Information processing device and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus and a program for controlling non-shared setting information while reducing a burden on a user, compared with a case where history information selected from among pieces of history information generated by a user's operation is registered as common setting information available for a plurality of users.SOLUTION: In an image forming apparatus 10, when the details of processing in an executed job satisfies a preset condition, a control unit 35 registers setting information in which a setting value in the details of processing is stored for every setting item as common setting information available for a plurality of users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an image forming device that stores job parameters shared by a group including multiple image forming devices, and if the job parameters cannot be executed with the capabilities of the device itself, corrects the job parameters to job parameters that can be executed with the capabilities of the device itself, thereby allowing the registered job parameters to be used normally.

[0003] Patent document 2 discloses an information processing device that, when generating job execution results as history information, conceals all or part of the history information according to the viewer's authority and presents it as concealed history information, thereby making it possible to present information in the job history information that should be kept confidential according to the viewer's authority. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-059136 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-154819 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There is a function to select history information of processing content that is likely to be executed again from the history information generated when processing is executed, and store setting information in which setting values ​​for the processing content of the history information are stored for each setting item as shared setting information. This function allows multiple users to execute processing using the same setting information.

[0006] However, in order for multiple users to execute processes using the same setting information, a user such as an administrator user must manually select and register arbitrary history information from a large amount of history information as shared setting information. However, selecting and registering the desired history information as shared setting information is a burden for the user. On the other hand, if the setting information for the executed process is automatically registered as shared setting information without any conditions, it is impossible to control the setting information that is not to be shared.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device and program that can control non-shared setting information while reducing the burden on the user compared to when history information selected from history information generated by user operation is registered as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing device of a first aspect of the present invention includes a processor, and when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions, the processor registers setting information in which setting values ​​for the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users.

[0009] An information processing device of a second aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the first aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is that image data to be processed does not contain confidential information.

[0010] An information processing device of a third aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the second aspect, in which the absence of confidential information means that the image data to be processed does not contain personal information that can identify an individual.

[0011] An information processing device of a fourth aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the second aspect, in which the absence of confidential information means that the image data to be processed does not contain text information indicating that confidential information is contained.

[0012] An information processing device of a fifth aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the first aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is a predetermined processing condition.

[0013] An information processing device of a sixth aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the fifth aspect, wherein the predetermined processing condition is that the executed processing content does not include destination information of personal attributes or storage destination information of personal attributes.

[0014] An information processing device of a seventh aspect of the present invention is an information processing device of the fifth aspect, wherein the predetermined processing conditions are such that the destination information of personal attributes or the storage destination information of personal attributes in the executed processing content is included in a pre-registered destination list or storage destination list.

[0015] An information processing device of an eighth aspect of the present invention is an information processing device of any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein, when the executed processing content satisfies a predetermined condition, the processor does not generate history information that would be generated when the processing is executed, but instead registers setting information in which setting values ​​for the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users.

[0016] An information processing device of a ninth aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the eighth aspect, wherein the processor generates the history information when the content of the executed processing does not satisfy a preset condition.

[0017] An information processing device of a 10th aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the 9th aspect, wherein the processor is capable of registering shared setting information by an administrator user who manages the device selecting from the history information.

[0018] An 11th aspect of the information processing device of the present invention is the information processing device of the 10th aspect, wherein the processor displays the shared setting information registered by the administrator user in a manner distinct from the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions.

[0019] A twelfth aspect of the information processing device of the present invention is the information processing device of the eleventh aspect, in which the processor displays, in different colors, the shared setting information registered by the administrator user and the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions.

[0020] An information processing device of a 13th aspect of the present invention is an information processing device of the 11th aspect, in which the processor distinguishes between the shared setting information registered by the administrator user and the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions by adding specific characters to the name of at least one of them.

[0021] An information processing device of a 14th aspect of the present invention is an information processing device of any one of the 10th to 13th aspects, in which the processor displays, in this order, shared setting information registered by the administrator user, shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions, and personal setting information registered by a general user.

