JP4461852B2 - Information processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a digital multifunction apparatus or a facsimile server apparatus having a server function.

  A LAN system in which a digital composite apparatus, which is a facsimile apparatus with a copy, printer, and scanner function, and a plurality of client apparatuses such as personal computers are connected via a local area network (hereinafter referred to as a LAN) has been put into practical use. Yes. In this prior art LAN system, a scanner in a digital composite device reads a document image, converts it into image data, stores it in a memory box in an image memory corresponding to each client device, and sends a transfer instruction from each client device. In response to the request signal, the image data is read from the memory box in the image memory and transferred to the corresponding client device via the LAN.

  For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a facsimile apparatus system (hereinafter referred to as a conventional example) for connecting a facsimile apparatus and a personal computer so that a user can easily obtain information on various functions of the facsimile apparatus. ing. In the facsimile machine system, data related to the help list and operation program are installed in the storage means on the personal computer side in advance, then the personal computer and the facsimile machine are connected, and the user presses the help key on the facsimile machine side. Then, a connection confirmation command is transmitted from the facsimile machine side, and it is determined whether or not the personal computer is connected. If it is determined that the personal computer is connected, it is then determined whether or not the personal computer is activated. When it is determined that the personal computer is activated, the help list data stored in the external storage device on the personal computer side is transmitted to the facsimile device side and output to the recording paper by the printer of the facsimile device.

JP-A-9-139792.

  However, the conventional facsimile apparatus system has a problem that the personal computer as a client apparatus cannot refer to the help list data of the facsimile apparatus from the browser software.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and to provide an information processing apparatus that can refer to help list data of a facsimile apparatus from browser software in a personal computer that is a client apparatus.

An information processing apparatus according to the present invention is configured such that at least one client device that stores a help file for an information processing device in a predetermined location of a storage device of the client device is connected via a network and has a server function. An information processing apparatus comprising:
Storage means for storing the location of the storage device of the client device in which the help file is stored;
Control means for generating link information used when referring to the help file for the information processing device from the browser software of the client device based on the location of the storage device of the client device storing the help file. It is characterized by that.

  In the information processing apparatus, the control unit refers to a location stored in the storage unit in response to a source request signal for instructing display of the instruction screen, and stores location information in which the help file is stored. A source signal for displaying a help button marked with is sent back to the client device.

In the information processing apparatus, the storage means stores a help information management table including a base directory in which a help file is stored in the storage device of the client device.
In response to a source request signal for instructing display of the instruction screen, the control means refers to the help information management table and attaches a link URL of a help file including a base directory storing the help file. A source signal for displaying the help button is sent back to the client device.

Further, in the information processing apparatus, the storage means stores a help information management table including a base directory in which a help file is stored in the storage device of the client device, corresponding to the unique address of the client device,
In response to a source request signal for instructing display of the instruction screen including the unique address of the client device, the control means refers to the help information management table, based on the unique address of the client device, A source signal for displaying a help button with a link URL of a help file including a base directory storing the help file is returned to the client device.

  In the information processing apparatus, the link URL of the help file includes a base directory in which the help file is stored and an index of the help file.

  Furthermore, in the information processing apparatus, the server apparatus is an HTTP server apparatus.

  Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the location of the storage device of the client device in which the help file is stored is stored, and the reference of the help file for the information processing device is instructed from the browser software of the client device. The link information used in the above is generated based on the location of the storage device of the client device in which the help file is stored. Therefore, the help file for the information processing apparatus can be referred to from the browser software of the client apparatus. In addition, since the help file is stored in the client device, the storage resource of the information processing apparatus main body can be saved even if the help file data has a large capacity.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a LAN system including a digital composite apparatus 20 which is a facsimile apparatus having a copy, printer, and scanner function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The LAN system according to this embodiment is connected to a public telephone network 80 via a plurality of N client personal computers 30-1 to 30-N (hereinafter collectively referred to as reference numeral 30) and a public telephone line L. The digital composite apparatus 20 and the router apparatus 60 connected to the Internet 90 are connected via a LAN 70. By connecting each client personal computer 30 to the Internet 90 via a router device 60 and a mail server device (not shown), it is possible to browse home pages and send and receive e-mails. Reference numeral 30 denotes a configuration in which the copy, printer, scanner, and facsimile functions of the apparatus 20 can be used in common by accessing the digital composite apparatus 20.

