Control method for information processing system, information processing device, and program

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: in a prior art, when an image forming apparatus and a data processing apparatus operate in coordination with each other, auto clear not intended by a user occurs.SOLUTION: While an image forming apparatus and a data processing apparatus operate in coordination with each other, when a user operation is performed in one of the apparatuses, both the apparatuses reset their auto-clear timers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data processing system that executes a job by cooperation between devices.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the spread of high-performance mobile terminals called smartphones, applications for using image forming devices from those mobile terminals have been provided. For example, in executing a function of sending a scanned document to a designated destination, an image forming device on a LAN is searched, and a transmission destination email address and various scan setting information (for example, color, double-sided) set by a user are added to generate a job. By transmitting the generated job to the image forming device having the searched transmission function, a series of processes of the image forming device necessary for transmission can be instructed to be executed from the mobile terminal. At this time, network communication between the mobile terminal and the image forming device is established according to a communication protocol such as TCP / IP, NFC, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc., and can be realized by a known technique.

[0003] In recent years, information processing devices such as image forming devices have functions of clearing set values, returning a display screen to an initial screen, logging out, etc. when no user operation has been performed on an operation unit for a certain period of time. A function of returning the device to an initial state when no operation has been received for a predetermined time is defined as an auto-clear function. In Patent Document 1, an image forming device that can set the time until the auto-clear function is executed (hereinafter, auto-clear time) for each operation mode has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When an information processing device and a terminal are linked to operate the information processing device, a problem arises where unintended auto-clear occurs, reducing usability. For example, consider a case where a job is sent from a terminal to the information processing device, and various processes necessary for job execution are carried out while operating the terminal. The user operates the terminal's control panel, but does not operate the information processing device's control panel, so after a predetermined time, the information processing device will perform an auto-clear process.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a method that enables appropriate auto-clear processing even when an information processing device and a terminal are linked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing device capable of communicating with a terminal, having an operation unit, comprising: a counting means for counting the time during which no user operation is being accepted by the operation unit; and an execution means for executing an auto-clear process when a predetermined time has been counted by the counting means; before An information processing device characterized by having a reset means that resets the count by the count means when it receives a first request for the start of execution of a job based on job information transmitted from the terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] Even when linking an information processing device with a terminal, the auto-clear process can be executed appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Diagram showing the configuration of the data processing system. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the data processing unit. [Figure 3] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 4]Block diagram showing the software configuration of a data processing device [Figure 5] Block diagram showing the software configuration of an image forming apparatus [Figure 6] Example of a cooperation management table of the image forming apparatus in Example 1 [Figure 7] Flowchart showing the processing of the data processing device in Example 1 [Figure 8] Example of a screen of the data processing device in Example 1 [Figure 9] Flowchart showing the processing of the data processing device in Example 1 [Figure 10] Flowchart showing the processing of the data processing device in Example 1 [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the processing of the image forming apparatus in Example 1 [Figure 12] Example of a screen of the image forming apparatus in Example 1 [Figure 13] Flowchart showing the processing of the image forming apparatus in Example 1 [Figure 14] Flowchart showing the processing of the image forming apparatus in Example 1 [[ID=三十二]] [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the processing of the data processing device in Example 2 [Figure 16] Flowchart showing the processing of the image forming apparatus in Example 2 [[ID=3八十]] [Figure 17] Sequence diagram showing the processing of the image forming apparatus and the data processing device in Example 1

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in this embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. In the following description, an image forming apparatus will be used as an example of an information processing apparatus for explanation, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0011] (Example 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing system according to this embodiment. The data processing system 100 is composed of a data processing device 101, a wireless LAN terminal 102, and an image forming device 104, and these devices are connected to each other via a network 103 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Devices other than those shown here may be connected to the network 103.

[0012] The data processing device 101 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, and may also be an information processing device on which an operating system for small terminals and programs for controlling voice calls, position detection, and data communication operate. Alternatively, it may be a personal computer (PC) that does not have functions such as voice call control and position detection control. Also, the data processing device 101 is connected to the network 103 by the wireless LAN terminal 102.

[0013] The wireless terminal 102 is a master unit of a wireless LAN having a general network router function, and provides a wireless LAN within a home, an office, or the like.

[0014] The image forming device 104 is a multifunctional device having various functions such as a printer function, a copy function, a scanner function, and a fax transmission function. However, it is not limited to this, and it may be a device having only a single function. The image forming device 104 may be configured to include a wireless access point inside and be configured to be directly communicable with the data processing device 101. The user can instruct the image forming device 104 to execute a job from the data processing device 101 that is communicating with the image forming device 104, and cause the image forming device 104 to execute various functions. In this embodiment, the image forming device 104 is in a form of being wired-connected to the network 103, but it may be wirelessly connected using the wireless LAN terminal 102 in the same manner as the data processing device 101.

[0015] Furthermore, the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104 are capable of short-range wireless communication using NFC (Near Field Communication) or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), etc. The image forming apparatus 104 transmits connection information (IP address, MAC address, SSID, etc.) for establishing a wireless LAN connection with the image forming apparatus 104 to the data processing device 101 via the NFC communication unit or BLE communication unit described later. The data processing device 101 then uses the acquired connection information to start wireless LAN communication with the image forming apparatus 104.

[0016] Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the data processing device 101 according to this embodiment. The data processing device 101 has a controller unit 201. The controller unit 201 controls various communication units such as the NFC communication unit 210, the BLE communication unit 211, and the wireless LAN communication unit 212, as well as various UI units such as the microphone / speaker 213, the display 214, and the touch panel 215.

[0017] The controller unit 201 consists of a CPU 202, ROM 203, RAM 204, network I / F 205, audio control unit 206, display control unit 207, input control unit 208, and storage device 209, which are connected by a system bus 216.

[0018] The CPU 202 controls the entire system of the data processing unit 101. The ROM 203 stores the operating system of the data processing unit 101 and programs that control calls, data communication, etc., and the CPU 202 executes various programs. The RAM 204 is used as the main memory and temporary storage area for the CPU 202, such as the work area.

[0019] The storage device 209 is a non-volatile storage device that records various operating mode settings and operation logs, etc., which need to be retained even after the data processing device 101 is restarted.

