Information processing device and program

Abstract

To classify and present information on a change of settings in another apparatus based on the relation with the details of settings in an information processing apparatus, thereby allowing a change in settings performed in one apparatus to be reflected and set in the other apparatus.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus acquires information on a change in settings in another information processing apparatus having setting items at least partially common to those of the information processing apparatus, and classifies the acquired information on the change in settings according to importance based on the relation with the details of settings in the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus presents, to a user, information on the change in settings in the other image forming apparatus classified by importance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a program.

Background Art

[0002] When a plurality of devices having the same kind of functions such as an image forming apparatus are used, there are cases where the settings of one device are desired to be used in other devices as well. In such cases, it takes a great deal of effort to perform the setting work individually for each device. Therefore, there is a conventional technique in which, regarding shareable setting items, setting information is diverted so that the settings of one device can be used in other devices.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming system that makes it possible to divert a paper profile so that parameters that can be used in a second image forming apparatus among the parameters of the paper profile used in a first image forming apparatus are used in the second image forming apparatus.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a setting change is made in one of a plurality of devices having the same kind of functions, there are cases where it is desired to reflect this setting change in other devices as well. However, each time a setting change is made in one device, it takes effort to output the setting information and re-set each device by diverting the output setting information.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to make it possible to reflect a setting change made in one device in other devices by classifying and presenting information on setting changes in other devices based on the relationship with the setting contents in the own device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention according to claim 1 is Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, The device acquires information on setting changes in other information processing devices that share at least some of their settings with its own device. The aforementioned information obtained Regarding this, the settings of the device itself are the same as the settings of the other information processing device before the change, and the settings are different. Classify, This is an information processing device characterized by presenting the classified information to the user. Claim 2 The present invention relating to this invention is The processor further classifies setting items that have the same settings as the settings of the other information processing device before the change into setting items that the device can execute a process using the settings related to the setting item and setting items that the device cannot execute a process using the settings related to the setting item. Claim 1 This is the information processing device described above. Claim 3 The present invention relating to this invention is Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, Information on setting changes in another information processing device, which is an image forming apparatus, that shares at least some of its setting items with the device itself, and which acquires setting information associated with the medium on which the image is formed or the tray on which the medium is placed. With respect to the acquired configuration information, the system classifies the configuration information into those in which the configuration of the device is the same as the configuration of the other information processing device before the change, and those in which the configuration information is not the same. This is an information processing device characterized by presenting the classified information to the user. Claim 4 The present invention relating to this invention is The processor further classifies the setting information, which has the same setting content as the setting before the change of the other information processing device, into setting information that is assigned to the medium or tray in its own device and setting information that is not assigned. Claim 3 This is the information processing device described above. Claim 5 The present invention relating to this invention is Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, Information regarding setting changes in another information processing device, which is an image forming apparatus, that shares at least some of its setting items with the present apparatus, and which targets the medium on which an image is formed, and acquires setting information associated with the tray on which the medium is placed. With respect to the acquired configuration information, the device classifies the configuration information into configuration information that targets the media with the same attributes and configuration information that does not target the media with the same attributes. This is an information processing device characterized by presenting the classified information to the user. Claim 6 The present invention related to the processor further classifies, for the setting information regarding the media of the same attribute, the setting information assigned to the tray in the own device and the setting information not assigned, Claim 5 which is the information processing apparatus described in Claim 7 The present invention related to On the computer, A function to acquire information on setting changes in other information processing devices that share at least some of their settings with this device, Regarding the acquired information, the device has a function to classify setting items into those whose settings are the same as those of the other information processing device before the change, and setting items whose settings are not the same. A function to present the classified information to the user, This program is characterized by its ability to achieve the above. Claim 8 The present invention related to On the computer, A function to acquire setting change information in another information processing device that is an image forming apparatus, which has at least some of the setting items in common with the present device, and which is an image forming apparatus, and which is associated with the medium on which the image is formed or the tray on which the medium is placed. Regarding the acquired configuration information, a function is provided to classify configuration information into configuration information where the configuration content of the device is the same as the configuration content of the other information processing device before the change, and configuration information where the configuration content is not the same. A function to present the classified information to the user, A program characterized by achieving is Claim 9 The present invention related to On the computer, A function to acquire setting change information in another information processing device that is an image forming apparatus, which shares at least some of its setting items with the image forming apparatus itself, and which targets the medium on which the image is formed and is associated with the tray on which the medium is placed. With respect to the acquired configuration information, the device has a function to classify configuration information that targets the media with the same attributes and configuration information that does not target the media with the same attributes. A function to present the classified information to the user, A program characterized by achieving is