[0022] An information processing device of a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the first aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is a predetermined type of processing.

[0023] An information processing device of a 16th aspect of the present invention is the information processing device of the first aspect, wherein the preset condition is a process by a user that is preset.

[0024] A seventeenth aspect of the program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a step of registering setting information in which setting values ​​for the executed processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users, when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the information processing device of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to control setting information that is not to be shared while reducing the burden on the user compared to when history information selected from generated history information is registered as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users through user operation.

[0026] According to the information processing device of the second aspect of the present invention, when image data includes confidential information, it is possible to prevent setting information for processing the image data from being registered as shared setting information.

[0027] According to the information processing device of the third aspect of the present invention, when image data includes personal information, it is possible to prevent the setting information for processing the image data from being registered as shared setting information.

[0028] According to the information processing device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, when image data includes confidential information, it is possible to prevent the setting information for processing the image data from being registered as shared setting information.

[0029] According to the information processing device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the executed processing content does not satisfy the predetermined processing conditions, it is possible to prevent the processing setting information corresponding to the executed processing content from being registered as shared setting information.

[0030] According to the information processing device of the sixth aspect of the present invention, if the content of the executed processing is a processing that is not intended to be used by multiple users, it can be prevented from being registered as shared setting information.

[0031] According to the information processing device of the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the executed processing content is a process that is expected to be used by multiple users, it can be registered as shared setting information, thereby improving user operability.

[0032] According to the information processing device of the eighth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to register the setting information of a process corresponding to the executed processing content as shared setting information without reducing the memory capacity.

[0033] According to the information processing device of the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to register, as shared setting information, setting information for a process corresponding to the executed process content from the history information.

[0034] According to the information processing device of the tenth aspect of the present invention, even if the executed processing content does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, shared setting information can be registered by selecting from the administrator user's history information.

[0035] According to the information processing device of the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily distinguish between shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions and shared setting information registered by an administrator user.

[0036] According to the information processing device of the 12th aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily distinguish between shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions and shared setting information registered by an administrator user.

[0037] According to the information processing device of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily distinguish between shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions and shared setting information registered by an administrator user.

[0038] According to the information processing device of the 14th aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve user operability even when the number of pieces of information becomes large among the shared setting information registered by an administrator user, the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions, and the personal setting information.

[0039] According to the information processing device of the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent setting information for processes other than the pre-set types of processes from being registered as shared setting information.

[0040] According to the information processing device of the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent setting information for processes other than those by a preset user from being registered as shared setting information.

[0041] According to the program of the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to control setting information that is not to be shared while reducing the burden on the user compared to when history information selected from generated history information is registered as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users through user operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a personal setting information management table stored in a setting information storage unit 37. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a shared setting information management table stored in a setting information storage unit 37. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display screen that is displayed when a user touches an icon for using a quick function. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation performed when a general user pins job history information to register it as personal setting information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen after job history information 64 has been pinned and changed to personal setting information 65. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation menu when user A operates the operation menu button 60 of personal setting information 66 in a pinned state. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation performed when an administrator user registers new sharing setting information. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen after job history information 67 has been changed to shared setting information 68. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the process performed by the control unit 35 when a job is executed and the control unit 35 determines whether or not to register the processing details of the job as shared setting information. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart for explaining a determination process when an original image is transmitted by FAX. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a scanned document image. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a whitelist. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen after sharing setting information has been registered. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen after sharing setting information has been registered. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen after sharing setting information has been registered. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 1, an image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured with an image forming apparatus 10 and a terminal apparatus 20, which are interconnected via a network 30. The terminal apparatus 20 generates print data and transmits the generated print data to the image forming apparatus 10 via the network 30. The image forming apparatus 10 receives the print data transmitted from the terminal apparatus 20 and outputs an image on paper in accordance with the print data. The image forming apparatus 10 is a so-called multifunction device that has multiple functions, such as printing, scanning, copying, and facsimile functions.