[0020] The network interface 205 is connected to the NFC communication unit 210, the BLE communication unit 211, and the wireless LAN communication unit 212, and exchanges data with the image forming apparatus 104 using various wireless communication methods.

[0021] The audio control unit 206 controls the input and output of audio data via the microphone / speaker 213. The display control unit 207 controls the output of the screen displayed on the display 214. The input control unit 208 controls the input of information instructed by the user via buttons or the touch panel 215. Various applications executed on the data processing device 101 utilize these audio control unit 206, display control unit 207, input control unit 208, etc.

[0022] Figure 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 104 according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 104 has a controller unit 301, which controls various communication units such as the NFC communication unit 310, the BLE communication unit 311, and the wireless LAN communication unit 312, as well as the operation unit 307, the scanner 313 that performs the scanning function, and the printer 314 that performs the printing function. When a user uses the copy function of the image forming apparatus 104, the controller unit 301 controls the scanner 313 to acquire image data of the original document and controls the printer 314 to print and output the image on paper. When a user uses the "scan and send" function, the controller unit 301 controls the scanner 313 to acquire image data of the original document and converts it into code data. This is then transmitted to the data processing device 101, etc., via the network I / F 308. When a user uses the print function, the controller unit 301 receives image data (code data) from the data processing device 101 via the network I / F 308. The controller unit 301 then transmits the received image data to the printer 314. The printer 314 prints the image onto paper based on the received image data. The image forming apparatus 104 also has a fax receiving function that receives data from ISDN, etc., and a fax transmission function that sends scanned data to ISDN, etc. To perform each of the functions described above, the tasks to be processed that the user has set are called jobs, and the image forming apparatus 104 executes jobs according to the job information. For example, in the case of a "scan and send" job, the scanner performs a scan according to the scan settings included in the job information and sends the scanned and generated image data to the destination included in the job information.

[0023] The controller unit 301 consists of a CPU 302, RAM 303, ROM 304, HDD 305, control interface 306, network interface 308, and device interface 309, which are connected by a system bus 315.

[0024] The CPU 302 controls the entire system of the image forming apparatus 104. The RAM 303 is the system work memory for the operation of the CPU 302 and temporarily stores image data, etc. It also stores scanned image data read by the scanner 313 and print image data received from the data processing device 101 via the network 103. The ROM 304 stores the system's boot program, applications, etc. The hard disk drive (HDD) 305 stores the operating system, system software, application software, image data, configuration data, etc.

[0025] The operation unit 307 displays information to the user and accepts user input. This includes, for example, an operation panel such as a touch panel display or hard keys.

[0026] The control unit I / F 306 outputs information to be displayed on the control unit 307. The control unit I / F 306 also receives information entered by the user from the control unit 307. The network I / F 308 is connected to the NFC communication unit 310, the BLE communication unit 311, and the wireless LAN communication unit 312, and exchanges information with the data processing unit 101 and the cloud server 105 through various communications. The wireless LAN communication unit 312 communicates with the data processing unit 101 via the network 103. The NFC communication unit 310 and the BLE communication unit 311 also communicate with the data processing unit 101 via short-range wireless communication. The image forming apparatus 104 receives job setting information, image data, job execution commands, etc. from the data processing unit 101 via the network I / F 308 and executes jobs. The device I / F 309 connects the scanner 313 and printer 314, which perform image data reading and printing, to the controller unit 301 and performs image data input and output.

[0027] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the data processing device 101 according to this embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the software realized by the CPU 202 reading the control program stored in the ROM 203 and the storage device 209.

[0028] Application 401 is an application installed on the data processing unit 101 and is used to operate the image forming apparatus 104. It communicates with the image forming apparatus 104, sending various requests and receiving various responses from the image forming apparatus 104 to cooperate with it. For example, it is possible to configure settings on application 401 to generate print job information and scan job information, and then send this job information to the image forming apparatus 104. In addition to application 401, various other applications are installed on the data processing unit 101, but their explanation will be omitted. The configuration of application 401 is shown below.

[0029] The user interface (UI) control unit 402 receives job setting information and connection information for the image forming apparatus 104 entered by the user via the touch panel 215 and transmits it to the MFP control unit 403. The UI control unit 402 also receives a response from the MFP control unit 403 and outputs it to the display 214 via the display control unit 207. Furthermore, the UI control unit 402 controls the auto-clear function as part of user interface control. Auto-clear is a process that clears all setting values ​​set on the display screen or displays a pre-set initial screen when the data processing device 101 does not accept operation from the user for a predetermined period of time. The initial screen can be set in advance by the user, and if the user is logged into the data processing device 101 when the auto-clear occurs, it will automatically log out. The countdown timer used to measure the remaining time until the auto-clear occurs is called the auto-clear timer. The auto-clear timer counts the time when the system does not accept operation from the user.

[0030] The MFP control unit 403 establishes communication with the image forming apparatus 104, sends requests to the image forming apparatus 104, and receives responses. The UI control unit 402 generates job execution instruction information from the received job settings and sends a job execution request to the image forming apparatus 104 via the network 103. The MFP control unit 403 also obtains the job execution status from the image forming apparatus 104 via the network 103 and sends it to the UI control unit 402.

[0031] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the image forming apparatus 104 according to this embodiment. The system software 501 is software executed by the CPU 302 of the image forming apparatus 104 and is stored in the RAM 303.

[0032] The user interface (UI) control unit 502 receives information entered by the user via the operation unit 307 and controls the screen, etc. The UI control unit 502 also controls the auto-clear function as part of user interface control. If the user is logged into the data processing unit 101 when the auto-clear occurs, it automatically logs the user out.

[0033] The linkage control unit 503 controls the linkage between the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104. Specifically, it controls the image forming apparatus 104 based on requests received from the data processing device 101 and sends responses to requests to the data processing device 101. It also manages the state of the image forming apparatus 104 when the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104 are linked (hereinafter referred to as the linkage state).

[0034] The linkage management table 504 is a table that manages the information necessary for the linkage control unit 503 to perform control over the linkage between the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104.

[0035] The job control unit 505 controls the scanning processing unit 511, the copying processing unit 512, the printing processing unit 513, and the fax processing unit 514 according to the job settings, and executes various jobs.