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] Claim 1 According to the invention of, compared with the configuration that presents the setting change information without classification, it becomes easier to judge the change of the setting highly relevant to the own device. Claim 2 [[ID=�8]]According to the invention of, compared with the configuration that presents the setting change information without classification, a more accurate judgment can be made regarding the change of the setting highly relevant to the own device. Claim 3According to this invention, with regard to settings based on setting information of an image forming apparatus, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classification, it becomes easier to determine which settings are highly relevant to the apparatus. Claim 4 According to this invention, with regard to settings based on setting information of an image forming apparatus, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classification, it is possible to make more accurate judgments regarding setting changes that are highly relevant to the apparatus itself. Claim 5 According to this invention, with respect to the media settings of an image forming apparatus, it becomes easier to determine which settings to change that are highly relevant to the apparatus, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classification. Claim 6 According to this invention, with respect to the media settings of an image forming apparatus, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classification, it is possible to make more accurate judgments regarding setting changes that are highly relevant to the apparatus itself. Claim 7 According to the invention, In a computer with the program of the present invention installed, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classification, it becomes easier to determine which setting changes are most relevant to the device. Claim 8 According to the invention, In a computer on which the program of the present invention is installed, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classifying it, it becomes easier to determine which settings are highly relevant to the image forming apparatus. Claim 9 According to the invention, In a computer on which the program of the present invention is installed, it becomes easier to determine which settings to change in relation to the media settings of an image forming apparatus, compared to a configuration that presents setting change information without classification. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configuration of an image forming apparatus to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a notification screen that displays information about setting changes received from other image forming machines to the user. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the details screen display. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the process of sharing settings changes for an image forming apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0011] <System Configuration> Figure 1 shows the configuration of a system to which this embodiment is applied. The system shown in Figure 1 comprises a plurality of information processing devices 100 connected via a network 200. Each of the plurality of information processing devices 100 is not limited to the same model, but is a device that shares at least some of its setting items. Each information processing device 100 shares information on setting content and setting values ​​(hereinafter simply referred to as "setting content") related to at least common setting items via the network 200. In this embodiment, a case in which an image forming apparatus is used as an example of an information processing device 100 will be described. Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus used as an information processing device 100 in this embodiment will be referred to as the image forming apparatus 100.

[0012] The network 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can be used for data communication between image forming apparatuses 100. For example, the network 200 may be implemented using a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, etc. The communication lines used for data communication may be wired or wireless, or both may be used in combination. Relay devices such as gateway devices, routers, and access points may be used to connect each device via multiple networks and communication lines.

[0013] <Device configuration> Figure 2 shows the configuration of an image forming apparatus to which this embodiment is applied. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an operation unit 130, a display unit 140, an image reading unit 150, an image forming unit 160, a communication unit 170, and an image processing unit 180. Each of these functional units is connected to a bus 101, and data is exchanged via this bus 101.

[0014] The control unit 110 controls each of the above-mentioned functional units in the image forming apparatus 100. The control unit 110 is also a functional unit that performs various data processing. The control unit 110 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, which is a calculation means, and RAM (Random Access Memory) 112 and ROM (Read Only Memory) 113, which are storage means. RAM 112 is the main memory and is used as working memory when the CPU 111 performs calculation processing. ROM 113 holds data such as programs and pre-prepared setting values, and the CPU 111 reads programs and data directly from ROM 113 and executes processing. Programs and data are also stored in the storage unit 120. The CPU 111 reads the programs stored in the storage unit 120 into RAM 112 and executes them.

[0015] In this embodiment, the CPU 111 of the control unit 110 reads and executes a program to realize various functions described later. The functions realized in this embodiment include a function to receive setting change information from other image forming apparatus 100, a function to create and display a notification screen based on the setting change information, and a function to transmit the setting information changed in this apparatus to other image forming apparatus 100.

[0016] The storage unit 120 is a functional unit that stores programs and data for the CPU 111 to execute as described above, as well as various data generated by various operations, such as image data read by the image reading unit 150. The storage unit 120 is implemented by a storage device such as a magnetic disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive). In this embodiment, the setting information of the device itself and setting change information received from other image forming apparatuses 100 are stored in the storage unit 120, for example.