[0046] Next, the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 in the image forming system of this embodiment is shown in FIG.

[0047] 2, the image forming apparatus 10 has a CPU 11, a memory 12, a storage device 13 such as a hard disk drive, a communication interface (abbreviated as IF) 14 that transmits and receives data to and from external devices via a network 30, a user interface (abbreviated as UI) device 15 that includes a touch panel or liquid crystal display and a keyboard, a scanner 16, and a print engine 17. These components are connected to one another via a control bus 18.

[0048] The print engine 17 prints an image on a recording medium such as printing paper through processes such as charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing.

[0049] The CPU 11 is a processor that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 by executing predetermined processes based on a control program stored in the memory 12 or the storage device 13. While the present embodiment has been described as the CPU 11 reading and executing the control program stored in the memory 12 or the storage device 13, this is not limiting. The control program may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. For example, the program may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disc such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or in a semiconductor memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a memory card. The control program may also be obtained from an external device via a communication line connected to the communication interface 14.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 realized by executing the above control program.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming device 10 of this embodiment includes an authentication unit 31, an operation input unit 32, a display unit 33, a data transmission / reception unit 34, a control unit 35, an image reading unit 36, a setting information storage unit 37, and an image output unit 38.

[0052] The authentication unit 31 executes authentication processing for a user who attempts to use the image forming apparatus 10. The display unit 33 is controlled by the control unit 35 and displays various information to the user. The operation input unit 32 inputs various operation information performed by the user.

[0053] The data transmitter / receiver 34 transmits and receives data to and from external devices such as the terminal device 20 .

[0054] The control unit 35 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10, and performs various functions, such as generating print data based on a print job received from the terminal device 20 via the data transmission / reception unit 34, controlling the output of the generated print data from the image output unit 38, and controlling the reading of an original image by the image reading unit 36. The setting information storage unit 37 stores job history information indicating the execution history of various jobs, such as print jobs, scan jobs, copy jobs, and fax transmission jobs, executed by the control unit 35, as well as setting information in which setting values ​​used when executing processing are stored for each setting item. Here, the job history information is history information on the processing content of jobs executed in the past.

[0055] The image output unit 38 outputs an image onto a recording medium such as printing paper under the control of the control unit 35. The image reading unit 36 ​​reads an original image from a set original under the control of the control unit 35.

[0056] Here, the setting information storage unit 37 stores a personal setting information management table for managing personal setting information that is available only to specific users, in which setting values ​​for executing processing are stored for each setting item, and a shared setting information management table for managing shared setting information that is available to multiple users.

[0057] An example of the personal setting information management table stored in the setting information storage unit 37 is shown in FIG.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 4, the personal setting information management table manages job history information, including the name, job type, setting contents, and last use date and time of each job executed in the past, as well as personal setting information pinned by user operation from this job history information. When a user wants to execute a job with the same settings as the settings of a previously executed job, the user can execute the job with the same settings, such as the setting values, in the job history information by selecting the job history information. Note that job history information is also included in personal setting information available only to specific users. In other words, job history information is personal setting information in an unpinned state. However, in the following description, pinned setting information available only to specific users will be referred to as personal setting information, and unpinned setting information available only to specific users will be referred to as job history information.

[0059] When a user uses the image forming apparatus 10 to execute a job, new job history information is generated each time the job is executed. However, there is a limit to the data storage area, and storing all the job history information may result in insufficient data storage area. For this reason, an upper limit is set, such as keeping job history information for only the most recent 200 jobs, and job history information exceeding the upper limit is deleted starting with the oldest execution date and time.

[0060] Therefore, you can pin job history that you do not want to delete so that it will not be deleted. Pinned job history is managed as personal setting information and will remain without being deleted even if the number of jobs executed later exceeds the upper limit.