[0036] Figure 12 shows an example of a screen displayed by the image forming apparatus 104 in this embodiment.

[0037] Figure 12(a) shows the authentication screen of the image forming apparatus 104 according to this embodiment. The login screen 1201 is a screen for accepting user authentication and includes a username input field 1202 for entering the username of the user who is logging in locally, and a password input field 1203 for entering the password. Here, local login is a login that allows a user to exclusively operate the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 104, and while a user is logged in locally, other users cannot log in locally or operate the operation panel. When the login button 1204 is pressed, the local login process is started using the username and password entered in 1202 and 1203. Hereafter, "login" will refer to local login unless otherwise specified.

[0038] Figure 12(b) shows the home screen of the image forming apparatus 104, which is displayed, for example, after authentication on the login screen 601 is successful and the user logs into the image forming apparatus 104.

[0039] The home screen 1210 is a screen that displays a list of functions available to the image forming apparatus 104, and is used by the user to select the function they wish to use. The copy button 1211 is a button for executing the copy function, and when pressed, it transitions to the copy settings screen (not shown). When the status check button 1212 is pressed, it transitions to the status check screen (not shown), where the user can view the job execution status and history. The logout button 1213 displays the username of the currently logged-in user, and when pressed, it logs out the logged-in user and transitions to the login screen 1201. The "Scan and Send" button 1214 is a button for executing the function of sending scanned images to a specified destination. When the "Scan and Send" button 1214 is pressed, it transitions to the "Scan and Send" settings screen 1220.

[0040] Figure 12(c) shows the screen for the "Scan and Send" function of the image forming apparatus 104. The "Scan and Send" setting screen 1220 is a screen for setting the scan and the destination of the image to be sent. The destination field 1221 displays the set image destinations. The destination specification button 1222 is a button for setting the image destination, and when pressed, a list of destinations is displayed. The scan setting area 1223 is an area for setting the scan, and each setting can be made by pressing each button. The start button 1224 is a button that executes the processing with the settings made on the "Scan and Send" setting screen 1220, and when pressed, it performs a scan and sends the scanned and generated image to the set destination. When the start button 1224 is pressed, the image forming apparatus 104 displays a processing execution screen (not shown) and displays the execution status of the process. When the process is completed, the "Scan and Send" setting screen 1220 is displayed, or the system transitions to the home screen 1210. The stop button 1225 is a button for interrupting the process that is currently running.

[0041] Figure 12(d) shows the document setup screen, which prompts the user to set the document. The document setup screen 1231 is displayed when the image forming apparatus 104 has not set a document in the scanner after receiving a "Scan and Send" job from the data processing device 101. If the cancel button 1232 is pressed, the job is canceled, and processing proceeds when the document is set or when the setup complete button 1233 is pressed.

[0042] Figure 12(e) shows the PIN code screen that displays the PIN code to be entered on the data processing device 101. This screen is displayed when the image forming apparatus 104 receives a "scan and send" job from the data processing device 101. To ensure that the user of the data processing device 101 is in front of the image forming apparatus 104, the user is prompted to enter the PIN code displayed on the PIN code screen 1240 on the data processing device 101. The message area 1210 is an area for displaying the PIN code generated in step S1121 and a message prompting the user to enter the PIN code. The cancel button 1241 is a button for canceling the linked state. If the PIN code entered on the data processing device 101 is correct, the image forming apparatus 104 executes the "scan and send" job.

[0043] If the operation unit 307 does not accept any user input for a predetermined period of time while the screens shown in Figures 12(b) to (e) are displayed, and an auto-clear process is executed, the set values ​​are cleared and a pre-set initial screen (for example, the home screen 1210) is displayed. Also, if the user is logged into the image forming apparatus 104 during the auto-clear process, the user is logged out and the login screen 1201 is displayed.

[0044] Figure 8 shows an example of a screen displayed when application 401 of the data processing device 101 processes a job execution instruction to the image forming apparatus.

[0045] Figure 8(a) shows an example of the "Scan and Send" job setting screen. The job setting screen 811 is displayed when the "Scan and Send" button 852 is selected from the menu screen 851 of application 401. The job setting screen 811 allows settings for sending the image generated by scanning a document with the image forming apparatus 104 via email. The title 812 displays the title and has a button to cancel the settings and return to the previous screen. The email address setting area 813 displays the set recipients, and when the area is pressed, a soft keyboard for entering the recipient's email address is displayed. Pressing the address book launch button 814 launches the address book of the data processing device 101, allowing the selection of the recipient's email address. Multiple email addresses can be set. Pressing the open button 815 switches to a screen display where CC, BCC, subject, body, and file name can be set, and input for each item becomes possible. The scan setting area 816 has buttons for setting scan settings such as color settings and resolution when the image forming apparatus 104 scans. Each setting can be changed by pressing each button. The job execution button 817 is used to configure job information with the set settings and send it to the image forming machine.

[0046] Figure 8(b) shows the document placement screen, which is displayed when a document has not been placed in the image forming apparatus 104 after sending "Scan and Send" job information to the image forming apparatus 104. The message area 821 is an area for displaying a message prompting the user to place the document. The cancel button 822 is a button for canceling the linked state. The set complete button 823 is a button for notifying the image forming apparatus 104 that a document has been placed in the scanner 313 of the image forming apparatus 104, in cases where the image forming apparatus 104 (scanner 313) does not detect the document even after the user has placed the document in the scanner 313 of the image forming apparatus 104.

[0047] Figure 8(c) shows the PIN code input screen. This screen is for entering the PIN code included in the PIN code screen 1240 displayed on the image forming apparatus 104 after sending the "Scan and Send" job information to the image forming apparatus 104. The PIN code input field 831 is an input field for entering the PIN code. The cancel button 832 is a button for canceling the linked state. The OK button 833 is a button for sending the PIN code entered in the PIN code input field 831 to the image forming apparatus 104. Alternatively, instead of a PIN code, the image forming apparatus 104 may display a QR code (registered trademark), and the authentication information may be transmitted by reading the QR code with the camera 216 provided by the data processing device 101.