[0017] The operation unit 130 is a functional unit that receives user input. The operation unit 130 is composed of, for example, hardware keys or touch sensors that output control signals corresponding to the position pressed or touched by a finger or the like. It may also be configured as a touch panel, combining a touch sensor and a liquid crystal display that constitutes the display unit 140.

[0018] The display unit 140 is a functional unit that displays information images that present various types of information to the user, preview images of images to be processed such as read or output, and operation images for the user to perform operations. The display unit 140 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 130 and the display unit 140 can be combined and used as a user interface means for the user to input and output information to and from the image forming apparatus 100.

[0019] The image reading unit 150 is a functional unit that optically reads an image on the document. Examples of image reading methods include the CCD method, which reduces the reflected light from light emitted from a light source onto the document using a lens and receives it with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and the CIS method, which receives the reflected light from light emitted sequentially from an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source onto the document with a CIS (Contact Image Sensor).

[0020] The image forming unit 160 is a functional unit that forms an image based on image data on a medium such as paper using an image forming material. As a method of forming an image on a medium, for example, an electrophotographic method is used, in which toner is used as the image forming material, and the toner attached to the photoreceptor is transferred to the medium to form an image. Hereinafter, the medium on which an image is formed will be collectively referred to as "paper".

[0021] The communication unit 170 is a functional unit that sends and receives commands and data to and from an external device. The communication unit 170 uses an interface that corresponds to the communication method with the external device. The connection with the external device may be made via a network or by direct connection. The communication line may be a wired line or a wireless line.

[0022] The image processing unit 180 is a functional unit that includes a processor, which is a calculation means, and working memory, and performs image processing such as color correction and gradation correction on the image data. The CPU 111 of the control unit 110 may be used as the processor, and the RAM 112 of the control unit 110 may be used as the working memory.

[0023] <Setting information for image forming apparatus 100> The setting information for the image forming apparatus 100 used in this embodiment will now be described. The image forming apparatus 100 holds setting information for various setting items related to printing processes, etc., and adjusts the operation related to printing processes, etc., based on this setting information. For example, the image forming apparatus 100 has a function to adjust the operation of the image forming unit 160 for adjusting print quality. The image forming apparatus 100 also holds setting information associated with paper attributes and paper trays, and has a function to adjust print quality based on the setting information corresponding to the paper and paper tray used during printing.

[0024] More specifically, adjustments to the operation of the image forming unit 160 include, for example, functions such as automatic gradation correction, in-plane density correction, automatic banding correction, and maximum density correction. Paper attribute settings are setting information that records the basic attributes of the paper and paper-specific settings related to printing and the operation of the image forming unit 160 all at once. Basic paper attributes include, for example, paper size, color, and basis weight. Paper-specific settings related to printing and the operation of the image forming unit 160 include, for example, fixing temperature, productivity settings, and aligner roll pressure. Print quality adjustments performed based on the paper attribute settings and setting information associated with the paper tray include, for example, transfer output adjustment, alignment adjustment, paper folding position adjustment, air assist adjustment, and paper curl correction.

[0025] Such settings and adjustments are performed periodically, taking into account factors such as the number of pages printed, printing time, and the amount of toner and consumables used. They may also be performed at appropriate times in response to changes in print quality due to factors such as the state of the image forming unit 160, the remaining toner level, and the condition of consumables. Hereafter, these settings and adjustments will be collectively referred to as "settings." However, settings and adjustments may sometimes be separated and referred to as "settings and adjustments," etc.

[0026] <Sharing information about configuration changes> When multiple image forming machines 100 are operating on the same floor or within the same building, it is sometimes desirable to reflect setting changes made in one image forming machine 100 to the other image forming machines 100, depending on the operating environment and operating status. However, individually performing the various settings described above for each image forming machine 100 is extremely time-consuming. Furthermore, even if the image forming machines 100 operate in similar environments on the same floor or within the same building, subtle adjustments may be necessary for each machine. Therefore, even if the new settings of one image forming machine 100 are simply replicated in the other image forming machines 100, each setting item must be individually verified, which is time-consuming.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the settings recorded by the image forming apparatus 100 are changed, it transmits information about the changed settings, rather than the entire new settings, to other image forming apparatuses 100 via the network 200. This ensures that information about setting changes made in one image forming apparatus 100 is shared among all image forming apparatuses 100. The image forming apparatus 100 that receives information about the changed settings from other image forming apparatuses 100 then classifies the received information and presents it to the user. The presentation of the received information to the user is done, for example, by displaying it on the display unit 140.