[0061] For example, referring to the personal setting information management table in Figure 4, we can see that setting information named "General Affairs Department" and "Fax to Travel Agency" is pinned and managed separately from regular job history information. In other words, this pinned personal setting information remains and continues to be displayed on the operation screen regardless of the number of jobs executed later. Therefore, if you register frequently used job history information as personal setting information by pinning it, you can use that personal setting information multiple times to execute jobs with the same settings.

[0062] Here, the personal setting information and job history information shown in Fig. 4 are setting information that can only be used by a specific user, such as user A. However, there are cases where such setting information is desired to be used by multiple users. For this reason, the personal setting information can be changed to shared setting information. Note that shared setting information is available to all logged-in users.

[0063] FIG. 5 shows an example of a shared setting information management table for managing such shared setting information.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 5, the shared setting information management table manages information such as the name of each job, the job type, and setting contents.

[0065] For example, referring to the shared setting information management table in Fig. 5, the shared setting information named "recommended copy settings" has a job type of "copy" and its settings are stored. For example, in the shared setting information named "recommended copy settings," the setting value "1 copy" is set for the setting item "number of copies," and the setting value "100%" is set for the setting item "magnification."

[0066] However, if general users who use devices are allowed to freely register their personal setting information as shared setting information, there is a risk that shared setting information with similar settings will be registered by each user, resulting in the addition of unnecessary shared setting information.Furthermore, if a large number of shared setting information is registered, it may become difficult to know which shared setting information to select, making it difficult to use.

[0067] Therefore, when the control unit 35 displays a setting screen including the above-mentioned personal setting information and shared setting information on the display unit 33, it accepts an operation to register the personal setting information as shared setting information only from an administrator user who has broader authority than a general user who uses the device.

[0068] Here, a general user is a user who is permitted to use the device but is not permitted to change the settings of the device, and an administrator user, also known as a machine administrator, is a user who is granted broader authority than a general user by requiring authentication such as entering a special password, and is a user who is entrusted with managing the device.

[0069] That is, in the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment, a general user can only select shared setting information and execute a job based on the processing content of the shared setting information.

[0070] In the image forming device 10 of this embodiment, a quick function is provided that allows a new job to be executed using the settings of a previously executed job by selecting the above-mentioned job history information, personal setting information, and shared setting information.

[0071] Figure 6 shows an example of the display screen that appears when the user touches an icon to use a quick function.

[0072] The control unit 35 generates a display screen as shown in Fig. 6 based on the personal setting information management table and the shared setting information management table stored in the setting information storage unit 37, and displays it on the operation panel. In the example display screen shown in Fig. 6, it can be seen that shared setting information 61, personal setting information 62, and job history information 63 are displayed in a list.

[0073] The example of the display screen for the quick function shown in Fig. 6 is an example of a display screen that is displayed when user A logs in in a state in which the personal setting information management table shown in Fig. 4 and the shared setting information management table shown in Fig. 5 are stored in the setting information storage unit 37. However, due to display space limitations, some of the job histories displayed on the job history list display screen are omitted.

[0074] In the example display screen shown in FIG. 6, the shared setting information 61 and the personal setting information 62 are displayed with a pinned mark 50 indicating that they are in a pinned state.

[0075] As new jobs are executed, the oldest job history information 63 is deleted in order. However, the shared setting information 61 and personal setting information 62 with pinned marks 50 are not affected even when new jobs are executed, and continue to be displayed in the same location without changing the display position.

[0076] When a user wishes to execute a job with the same content as a job executed in the past, the user can execute the job with the desired settings without having to specify detailed settings by simply selecting the setting with the same or similar content as the setting of the job to be executed from the list of shared setting information 61, personal setting information 62, and job history information 63 displayed in this manner.

[0077] For example, a user can simply select shared setting information named "Support Center" to perform scan transmission to the same destination as usual without having to enter destination information or various setting values.