[0048] Figure 8(d) shows the completion notification screen. This screen is displayed when the PIN code entered on the PIN code input screen is authenticated and job execution starts in the image forming apparatus 104. The display message area 841 is an area for displaying a message corresponding to the cooperation status received in step S708. The message area 841 in Figure 8(d) shows an example where the cooperation status is "Job Execution". The OK button 842 is a button for closing the completion notification screen. Closing the completion notification screen transitions to the menu screen of application 401.

[0049] Figure 8(e) shows the menu screen of application 401. The menu screen 851 is the initial screen displayed when application 401 is launched, and the user selects the desired function from the menu screen. When the "Scan and Send" button 852 is pressed, the job setting screen 811 is displayed.

[0050] Furthermore, if the data processing device 101 is displaying Figures 8(a) to (d) and does not receive any input from the user for a predetermined period of time, an auto-clear process is executed and the initial screen (for example, the menu screen shown in Figure 8(e)) is displayed.

[0051] By configuring the "Scan and Send" job settings on application 401 and sending the job information to the image forming apparatus 104, the job is executed in the image forming apparatus 104 after the document is set and the PIN code is entered.

[0052] When the data processing device 101 is operated in this manner to cause the image forming apparatus 104 to perform processing, a problem arises if the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104 does not accept any operation from the user for a predetermined time and performs an auto-clear process, as in the conventional method. For example, even if the user is operating the document setting screen (Figure 8(b)) or the PIN code input screen (Figure 8(c)) in the data processing device 101, if the image forming apparatus 104 determines that its operation unit 307 has not accepted any operation and continues to count the auto-clear timer and performs an auto-clear process, the document setting screen and the PIN code screen (Figure 12(e)) will be hidden in the image forming apparatus 104 and the initial screen or the like will be displayed. In this case, the user will not know, for example, the PIN code to be entered and will not be able to proceed with the processing. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the operation is received by the data processing device 101, the image forming apparatus 104 will reset the auto-clear timer.

[0053] Figure 17 is a sequence diagram showing the interaction between the image forming apparatus 104 and the data processing apparatus 101 in this embodiment.

[0054] When the data processing device 101 receives a job setting from the user on application 401 and receives an instruction to send job information to the image forming apparatus 104, in S1701 the data processing device 101 resets its own auto-clear timer, and in S1702 a job execution request is sent from the data processing device 101 to the image forming apparatus 104. In other words, job information for the image forming apparatus 104 to execute the job is sent to the image forming apparatus 104. The auto-clear timer decreases the remaining time as time passes, and when the remaining time reaches 0, an auto-clear occurs. When the auto-clear timer is reset, the remaining time until an auto-clear occurs is reset to the auto-clear time. For example, if the auto-clear time was set to 120 seconds, resetting the auto-clear timer will reset the remaining time to 120 seconds.

[0055] Upon receiving a job execution request, the image forming apparatus 104 resets its own auto-clear timer in S1703. If a document is placed in the image forming apparatus 104, it changes the linkage status to "PIN code request" in S1704 and sends a response to the data processing device 101 in S1705. The linkage status will be described later.

[0056] In S1706, the data processing device 101 sends a request to the image forming apparatus 104 to acquire the cooperation status, and in S1707, the image forming apparatus 104 returns a response. In S1708, the data processing device 101 determines from the received response information whether the cooperation status has changed, and if the cooperation status has changed, in S1709 it resets the auto-clear timer and displays the information corresponding to the changed cooperation status. It is assumed that the request and response processing in S1706 and S1707 is performed as soon as the job information is sent.

[0057] The processing from S1710 onward will be performed asynchronously with the steps described above.

[0058] When the data processing device 101 receives a press of the document setting complete button 823 from the user on application 401, the data processing device 101 resets its own auto-clear timer in S1710 and sends a document setting request to the image forming apparatus 104 in S1711.

[0059] Upon receiving the document set request, the image forming apparatus 104 resets its own auto-clear timer in S1712. Then, in S1713, it changes the linkage status to "PIN code request," and in S1714, it sends the document set response to the data processing device 101.

[0060] When the data processing device 101 receives a PIN code input from the user on application 401, the data processing device 101 resets its own auto-clear timer in S1715 and sends a PIN release request to the image forming apparatus 104 in S1716.

[0061] Upon receiving the PIN release request, the image forming apparatus 104 resets its own auto-clear timer in S1717. Then, in S1718, it changes the cooperation status to "job execution," sends the PIN release response to the data processing device 101 in S1719, and executes the job based on the received job information in S1720.

[0062] Figure 6 shows an example of the collaboration management table 504 in this embodiment. The collaboration management table 504 has two tables: the request management table 600 and the event management table 650.

[0063] Figure 6(a) shows an example of a request management table 600 that manages requests received by the image forming apparatus 104 from the data processing device 101. Each row defines information about one request.

[0064] The Request Type column 601 represents the type of request received by the image forming apparatus 104. A "Job Execution Request" is a request to instruct the image forming apparatus 104 to execute a job. A "Communication Status Acquisition Request" is a request to acquire status information from the image forming apparatus 104. A "Document Set Request" is a request to notify that the document has been set. A "PIN Release Request" is a request to request authentication using the entered PIN code. A "Cancel Request" is a request to cancel the execution of a job.

[0065] The "Acceptable Coordination Status" column 602 defines the coordination status under which a request can be accepted when a request of the "Request Type" column 601 is received. For example, a "Job Execution Request" is only accepted when the coordination status is "(Not Coordinated)". A coordination status of "(Not Coordinated)" refers to a state where, for example, the data processing device 101 and the image forming device 104 are communicating, but job information has not yet been sent from the data processing device 101 to the image forming device 104. A coordination status of "(Coordinating)" indicates a state where job information has been sent from the data processing device 101 to the image forming device 104, and they are able to coordinate with each other. Thus, the coordination status indicates the stage or status in the process of exchanging information and processing between the data processing device 101 and the image forming device 104. Furthermore, a "Coordination Status Acquisition Request" is only accepted when a job has been sent from the data processing device 101 to the image forming device 104 and the coordination status is "(Coordinating)".

[0066] The User Operation Request 603 column defines whether the request in the Request Type 601 column is a request caused by a user operation. Rows where the User Operation Request 603 column is "YES" are requests caused by a user operation. Rows where the User Operation Request 603 column is "NO" are requests that are sent independently of a user operation. For example, a "Job Execution Request" is a request that is sent when a user presses a button to submit a job on the data processing device 101, so the User Operation Request is "YES". A "Linkage Status Acquisition Request" is not a request that is sent by a user operating the data processing device 101, so the User Operation Request is "NO".