[0028] <Classification of information on setting changes> In this embodiment, the control unit 110 (see Figure 2) of the image forming apparatus 100 classifies and presents information on setting changes received from other image forming apparatuses 100 based on their importance in its own apparatus. Here, importance is defined as the degree to which it is appropriate to reflect the received setting change information in the own apparatus, based on the relationship between the received setting change information and the settings in the own apparatus. Setting changes with higher importance are considered to be more likely to be appropriate to reflect in the own apparatus.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control unit 110 first classifies the setting items related to the setting change based on whether the setting content of its own device is the same as the setting content of the other image forming apparatus 100 before the change. If the setting content is not the same as the setting content of the other information processing apparatus 100 before the change, the control unit 110 sets the importance of the setting item in the received setting information to "low".

[0030] Next, the control unit 110 further classifies setting items that have the same settings as the other information processing device 100 before the change, based on whether or not its own device is in a state where it can execute a process that uses the settings related to that setting item. If the control unit 110 is in a state where it can execute a process that uses the settings related to that setting item, it sets the importance of that setting item to "high," and if it is not in a state where it can execute a process, it sets the importance of that setting item to "medium."

[0031] Let's further explain the importance of the setting items. Assume that the setting information of the image forming apparatus 100 is setting information associated with paper or the tray on which the paper is placed (hereinafter referred to as "paper profile"). The control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100, with respect to the paper profile received from another image forming apparatus 100 whose settings have been changed, first classifies the paper profile based on whether the settings of the apparatus itself are the same as the settings of the other image forming apparatus 100 before the change. If the settings of the apparatus itself are not the same as the settings of the other image forming apparatus 100 before the change, the control unit 110 sets the received paper profile to an importance level of "low".

[0032] Next, the control unit 110 classifies the paper profiles that have the same settings as the other image forming apparatus 100 before the change, based on whether or not they are assigned to paper or trays in its own apparatus. The control unit 110 then further classifies the paper profiles based on whether or not they are assigned to paper or trays in its own apparatus. The control unit 110 then sets the importance level to "high" if the paper profile is assigned to paper or trays in its own apparatus, and to "medium" if it is not assigned.

[0033] Here, if the same paper profiles with the same settings are assigned the same identification information (profile ID), the paper profiles may be classified based on whether or not the identification information is the same. In this case, if the control unit 110 does not have a paper profile with the same identification information as the paper profile received from the other image forming apparatus 100 whose settings have been changed, it sets the importance of the received paper profile to "low". Also, if the control unit 110 has a paper profile with the same identification information as the paper profile received from the other image forming apparatus 100 whose settings have been changed, it sets the importance of that paper profile to "high" if it is assigned to paper, and to "medium" if it is not assigned.

[0034] Furthermore, the setting information of the image forming apparatus 100 is set to paper and associated with the tray on which the paper is placed (hereinafter referred to as "paper setting"). The control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 first classifies the paper setting received from another image forming apparatus 100 whose settings have been changed, based on whether or not there is a paper setting in its own settings that targets paper with the same attributes. If there is no paper setting in its own settings that targets paper with the same attributes, the control unit 110 sets the importance of the received paper setting to "low".

[0035] Next, if the control unit 110 has a paper setting in its own device settings that targets paper with the same attributes, it classifies the paper setting based on whether or not it is assigned to a tray in its own device. The control unit 110 then sets the importance level to "high" if the paper setting is assigned to a tray in its own device, and to "medium" if it is not assigned.

[0036] <Example of screen display> Figure 3 shows an example of a notification screen displaying information about setting changes received from another image forming apparatus 100 to the user. The notification screen is displayed, for example, on the display unit 140 (see Figure 2) of the image forming apparatus 100. Figure 3 shows an image of the image forming apparatus 100 141, a text area 142, and a setting information display area 143. The image of the image forming apparatus 100 shown in Figure 3 is a view of the image forming apparatus 100 from the front. The text area 142 displays the message "Paper tray confirmation" prompting the user to confirm the setting target indicated in the setting information. The setting information display area 143 shows the setting information related to the setting change received from the other image forming apparatus 100 whose settings have been changed. Although not shown in Figure 3, the notification screen may also display the setting content of the setting target in the own apparatus. In addition, the identification information of the image forming apparatus 100 that sent the setting change information may also be displayed.