[0078] Next, the operation when the user performs an operation on such a display screen will be described.

[0079] First, an example of an operation when a general user pins job history information and registers it as personal setting information is shown in FIGS.

[0080] In the operation screen shown in FIG. 7, an operation menu button 60 is displayed on the right edge of the shared setting history, personal setting information, and job history information, allowing various operations to be performed.

[0081] For example, FIG. 7 shows an operation menu that is displayed when user A, a general user, operates the operation menu button 60 displayed in the job history information 64.

[0082] 7, an operation menu consisting of the operation items "Pin" and "Delete" is displayed. When the user selects the operation item "Pin" from this operation menu, the job history information 64 is pinned and changed to personal setting information.

[0083] FIG. 8 shows an example of the operation screen after the job history information 64 has been pinned and changed to personal setting information 65.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that new personal setting information 65 with a pinned mark 50 attached has been created by pinning the job history information 64 in FIG.

[0085] FIG. 9 shows an example of an operation menu when user A operates the operation menu button 60 of the pinned personal setting information 66.

[0086] 9, when user A operates the operation menu button 60 for personal setting information that is already pinned, operation items "Unpin" and "Delete" are displayed in the operation menu. When user A selects the operation item "Unpin" from this operation menu, the pinned state of this personal setting information 66 is released, and the information returns to normal job history information. When user A selects the operation item "Delete" from this operation menu, this personal setting information 66 is deleted.

[0087] Next, an example of operations when an administrator user logs in to the image forming apparatus 10 and registers new sharing setting information is shown in FIGS.

[0088] 10, when an administrator user who is a machine administrator operates the operation menu button 60 for job history information named "user3@sample.com" while logged in to the image forming apparatus 10, operation items "Make Shared" and "Delete" are displayed in the operation menu. When the administrator user selects the operation item "Make Shared" from this operation menu, this job history information 67 is registered as shared setting information.

[0089] FIG. 11 shows an example of the operation screen after the job history information 67 has been changed to the shared setting information 68.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 11, it can be seen that new shared setting information 68 with a pinned mark 50 attached has been created as a result of an operation to share the job history information 67 in FIG.

[0091] As described above, an administrator user can register new shared setting information. The newly registered shared setting information is then displayed on the quick function display screen of all users. This allows all users to execute jobs using the same setting contents.

[0092] However, if only the administrator user is allowed to register such shared setting information, the administrator user must select any job history information from a large number of pieces of job history information and register it as shared setting information. Therefore, when registering shared setting information, an operation by the administrator user is always required, which may be a burden for the administrator user.

[0093] Therefore, the image forming device 10 of the present invention is configured as shown below to reduce the burden on the administrator user when registering shared setting information while controlling non-shared setting information.

[0094] Specifically, when the processing content of the executed job satisfies the predetermined conditions, the control unit 35 registers the setting information in which the setting values ​​for the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users.

[0095] Here, the preset condition is, for example, that the image data to be processed does not contain confidential information. Furthermore, the fact that the image data to be processed does not contain confidential information means, for example, that the image data to be processed does not contain personal information that can identify an individual.

[0096] Confidential information is information that you do not want to be known to third parties, and includes, for example, personal information such as telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses, personal names, credit card numbers, and other confidential information.

[0097] Furthermore, the fact that the image data to be processed does not contain confidential information specifically means that the image data to be processed does not contain text information indicating that confidential information is included.

[0098] Furthermore, a predetermined condition may be set as a predetermined processing condition. For example, the predetermined processing condition may be that the executed processing content does not include personal attribute destination information or personal attribute storage destination information. Alternatively, the predetermined processing condition may be that the personal attribute destination information or personal attribute storage destination information in the executed processing content is included in a pre-registered destination list or storage destination list.