[0067] Figure 6(b) shows an example of an event management table 650 that manages event information that changes the linkage status. Each row defines one linkage status, the event information to be processed in that linkage status, and information about the linkage status after the event information occurs and changes are made. The linkage status column 651 represents one linkage status. The event occurrence column 652 defines the events that the image forming apparatus 104 should process when the linkage status column 651 is in that state. If an event not defined in the event occurrence column 652 occurs, the linkage status does not change.

[0068] The "Post-Change Linkage Status" column 653 defines the linkage status after an event defined in the "Event" column 652 occurs. Let's explain using row 622 as an example. When the linkage status is "Waiting for document to be placed", if either the "Scanner: Document present" event or the "UI: Document set button pressed" event occurs, the linkage status transitions to "PIN code requested".

[0069] The processing of job execution instructions executed by the data processing device 101 in this embodiment will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of job execution instructions, which is achieved when the CPU 202 of the data processing device 101 reads the programs for implementing each control module stored in the ROM 203 or storage device 209 into the RAM 204 and executes them.

[0070] In step S701, the UI control unit 402 receives information (such as an IP address) for connecting to the image forming apparatus 104 that will execute a job based on the user's screen operation of the application 401. The information for connecting to the image forming apparatus 104 may be obtained using short-range wireless communication such as NFC, rather than being input from the user. Alternatively, the wireless LAN communication unit 212 may be used to search for image forming apparatuses connected to the network 103. In subsequent steps, the information received in step S701 will be used to communicate with the image forming apparatus 104.

[0071] In step S702, the UI control unit 402 receives instructions from the user to configure a job and send job information via the job configuration screen 811. Specifically, it accepts settings for scanning and destination on the job configuration screen 811 and accepts the press of the job execution button 817.

[0072] In step S703, the UI control unit 402 resets the auto-clear timer of the data processing device 101.

[0073] In step S704, the MFP control unit 403 sends a job execution request to the image forming apparatus 104, which includes job information configured based on the operation received in step S702.

[0074] In step S705, the MFP control unit 403 receives a job execution response from the image forming apparatus 104 as a response to step S704. In step S706, the MFP control unit 403 determines the content of the job execution response. If the content of the job execution response indicates success, the MFP control unit 403 proceeds to step S707; otherwise, it proceeds to step S750.

[0075] In step S707, the MFP control unit 403 sends a cooperation status acquisition request to the image forming apparatus 104 to obtain the cooperation status. In step S708, the MFP control unit 403 receives a cooperation status acquisition response from the image forming apparatus 104 as a response to step S707. The cooperation status acquisition response includes the cooperation status of the image forming apparatus 104 and other information.

[0076] In step S709, the MFP control unit 403 determines whether the connection state received in step S708 has changed from the previous connection state. If the connection state has changed, the UI control unit 402 proceeds to step S710; otherwise, it proceeds to step S707.

[0077] In step S710, the UI control unit 402 resets the auto-clear timer of the data processing device 101 in response to a change in the cooperation state. In this flowchart, the change in the cooperation state is used as an example of a means for determining whether or not to reset the auto-clear timer when a cooperation state acquisition response is received, but other means for determination may be used. For example, the determination may be made based on the type of cooperation state included in the cooperation state acquisition response, or it may be made using other information included in the cooperation state acquisition response (such as information on whether or not a user operation occurred in the image forming apparatus 104).

[0078] In step S711, the MFP control unit 403 proceeds to step S712 if the communication status received in step S708 is "Waiting for document placement", proceeds to step S720 if it is "PIN code requested", and proceeds to step S730 if it is "Job execution" or "Cancellation".

[0079] In step S712, the UI control unit 402 displays the document placement screen (Figure 8(b)) on the display 214, and then proceeds to step S707. The document placement screen displays a message prompting the user to place the document on the scanner 313 of the image forming apparatus 104. The processing when user operations are performed on the document placement screen will be described later in the flowchart of Figure 9(a).

[0080] In step S720, the UI control unit 402 displays the PIN code input screen (Figure 8(c)) on the display 214, and then proceeds to step S707. The PIN code input screen is a screen for inputting the PIN code displayed on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104. The processing when a user operation is performed on the PIN code input screen will be described later in the flowchart of Figure 9(b).

[0081] In step S730, the UI control unit 402 displays a termination notification screen (Figure 8(d)) on the display 214 and terminates the flowchart. The termination notification screen is used to notify the user of the termination status when the cooperation with the image forming apparatus 104 has ended.

[0082] In step S750, the UI control unit 402 displays on the display 214 that the job execution instruction failed and terminates the flowchart.

[0083] By following the flowchart described above, when the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104 are working in conjunction, it is possible to prevent the data processing device 101 from executing an auto-clear process even if the operation unit of the data processing device 101 does not receive any input from the user for a predetermined period of time.

[0084] Figure 9 illustrates the processing that occurs when a user operation is performed in application 401. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the processing performed by the data processing device 101. This is achieved when the CPU 202 of the data processing device 101 reads the programs for implementing each control module stored in the ROM 203 or storage device 209 into the RAM 204 and executes them. The flowchart in Figure 9 is processed asynchronously with the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0085] Figure 9(a) is a flowchart illustrating the process when a user operation is performed on the document placement screen (Figure 8(b)) displayed in step S712.

[0086] In step S901, the UI control unit 402 receives user input on the document placement screen and proceeds to the next step.

[0087] In step S902, the UI control unit 402 resets the auto-clear timer of the data processing device 101. In step S903, the UI control unit 402 determines the user operation detected in step S901. If the user operation was a press of the set complete button 823, the UI control unit 402 proceeds to step S904; if it was a press of the cancel button 822, it proceeds to step S910.

[0088] In step S904, the MFP control unit 403 sends a document set request to the image forming apparatus 104 to notify it that the document has been placed. In step S905, the MFP control unit 403 receives a document set response from the image forming apparatus 104 as a response to step S904, and the flowchart ends.