[0037] The setting information display area 143 displays tabs indicating the importance level, as described above, and setting information categorized by the importance level indicated by the tabs. In the example shown in Figure 3, setting information categorized as "high importance" is displayed. Setting information categorized as "high importance" includes information such as "Device A - Toner Cleaning [Y]", "Device A - Custom Media [A4 Coated Paper 400]", "Main Machine - Automatic Tone Correction", "Sub Machine - Alignment Adjustment", "Device A - Custom Media [CustomABC] Change", and "Main Machine - In-Plane Unevenness Correction". The user can refer to the setting information displayed in this setting information display area 143 and consider whether there are any setting changes that should be applied to their device.

[0038] Each setting information displayed in the setting information display area 143 functions as an operation screen for transitioning the display unit 140 to a detail screen that displays the details of this information. The user selects a setting item from the setting information displayed in the setting information display area 143 to view the details of the selected setting item, and transitions to the detail screen of the selected setting item. If the operation unit 130 (see Figure 2) of the image forming apparatus 100 is implemented as a touch panel, the user selects a setting item by touching the image portion of the consumable (in other words, the consumable that has been replaced) on the UI screen.

[0039] Figure 4 shows an example of the details screen. The details screen shown in Figure 4 is assumed to be displayed when the setting item "Device A - Custom Media [CustomABC] Change" is selected in the notification screen of Figure 3. In the example shown in Figure 4, the screen title displays the text "Device A - Custom Media [CustomABC] Change," indicating the selected setting item. In addition, the text "Custom Media ABC, which is set to paper tray 2 on this machine, has been changed on Device A. If you want to apply the change to this machine as well, press the "Apply" button." is displayed to show the details of the setting change and to ask for the user's judgment. The setting information before the change and the setting information after the change are displayed side by side.

[0040] The details screen also displays a button object 144a (labeled "Apply") for instructing the user to apply the setting changes, and a button object 144b (labeled "Cancel") for ending the display of the details screen without applying the setting changes. When the user selects button object 144a, the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 reflects the setting changes displayed on the details screen to its own apparatus and returns to the notification screen shown in Figure 3. When button object 144b is selected, the control unit 110 ends the display of the details screen without reflecting the setting changes to its own apparatus and returns to the notification screen.

[0041] <Operation of the image forming apparatus 100> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation related to the sharing of setting changes in the image forming apparatus 100. When the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 receives a notification of a setting change from another image forming apparatus 100 (S501), it determines the type of setting change indicated in the received notification (S502). If the type of setting change relates to the adjustment function of the image forming unit 160, the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target setting information (hereinafter referred to as "target information") to "medium" (S503).

[0042] If the type of setting change relates to an adjustment function that can be assigned to paper / tray, the control unit 110 determines, with respect to the received setting change information, whether its own device has a paper profile with the same settings as the other image forming apparatus 100 before the setting change. If the device does not have such a paper profile (NO in S504), the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target information to "low" (S505).

[0043] If the device has a paper profile with the same settings as the previous settings of another image forming apparatus 100 (YES in S504), the control unit 110 determines whether this paper profile is assigned to paper or a tray in the device. If it is assigned (YES in S506), the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target information to "high" (S507). On the other hand, if the paper profile is not assigned to paper or a tray (NO in S506), the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target information to "medium" (S508).

[0044] If the type of setting change is paper setting, the control unit 110 determines whether or not there is a paper setting for paper with the same basic attributes in its own device based on the received setting change information. If there is no such paper setting in its own device (NO in S509), the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target information to "low" (S510).

[0045] If the device has a paper setting for paper with the same basic attributes (YES in S509), the control unit 110 determines whether this paper setting is assigned to a tray in the device. If it is assigned (YES in S511), the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target information to "high" (S512). On the other hand, if the paper setting is not assigned to a tray (NO in S511), the control unit 110 sets the importance of the target information to "medium" (S513).

[0046] After classifying the received setting change information as described above, the control unit 110 creates a list of setting change information for each classified importance level (S514). Then, the control unit 110 displays the created list on the display unit 140 (S515).

[0047] <Sending information about configuration changes> In each image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the user can operate the operation unit 130 to specify an image forming apparatus 100 to which setting information will be shared among the image forming apparatuses 100 that can be connected via the network 200. The control unit 110 receives the user's specification operation, registers the specified image forming apparatus 100 as a destination for sharing setting change information, and stores connection information (such as the address on the network 200) in the storage unit 120, etc. Then, when a setting is changed in its own apparatus, the control unit 110 transmits information of the implemented setting change to the other image forming apparatuses 100 for sharing.