[0099] Here, the pre-registered destination list or storage destination list is, for example, a list known as a whitelist. Here, a whitelist refers to a list that lists only destinations and storage destinations that are deemed to be safe to register as shared setting information. Conversely, it is also possible to generate a blacklist, a list of destination information or storage destination information that may be problematic if registered as part of the shared setting information, and to prevent job parameters that use destinations or storage destinations included in this blacklist from being registered as shared setting information.

[0100] In addition, when the processing content of the executed job satisfies the predetermined conditions, the control unit 35 may register the setting information in which the setting values ​​for the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information, without generating the job history information that is generated when the processing is executed.

[0101] In this case, if the processing content of the executed job does not satisfy a preset condition, the control unit 35 generates job history information.

[0102] The control unit 35 not only automatically registers shared setting information by executing a job as described above, but also allows the administrator user who manages the image forming device 10 to register shared setting information by selecting it from the job history information.

[0103] Therefore, the automatically registered shared setting information and the shared setting information registered by the administrator user's operation will be mixed together. Therefore, the control unit 35 may display the shared setting information registered by the administrator user separately from the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies the preset conditions.

[0104] For example, the control unit 35 displays the shared setting information registered by the administrator user and the shared setting information automatically registered when the executed processing content meets the pre-set conditions, distinguishing them by color.

[0105] In addition, the control unit 35 may distinguish between the shared setting information registered by the administrator user and the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies the predetermined conditions by adding a specific character to the name of at least one of them.

[0106] Furthermore, the control unit 35 may display, in this order, the shared setting information registered by an administrator user, the shared setting information registered when the executed processing content satisfies predetermined conditions, and the personal setting information registered by a general user.

[0107] The control unit 35 may set the preset condition to be that the type of the executed job is a preset type of processing. For example, if the type of the executed job is scanning or facsimile transmission, the control unit 35 registers the sharing setting information based on the processing content of the executed job, but if the type of the executed job is printing or copying, the control unit 35 does not register the sharing setting information based on the processing content of the executed job even if the processing content of the executed job satisfies the preset condition.

[0108] Furthermore, the control unit 35 may set a predetermined condition as processing by a predetermined user. For example, when user A executes a job, the control unit 35 registers the shared setting information based on the processing content of the executed job, but when user B executes a job, the control unit 35 does not register the shared setting information based on the processing content of the executed job. In other words, if user A is likely to execute jobs that can also be effectively used by other users, but user B is likely to execute only jobs that are unlikely to be used by other users, the control unit 35 registers the processing executed by user A as a predetermined condition. Then, the control unit 35 switches whether to register the shared setting information depending on which user executed the processing.

[0109] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0110] First, the flowchart of FIG. 12 shows the process performed by the control unit 35 when a job is executed and the control unit 35 determines whether or not to register the processing details of the job as shared setting information.

[0111] When the control unit 35 executes a job in step S101, the control unit 35 determines in step S102 whether the processing content of the executed job satisfies a preset condition.

[0112] If it is determined in step S102 that the processing content of the executed job satisfies the preset conditions, the control unit 35 registers the parameters, that is, the setting values, used when the job was executed as shared setting information in step S103.

[0113] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S102 that the processing content of the executed job does not satisfy the preset conditions, the control unit 35 registers the parameters, i.e., the setting values, at the time of job execution as the user's personal job history information in step S104.

[0114] Next, such a determination process will be described in more detail using a specific job execution example. Fig. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the determination process when a document image is transmitted by facsimile (also expressed as FAX transmission).

[0115] First, in step S201, the control unit 35 controls the image reading unit 36 ​​to scan an original image, and in step S202, transmits the scanned original image via the data transmitting / receiving unit 34 to a specified destination by facsimile.

[0116] Then, in step S203, the control unit 35 analyzes the scanned document image by OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing or the like.

[0117] Next, in step S204, the control unit 35 determines whether the document image contains personal information or confidential information. Here, personal information refers to information that can identify an individual, such as name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and facial photograph. Confidential information refers to information that indicates that the document image should be kept confidential, such as the character string "confidential" or "confidential" or confidential annotation information such as "top secret."