[0089] In step S910, the MFP control unit 403 sends a cancellation request to the image forming apparatus 104 to terminate the linked state. In step S911, the MFP control unit 403 receives a cancellation response from the image forming apparatus 104 as a response to step S910, and the flowchart ends.

[0090] Figure 9(b) is a flowchart illustrating the process when a user operation is performed on the PIN code input screen (Figure 8(c)) displayed in step S720.

[0091] In step S920, the UI control unit 402 receives user input on the PIN code input screen and proceeds to the next step.

[0092] In step S921, the UI control unit 402 resets the auto-clear timer of the data processing device 101. In step S922, the UI control unit 402 determines the user operation received in step S920. If the user operation was the input of a PIN code, the UI control unit 402 proceeds to step S920; if the OK button 833 was pressed, it proceeds to step S923; and if the Cancel button 832 was pressed, it proceeds to step S930.

[0093] In step S923, the MFP control unit 403 sends a PIN unlock request to the image forming apparatus 104 to unlock the PIN code. The PIN unlock request includes the PIN code entered by the user in the input field 831. In step S924, the MFP control unit 403 receives a PIN unlock response from the image forming apparatus 104 as a response to step S923. The PIN unlock response includes information on whether or not the PIN code was successfully unlocked. In step S925, if the PIN code was successfully unlocked, the MFP control unit 403 terminates the flowchart; otherwise, it proceeds to step S926. In step S926, the UI control unit 402 displays a message in the message area 831 indicating that the PIN code was not unlocked and prompting the user to re-enter the PIN code, and then terminates the flowchart.

[0094] In step S930, the MFP control unit 403 sends a cancellation request to the image forming apparatus 104 to terminate the linked state. In step S931, the MFP control unit 403 receives a cancellation response from the image forming apparatus 104 as a response to step S930, and the flowchart ends.

[0095] Figure 10 illustrates the auto-clear control process in the data processing device 101. Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process performed in the data processing device 101, which is realized when the CPU 202 of the data processing device 101 reads the programs for implementing each control module stored in the ROM 203 or storage device 209 into the RAM 204 and executes them. Note that the flowchart in Figure 10 is processed asynchronously with the flowcharts in Figures 7 and 9.

[0096] In this embodiment, we will describe an example where the data processing device 101 is configured to display the menu screen of application 401 when an auto-clear occurs. However, the configuration is not limited to this; the home screen of the data processing device 101 may be displayed, or if the data processing device 101 is a mobile terminal, the terminal may be locked.

[0097] In step S1001, the UI control unit 402 detects that application 401 has been called and displayed on display 214. In step S1002, the UI control unit 402 starts the countdown of the auto-clear timer. Thereafter, the auto-clear timer decreases the remaining time as time passes.

[0098] In step S1003, the UI control unit 402 monitors the remaining time of the auto-clear timer. When it detects that the remaining time has reached zero, it proceeds to step S1004. If there is still time remaining, it continues to monitor the remaining time.

[0099] In step S1004, the UI control unit 402 displays the menu screen 851 of the data processing device 101 and terminates the flowchart.

[0100] The above flowchart processes the data so that when the predetermined conditions are met and a predetermined time has elapsed, the auto-clear process is executed. While this example shows a countdown, it is also possible to have the auto-clear process trigger when a predetermined count is reached.

[0101] The collaborative processing between the image forming apparatus 104 and the data processing device 101, as described in this embodiment, will be explained using Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the collaborative processing in the image forming apparatus 104, which is realized when the CPU 302 of the image forming apparatus 104 reads the programs for implementing each control module stored in the ROM 304 or HDD 305 into the RAM 303 and executes them.

[0102] In step S1101, the cooperation control unit 503 receives various requests sent from the data processing device 101 via the network 103. This is, for example, the information sent in steps S704 and S707.

[0103] In step S1102, the cooperation control unit 503 obtains information from the request management table 600 corresponding to the request received in step S1101 (information defined in the Acceptable Cooperation Status column 602 and the User Operation Request column 603).

[0104] In step S1103, the linkage control unit 503 obtains the current linkage status of the image forming apparatus 104. In step S1104, the linkage control unit 503 determines whether the request received in step S1101 is an acceptable request in the current linkage status. Specifically, the determination is made by checking whether the current linkage status satisfies the value in the acceptable linkage status column 602 obtained in step S1102. If the request is acceptable, the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1105; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1180.

[0105] In step S1105, the interoperation control unit 503 determines whether the request received in step S1101 is a user operation request or not. Specifically, the determination is made based on whether the value in the user operation request column 603 obtained in step S1102 is "YES" or "NO". Determining whether or not a request is a user operation request using the value in the user operation request column 603 is just one example; other methods may be used for the determination. For example, the data processing device 101 may include information indicating whether or not a request is a user operation request in the request it sends, and the determination may be made using that information. If the interoperation control unit 503 determines that the request is a user operation request, it proceeds to step S1106; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1107.

[0106] In step S1106, the UI control unit 502 resets the auto-clear timer of the image forming apparatus 104.

[0107] In step S1107, the linkage control unit 503 distributes the processing according to the type of request received in step S1101. If the request is a "job execution request", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1108. If the request is a "document set request", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1120. If the request is a "cancel request", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1130. If the request is a "PIN release request", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1140. If the request is a "linkage status acquisition request", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1170.

[0108] In step S1108, the linkage control unit 503 saves the job information included in the job execution request received in step S1101 to RAM 303. The linkage control unit 503 retains the saved job information until the linkage state is released. In step S1109, the linkage control unit 503 determines the document detection state of the scanner 313 of the image forming apparatus 104. If the document detection state of the scanner 313 indicates that a document has been detected, the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1120; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1110.

[0109] In step S1110, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to "waiting for document placement". In step S1111, the UI control unit 502 displays the document placement screen (Figure 12(d)) on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104, and then proceeds to step S1150. The document placement screen displays a message prompting the user to place a document on the scanner 313. The processing when user operations are performed on the document placement screen will be described later in the flowchart of Figure 13.

[0110] In step S1120, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to the "PIN code requested" state. In step S1121, the linkage control unit 503 generates a PIN code. The PIN code can be generated by any means, but in this embodiment, as an example, a randomly generated 4-digit number is used as the PIN code. In step S1122, the UI control unit 502 displays the PIN code screen (Figure 12(e)) on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104, and then proceeds to step S1150. The PIN code screen is a screen for presenting the PIN code generated in step S1121 to the user. The processing when a user operation is performed on the PIN code screen will be described later in the flowchart of Figure 13.