[0048] Furthermore, as a function implemented by software, the control unit 110 may search for image forming apparatuses 100 that share at least some of their settings with its own via the network 200 and register them as shared destinations.

[0049] <Variation> Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the image forming apparatus 100 that has undergone a setting change is configured to transmit the setting change information to other image forming apparatuses 100 that share the information. Alternatively, a server for sharing setting change information may be provided on the network 200, and the image forming apparatus 100 that has undergone a setting change may transmit the setting change information to the shared server and have it stored there. In this case, each image forming apparatus 100 may, for example, periodically access the shared server to search for setting change information from other image forming apparatuses 100 that has not been reflected in its own apparatus, and acquire such setting change information if available.

[0050] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which an image forming apparatus is used as the information processing device 100, the application of this embodiment is not limited to the above example. This embodiment can be applied to various systems having multiple devices connected via a network 200, in which at least some of the setting items are common. In addition, various modifications and substitutions of configurations that do not depart from the technical concept of the present invention are included in this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100…Image forming apparatus, 110…Control unit, 111…CPU, 112…RAM, 113…ROM, 120…Storage unit, 130…Operation unit, 140…Display unit, 141…Device image, 150…Image reading unit, 160…Image forming unit, 170…Communication unit, 180…Image processing unit, 200…Network

Claims

1. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, The device acquires information on setting changes in other information processing devices that share at least some of their settings with its own device. With respect to the acquired information, the settings of the device itself are classified into those that are the same as the settings of the other information processing device before the change, and those that are not the same. An information processing device characterized by presenting the classified information to a user.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor further classifies setting items that have the same setting content as the setting content before the change of the other information processing apparatus into setting items that the apparatus can execute a process using the setting content related to said setting item and setting items that the apparatus cannot execute a process using said setting item.

3. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, Information on setting changes in another information processing device, which is an image forming apparatus, that shares at least some of its setting items with the present apparatus, and which acquires setting information associated with the medium on which the image is formed or the tray on which the medium is placed. Regarding the acquired setting information, if the settings of the device itself were changed before the other information processing device was modified The setting information is classified into two categories: setting information that is the same as the setting information and setting information that is not the same. An information processing device characterized by presenting the classified information to a user.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the processor further classifies the setting information, which has the same setting content as the setting of the other information processing apparatus before the change, into setting information that is assigned to the medium or tray in its own device and setting information that is not assigned.

5. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, This is an image forming apparatus that shares at least some of its settings with its own apparatus. Information regarding setting changes in other information processing devices, which are targeted at media on which images are formed. Obtain the configuration information associated with the tray in which the media is placed, Regarding the acquired configuration information, the settings of the device target the media with the same attributes. The setting information is classified into that which applies and the setting information which does not apply to the aforementioned medium with the same attributes. An information processing device characterized by presenting the classified information to a user.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor further classifies the setting information for the medium having the same attributes into setting information that is assigned to a tray in its own device and setting information that is not assigned.

7. On the computer, Information on setting changes in other information processing devices that share at least some of their settings with your own device. The function to acquire information, Regarding the acquired information, if the settings of the device itself were as they were before the change of the other information processing device A function that classifies setting items into those with the same settings and those with different settings. and, A function to present the classified information to the user, A program characterized by its ability to achieve this.

8. On the computer, This is an image forming apparatus that shares at least some of its settings with its own apparatus. Information regarding setting changes in other information processing devices, which are media on which images are formed or said media A function to retrieve setting information associated with the tray on which the body is placed, Regarding the acquired setting information, if the settings of the device itself were changed before the other information processing device was modified Classify setting information into those that have the same settings as the existing settings and those that do not. Functions and, A function to present the classified information to the user, A program characterized by its ability to achieve this.

9. On the computer, This is an image forming apparatus that shares at least some of its settings with its own apparatus. Information regarding setting changes in other information processing devices, which are targeted at media on which images are formed. A function to retrieve configuration information associated with the tray in which the media is placed, Regarding the acquired configuration information, the settings of the device target the media with the same attributes. A function to classify setting information that applies to the aforementioned medium and setting information that does not apply to the same medium, A function to present the classified information to the user, A program characterized by its ability to achieve this.

Images