[0118] Then, if it is determined in step S204 that the document image contains personal information or confidential information, the control unit 35 registers the parameters used when the job was executed as the user's personal job history information in step S208, and then ends the process.

[0119] For example, the following description will be given assuming that the scanned document image is an example image as shown in Fig. 14. The example document image shown in Fig. 14 includes personal information such as a face photo image, name, address, telephone number, and date of birth, as well as the character string "confidential." Therefore, if the scanned document image is an image as shown in Fig. 14, the control unit 35 determines that the scanned document image contains personal information or confidential information. The control unit 35 then determines that a job using such a document image should not be registered as shared setting information, registers it as personal job history information, and terminates the process.

[0120] If it is determined in step S204 that the document image does not contain personal information or confidential information, the control unit 35 determines in step S205 whether the destination information is included in the whitelist.

[0121] An example of this whitelist is shown in Figure 15. The whitelist example shown in Figure 15 is a list of fax numbers for each department of a certain company. In other words, if it is acceptable to register faxes sent to other departments within the company as shared setting information, by making the destination information for the fax sending job a condition that it is included in the whitelist, it is possible to prevent jobs such as sending images by fax outside the company from being registered as shared setting information.

[0122] If it is determined in step S205 that the destination information is not included in the whitelist, the control unit 35 registers the parameters used when the job was executed as the user's personal job history information in step S208, and then ends the process.

[0123] If it is determined in step S205 that the destination information is included in the whitelist, the control unit 35 determines in step S206 whether the parameters of the executed job include parameters that cannot be used by other users. Here, parameters that cannot be used by other users refer to parameters that can only be used by a specific individual, such as parameters for saving images in a personal storage area that requires a password.

[0124] If it is determined in step S206 that the parameters of the executed job include parameters that cannot be used by other users, the control unit 35 registers the parameters at the time of job execution as the user's personal job history information in step S208 and terminates the process.

[0125] Then, in step S206, if it is determined that the parameters of the executed job do not include parameters that cannot be used by other users, the control unit 35 registers the parameters, i.e., the setting values, used when the job was executed as shared setting information in step S207.

[0126] In the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, the processes of steps S204 to S206 correspond to the process of step S102 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 12, that is, the process of determining whether or not a preset condition is satisfied.

[0127] 13, the parameters of the executed job are registered as shared setting information when all the conditions in steps S204 to S206 are met, but it is also possible to set it so that the parameters of the executed job are registered as shared setting information when only one of the conditions is met. Also, the administrator user can set in advance what conditions must be met for the parameters of the executed job to be registered as shared setting information.

[0128] Next, examples of the display screen after the shared setting information has been registered in this manner are shown in FIGS.

[0129] 16 to 18 show examples of display screens on which three pieces of shared setting information 71 to 73 are registered. In these display screen examples, the shared setting information 71 has been registered by an operation of an administrator user, and the shared setting information 72 and 73 have been automatically registered by the above-described process without any operation by the administrator user.

[0130] In all of the display screen examples in Figures 16 to 18, the display is such that it is possible to distinguish between the shared setting information registered by the administrator user and the shared setting information that is automatically registered when the executed processing content satisfies the preset conditions.

[0131] Specifically, in the example display screen shown in Figure 16, the name of shared setting information 71 contains the string "Administrator Shared," while the names of shared setting information 72 and 73 contain the string "System Shared," making them distinguishable.

[0132] In addition, in the example display screen shown in FIG. 17, the name of the shared setting information 71 is displayed in red, while the names of the shared setting information 72 and 73 are displayed in blue, making them distinguishable.

[0133] Furthermore, in the example display screen shown in Figure 18, icon 80 is displayed in the display area of ​​shared setting information 71 to indicate that it has been registered by an administrator user, and icon 81 is displayed in the display area of ​​shared setting information 722, 73 to indicate that it has been automatically registered by the system, making it possible to distinguish between them.