  A help file 108a for explaining the operation and operation of the digital composite apparatus 20 as an information processing apparatus is stored in advance in a predetermined location of the hard disk drive 108 of the client personal computer 30 according to this embodiment. On the other hand, the digital composite apparatus 20 has an HTTP server function, and the help information management table 7a in the RAM 7 of the digital composite apparatus 20 has an IP address that is a unique address of each client personal computer 30 as shown in FIG. Correspondingly, the base directory storing the help file 108a is stored in the hard disk drive 108. The main control unit 1 of the digital multifunction device 20 includes an instruction screen (for example, a facsimile shown in FIG. 6) including a help button 151 used when referring to a help file for the digital multifunction device 20 from the browser software of the client personal computer 30. In response to a source request signal for instructing display, a help button 151 on the instruction screen is displayed by referring to the help information management table 7a in response to a source request signal for instructing display. This is image data linked to the location of the storage device of the client device in which the help file is stored. For example, referring to the help information management table 7a, the help file 108a is stored on the basis of the IP address of the client personal computer 30. Stored base data It is characterized by returning a HTTP source signal for displaying a help button 151 of the help information provided with link URL help files (Uniform Resource Locator) including directories on the client personal computer 30.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the client personal computer 30 of FIG.

  In FIG. 2, a client personal computer 30 is an external terminal device that is a known personal computer, and executes processing such as generation, recording, and storage of image data and character data. In this embodiment, as an example, the client personal computer 30 is an external terminal device that receives image data scanned by a scanner, or image data of an original image generated by the client personal computer 30 (for example, software of a word processor). This is used as a client device for facsimile transmission of the created document image data) to the receiving communication terminal device such as a counterpart facsimile device or digital composite device via the digital composite device 20. The client personal computer 30 can also be used as a client device for referring to the help file 108a for the digital composite device 20 using browser software.

  The main control unit 101 is specifically composed of a CPU, and is connected to and controlled by the following hardware units via the bus 113, and executes various software functions to be described later. In the client personal computer 30, an image reading unit and an image recording unit (not shown) are optionally provided. The display unit 104 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a CRT display, and displays the operation state of the client personal computer 30 and displays image data of a document to be transmitted and received image data. Do. The operation unit 105 is a keyboard, for example, for inputting character data and instruction commands.

The ROM 106 stores various software programs that are necessary for the operation of the client personal computer 30 and executed by the main control unit 101 in advance. The RAM 107 is composed of SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM, etc., and is used as a working area for the main control unit 101 to store temporary data generated when the program is executed. Further, the hard disk drive 108 is a storage device containing a recording medium, and includes the following files or areas.
(A) Help file 108a: A file for explaining the operation and operation of the digital composite apparatus 20.
(B) Image data memory area 108b: A memory area for storing image data.
(C) Program memory area 108c: A memory area for storing application programs to be executed (including facsimile transmission / reception processing programs, for example) and image data.

  In the client personal computer 30 configured as described above, the main control unit 101 of the client personal computer 30 is scanned and converted by the image reading unit 2 of the digital composite apparatus 20, and then the corresponding memory in the memory box area 8a. When transferring the image data stored in the box into its own device, the main control unit in the digital multifunction device 20 sends a transfer instruction request signal including instruction data for instructing the corresponding memory box via the LAN interface 112 and the LAN 70. In response to this, image data transmitted from the digital composite apparatus 20 via the LAN 70 is received and stored in the hard disk drive 9. The method for referring to the help file 108a will be described later in detail.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the digital composite apparatus 20 of FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the digital composite apparatus 20 has functions of a copy, a printer, and a scanner in addition to a conventional facsimile communication function such as the G3 system. The main control unit 1 is specifically composed of a CPU, and is connected to the following hardware units via the bus 13 to control them, and executes various software functions to be described later. The image reading unit 2 reads a document with a scanner using a CCD or the like, and outputs dot image data converted into monochrome binary. The image recording unit 3 is, for example, a printer apparatus such as an electrophotographic system, and prints out image data scanned and converted by the image reading unit 2 or image data received from another facsimile apparatus by facsimile communication as a hard copy. Record or record character data.