[0111] In step S1130, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to "cancel". In step S1131, the linkage control unit 503 sets a timer to cancel the linkage status, and then proceeds to step S1150. When the time set in the timer has elapsed, the linkage control unit 503 deletes the linkage status and the job settings saved in step S1108, and the image forming apparatus 104 returns to an unlinked state.

[0112] In step S1140, the linkage control unit 503 determines whether the PIN code included in the PIN release request received in step S1101 matches the PIN code generated in step S1121. If the PIN codes match, the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1141; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1160.

[0113] In step S1141, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to "job execution". In step S1142, the linkage control unit 503 requests the job control unit 505 to start executing the job using the job settings saved in step S1108. After that, the process proceeds to step S1150.

[0114] In step S1150, the interoperability control unit 503 sends a response to the request received in step S1101 to the data processing unit 101, thereby ending the flowchart. The response contains information indicating that the request was successfully received. For example, if the request received in step S1101 was a PIN release request, the PIN release response contains information indicating that the PIN code was successfully released.

[0115] In step S1160, the control unit 503 sends a PIN release response to the data processing unit 101, which contains information indicating that the PIN release failed due to a PIN code mismatch, in response to the PIN release request received in step S1101, and terminates the flowchart.

[0116] In step S1170, the cooperation control unit 503 sends a cooperation status acquisition response containing information about the current cooperation status to the data processing device 101 in response to the cooperation status acquisition request received in step S1101, thereby ending the flowchart.

[0117] In step S1180, the interoperation control unit 503 sends an error response to the data processing device 101, which includes information indicating that the request could not be accepted, in response to the request received in step S1101, and terminates the flowchart.

[0118] Through the above process, the image forming apparatus 104 can reset the auto-clear timer when it receives a request from the data processing device 101, even if the operation unit 307 does not receive an operation. Therefore, the PIN code screen (Figure 12(e)), etc., will not be hidden, and the user can proceed with the process. Furthermore, the auto-clear timer is reset only for requests that are based on operations performed on the data processing device 101, so the auto-clear timer is not reset unnecessarily. For example, a request to acquire the linkage status is a request that is sent at any time even if the user does not operate the data processing device 101, so the image forming apparatus 104 does not reset the auto-clear timer when it receives this request. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus 104 may be configured to reset the auto-clear timer each time a single character of the PIN code is entered on the data processing device 101.

[0119] Figure 13 illustrates the processing that occurs when a user operates in the image forming apparatus 104. Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating the processing in the image forming apparatus 104, which is realized when the CPU 302 of the image forming apparatus 104 reads the programs for each control module stored in the ROM 304 or HDD 305 into the RAM 303 and executes them. Note that the flowchart in Figure 13 is processed asynchronously with the flowchart in Figure 11.

[0120] In step S1301, the control unit 503 detects events occurring in the image forming apparatus 104. For example, when a user places a document on the scanner 313, a "Scanner: Document Found" event occurs. Also, when a user removes a document from the scanner 313, a "Scanner: Document Removed" event occurs. Furthermore, when a user presses the set complete button 1233 in Figure 12(d), a "UI: Document Set Button Pressed" event occurs. Also, when a user presses the cancel button 1232 or the cancel button 1241, a "UI: Cancel Button Pressed" event occurs.

[0121] In step S1302, the linkage control unit 503 retrieves information corresponding to the current linkage status from the event management table 650 (information defined in the Occurring Events column 652 and the Changed Linkage Status column 653).

[0122] In step S1303, the linkage control unit 503 determines whether the event detected in step S1301 is an event that should be processed in the current linkage state. Specifically, it determines whether the event detected in step S1301 is included in the occurrence event column 652 acquired in step S1302. If the event should be processed, the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1304; otherwise, it terminates the flowchart.

[0123] In step S1304, the control unit 503 resets the auto-clear timer of the image forming apparatus 104.

[0124] In step S1305, the linkage control unit 503 branches the processing according to the changed linkage status 653 column obtained in step S1302. If the changed linkage status is "Waiting for document placement", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1306. If the changed linkage status is "PIN code requested", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1310. If the changed linkage status is "Cancelled", the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1320.

[0125] In step S1306, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to "waiting for document placement". In step S1307, the UI control unit 502 displays the document placement screen on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104 and ends the flowchart.

[0126] In step S1310, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to "PIN code requested". In step S1311, the linkage control unit 503 generates a PIN code. In step S1312, the UI control unit 502 displays the PIN code screen on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104 and ends the flowchart.

[0127] In step S1320, the linkage control unit 503 sets the linkage status to "cancel". In step S1321, the linkage control unit 503 sets a timer to cancel the linkage status and ends the flowchart. When the time set in the timer has elapsed, the linkage control unit 503 deletes the linkage status and the job settings saved in step S1108, and the image forming apparatus 104 returns to an unlinked state.

[0128] The process of auto-clear control in the image forming apparatus 104 will be explained using Figure 14. Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the process in the image forming apparatus 104, which is realized when the CPU 302 of the image forming apparatus 104 reads the programs for each control module stored in the ROM 304 or HDD 305 into the RAM 303 and executes them. Note that the flowchart in Figure 14 is processed asynchronously with the flowcharts in Figures 11 and 13.

[0129] In this embodiment, we will describe an example in which the initial screen of the image forming apparatus 104 is displayed when an auto-clear occurs. The initial screen can be set by the user; it may be set to the home screen (Figure 12(b)) or a specific application screen may be specified. The operation when an auto-clear occurs is just one example; as another example, if the image forming apparatus 104 has an authentication function, it may be configured to log out of the image forming apparatus 104.

[0130] In step S1401, the UI control unit 502 detects that the image forming apparatus 104 has woken up from sleep mode. Sleep mode is a state in which power is supplied only to a limited number of components to reduce power consumption when the image forming apparatus 104 has not been used for a certain period of time. When a user operates the image forming apparatus 104, it wakes up from sleep mode and becomes usable. The time spent in sleep mode may be longer than or equal to the auto-clear time, but in this embodiment, it will be explained as being longer than the auto-clear time.

