perform.

4. An electronic device capable of communicating with an information processing device, an authentication request procedure for transmitting an authentication request for the user to the information processing device in response to a user's operation on an operation panel; a receiving step of receiving, from the information processing device, information regarding important information that is controlled so that it can be viewed only from an information processing terminal connected to a predetermined network; a notification step of displaying, on the operation panel, a notification screen instructing a user who uses the information processing terminal that is not connected to the predetermined network to view the important information distributed to the user on the information processing terminal when the authentication of the user is successful; A program to execute.

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