[0134] In addition, in all of the display screen examples of Figures 16 to 18, the shared setting information 71 registered by the administrator user, the shared setting information 72 and 73 automatically registered by the system, and the personal job history information are displayed in that order, so that the user can recognize which shared setting information was registered by the administrator user's operation based on the order of the setting information.

[0135] 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.).

[0136] 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.

[0137] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be similarly applied to any information processing device, such as a personal computer or mobile terminal device, that stores setting information in which setting values ​​are stored for each setting item and executes processing using the stored setting information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 10 Image forming device 11 CPU 12 Memory 13 Storage device 14 Communication Interface 15 User Interface Device 16 Scanner 17 Print Engine 18 Control Bus 20 Terminal equipment 30 Network 31 Authentication Section 32 Operation input section 33 Display section 34 Data transmission / reception unit 35 Control Unit 36 Image reading unit 37 Setting information storage unit 38 Image output unit 50 Pinned Mark 60 Operation menu button 61 Shared settings information 62 Personalized Settings Information 63, 64 Job history information 65, 66 Personal settings information 67 Job history information 68 Shared configuration information 71-73 Shared settings information 80, 81 Icon

Claims

1. a processor; When the processor executes a certain process, if the image data to be processed by the executed process does not contain confidential information, the processor registers setting information in which setting values ​​for the process content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users without requiring operation by an administrator user. Information processing device.

2. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absence of confidential information means that the image data to be processed does not contain personal information that can identify an individual.

3. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the absence of confidential information means that the image data to be processed does not contain text information indicating that confidential information is contained.

4. a processor; When the processor executes a certain process, if the processing content of the executed process does not include destination information of personal attributes or storage destination information of personal attributes, the processor registers setting information in which setting values ​​in the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users without requiring operation by an administrator user. Information processing device.

5. a processor; When the processor executes a certain process, if the destination information of personal attributes or the storage destination information of personal attributes included in the process content of the executed process is included in a list of destinations or storage destinations that are safe to register as shared setting information and are registered in a pre-registered list of destinations or storage destinations, the processor registers the setting information in which the setting values ​​in the process content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users without the need for an administrator user operation. Information processing device.

6. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor, when the image data to be processed by the executed processing does not contain confidential information, and when the processing content of the executed processing does not contain destination information of personal attributes or storage destination information of personal attributes, does not generate history information that would be generated when the processing is executed, but instead registers setting information in which setting values ​​in the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users without requiring operation by an administrator user.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the processor generates the history information when the image data to be processed by the executed processing does not contain confidential information, or when the processing content of the executed processing does not contain destination information of personal attributes or storage location information of personal attributes.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is capable of registering shared setting information by an administrator user who manages the apparatus selecting from the history information.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the processor displays the shared setting information registered by the administrator user in a manner that distinguishes it from shared setting information registered without requiring an operation by the administrator user.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9 , wherein the processor displays shared setting information registered by the administrator user and shared setting information registered without requiring operation by the administrator user in different colors.

11. The information processing device of claim 9, wherein the processor displays the shared setting information registered by the administrator user and the shared setting information registered without the need for operation by the administrator user in a distinguishing manner by adding specific characters to the name of at least one of them.

12. An information processing device described in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the processor displays, in this order, shared setting information registered by the administrator user, shared setting information registered without requiring operation by the administrator user, and personal setting information registered by a general user.

13. A step of registering, when a certain process is executed, setting information in which setting values ​​for the process contents are stored for each setting item, as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users without requiring operation by an administrator user, if confidential information is not included in the image data to be processed by the executed process. A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

14. A step of registering setting information in which setting values ​​in the processing content are stored for each setting item as shared setting information that can be used by multiple users without requiring an administrator user to operate the setting information in the processing content when the processing content does not include destination information of personal attributes or storage destination information of personal attributes when a certain processing is executed. A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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