[0131] In step S1402, the UI control unit 502, upon waking from sleep mode, displays an initial screen on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104. In step S1403, the UI control unit 502 starts counting down the auto-clear timer. Thereafter, the auto-clear timer decreases the remaining time as time progresses.

[0132] In step S1404, the UI control unit 502 monitors the remaining time of the auto-clear timer. When it detects that the remaining time has reached zero, it proceeds to step S1405. If there is still time remaining, it continues to monitor the remaining time.

[0133] In step S1405, the linkage control unit 503 determines whether or not it is currently in a linked state with the data processing device 101. If it is in a linked state, the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1406; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1407.

[0134] In step S1406, the linkage control unit 503 deletes the linkage status and the job settings saved in step S1108, and disconnects the linkage with the data processing device 101.

[0135] In step S1407, the UI control unit 502 displays an initial screen on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 104 and terminates the flowchart.

[0136] As described above in this embodiment, when the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104 are operating in conjunction, if a user performs an operation on either device, the auto-clear timers of both devices are reset. This ensures that the auto-clear function works properly while the data processing device 101 and the image forming apparatus 104 are operating in conjunction, thereby improving usability.

[0137] (Example 2) In Example 1, if an auto-clear occurred in either the data processing device 101 or the image forming apparatus 104, the other apparatus would also perform an auto-clear according to the auto-clear time of that apparatus. Example 2 describes an example in which, if an auto-clear occurs in either apparatus, the other apparatus will also perform an auto-clear. The basic configuration of Example 2 is the same as in Example 1, so only the differences will be explained.

[0138] Figure 15 illustrates the auto-clear control process performed by the data processing device 101 in the second embodiment. Figure 15 is a flowchart derived from Figure 10. Only the differences from Figure 10 will be explained.

[0139] In step S1501, the MFP control unit 403 determines whether or not it is in cooperation with the image forming apparatus 104. Any means may be used for this determination, but for example, the cooperation status acquisition response received in step S807 may be kept and the determination may be made using that cooperation status. Alternatively, the determination may be made by determining whether or not the screen currently displayed on the display 214 is a screen that is in cooperation. If the MFP control unit 403 is in cooperation, it proceeds to step S1502; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1004.

[0140] In step S1502, the MFP control unit 403 sends a notification to the image forming apparatus 104 informing it that an auto-clear has occurred.

[0141] In step S1511, the MFP control unit 403 determines whether or not it has received notification from the image forming apparatus 104 that an auto-clear has occurred. If the MFP control unit 403 has received notification, it proceeds to step S1512; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1003.

[0142] In step S1512, the MFP control unit 403 determines whether the notification received in step S1511 is a notification from the linked image forming apparatus 104. If the notification source is the linked image forming apparatus 104, the MFP control unit 403 proceeds to step S1004; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1003.

[0143] Figure 16 illustrates the auto-clear control process performed by the image forming apparatus 104 in the second embodiment. Figure 16 is a flowchart derived from Figure 14. Only the differences from Figure 14 will be explained.

[0144] In step S1601, the linkage control unit 503 sends a notification to the data processing device 101 indicating that an auto-clear has occurred.

[0145] In step S1611, the linkage control unit 503 determines whether or not it has received a notification from the data processing device 101 that an auto-clear has occurred. If the linkage control unit 503 has received a notification, it proceeds to step S1612; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1404.

[0146] In step S1612, the linkage control unit 503 determines whether the notification received in step S1611 is a notification from the linked data processing device 101. If the source of the notification is the linked data processing device 101, the linkage control unit 503 proceeds to step S1407; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1404.

[0147] As explained above, according to Example 2, if an auto-clear occurs in either device, a notification of the auto-clear is sent to the other device, allowing both connected devices to trigger an auto-clear, thus improving usability.

[0148] (Other examples) The present invention can also be realized by performing the following process: supplying software (programs) that realize the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and having the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of that system or device read and execute the program. In this case, the computer program and the storage medium storing the computer program constitute the present invention.

Claims

1. An information processing device capable of communicating with a terminal, and having an operating unit, A counting means for counting the time during which the control unit is not receiving user input, An execution means that performs an auto-clear process when a predetermined time has been counted by the counting means, An information processing apparatus characterized by having a reset means for resetting the count by the count means based on the receipt of a first request for the start of execution of a job based on job information transmitted from the terminal.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first request is a request transmitted from the terminal based on the terminal's operation unit receiving a user operation instructing the start of execution of a job based on job information transmitted from the terminal.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a receiving means for receiving the job information for executing the functions of the information processing apparatus from the terminal.

4. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the auto-clear process includes a process for displaying the initial screen.

5. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the auto-clear process includes a process to clear the setting value set on the displayed screen.

6. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the auto-clear process includes a process to log out the user who is logged into the information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the information processing apparatus is an image forming apparatus equipped with at least one of a printing function, a scanning function, and a copying function.

8. The aforementioned information processing device is It further has a means for reading the manuscript, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first request is a request transmitted from the terminal based on the reception of a user operation instructing the start of execution of a type of job involving reading a document by the reading means.

9. The aforementioned information processing device is The system further includes a display control means that, based on the receipt of the first request, displays information used to start the execution of the job. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the reading means starts reading the document based on a second request received from the terminal after the information has been displayed.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the information used to start the execution of the job is a PIN code.

11. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the execution means further executes an auto-clear process in the information processing apparatus when an auto-clear process is executed in the terminal.

12. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the reset means becomes operational when it receives job information from the terminal for executing the functions of the information processing apparatus.

13. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the reset means does not reset the count by the counting means when it receives a third request that is different from the first request.

14. The information processing device according to claim 13, characterized in that the third request is a request relating to the cooperation status between the terminal and the information processing device.

15. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the job information is information on the setting values ​​of a plurality of setting items relating to the job.

16. A control method performed by an information processing device that is capable of communicating with a terminal and has an operating unit, A counting step for counting the time during which no user input is being received from the control unit, An execution step in which an auto-clear process is performed when a predetermined time has been counted in the counting step, Upon receiving a first request for the start of job execution based on job information transmitted from the terminal, a reset step is performed to reset the count in the count step, A control method characterized by having the following features.

17. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means described in any one of claims 1 to 15.

Images