  The display unit 4 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display device (LCD) or a CRT display, and displays the operation state of the digital composite device 20 and displays image data of a document to be transmitted and received image data. Do. The operation unit 5 includes character keys, dial keypads, speed dial keys, one-touch dial keys, various function keys, and the like necessary for operating the digital composite apparatus 20. In addition, you may comprise so that a part or all of the various keys of this operation part 5 may be substituted by making the above-mentioned display part 4 into a touch panel system.

The ROM 6 stores in advance various software programs that are necessary for the operation of the digital composite apparatus 20 and executed by the main control unit 1. In the present embodiment, at least the help information display processing program of FIG. Including. The RAM 7 is composed of SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM or the like, and is used as a working area for the main control unit 1 to store temporary data generated when the program is executed. When a flash memory is used as the RAM 7, the contents of the data are not lost even when the power is cut off due to a power failure, movement of the device, or the like. Here, the RAM 7 stores the following tables.
(A) Help information management table 7a: As shown in FIG. 4, corresponding to the private IP address of each client personal computer 30-n, information on the base directory of the hard disk drive 108 storing the help file 108a is stored. ing.
(B) Memory box management table 7b: a table for managing the memory box area 8a in the image memory 8, and a memory box number assigned to the client personal computer 30 connected to the LAN 70 or its user And the recipient name of the user, the storage address of the image data in the image memory 8, and the e-mail address of the client personal computer 30 or the user (when necessary, such as notification of facsimile reception).

  The image memory 8 is constituted by a DRAM or the like, and stores image data to be transmitted, received image data, or image data that has been scanned and converted. Here, the image memory 8 includes a memory box area 8a divided into a plurality of memory boxes corresponding to a plurality of client personal computers 30 or their users. Each client personal computer 30 transfers image data transmitted / received by a facsimile function, image data scanned and converted by a scanner function or a copy function, and image data when using a printer function to a corresponding memory box. When the data is temporarily stored and read from the memory box, the data is read from the corresponding memory box and transferred by transmitting a transfer instruction request signal. Further, the hard disk drive 9 is a storage device having a built-in recording medium, and stores various data and programs.

  The fax modem 10 is a modem connected to the public telephone line L and having a function of a fax modem for normal facsimile communication. An NCU (Network Control Unit) 11 is a hardware circuit that performs an operation of closing and opening a DC loop of an analog public telephone line L and having an automatic dial function. Is connected to the public telephone line L. Here, the NCU 11 detects the ID receiving terminal activation signal and the normal telephone call signal in the outgoing telephone number notification service, and transmits the primary response signal and the secondary response signal in the outgoing telephone number notification service as necessary. can do. The NCU 11 may be connected to a baseband transmission type digital line (for example, an ISDN line) via a predetermined terminal adapter and DSU (Subscriber Line Termination Unit: Digital Service Unit).

  Further, the LAN interface 12 is connected to the LAN 70 and receives signals and data from the LAN 70, and transmits signals and data to the LAN 70 to execute interface processing related to LAN communication such as signal conversion and protocol conversion. .

  In the facsimile communication function of the digital composite apparatus 20 configured as described above, the dot image data transferred from each client personal computer 30-1 to 30-N or the dot image data read by the image reading unit 2 is facsimile. After being encoded by software according to an encoding method such as MH, MR, or MMR defined in the communication standard, the encoded data is transmitted to the facsimile machine of the other party, and conversely received from the facsimile machine of the other party The data is also decoded into image data by software, stored in the image memory 8, and printed by the image recording unit 3 as necessary.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing help information display processing executed by the main control unit 1 of the digital composite apparatus 20 of FIG.

  In FIG. 5, first, in step S1, it is determined whether or not an HTTP source request signal for instructing display of an instruction screen including the help button 151 is received from the client personal computer 30-n. In step S2, the IP address of the client computer 30-n that is the access source terminal is acquired from the HTTP source request signal. Next, in step S3, it is determined whether the IP address is registered in the help information management table 7a. If YES, the process proceeds to step S4. If NO, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S4, the help information management table 7a is referred to obtain a base directory name corresponding to the IP address. In step S5, the base directory name + help file Index. An HTTP source signal for displaying a help button with a link URL of html is returned to the corresponding client personal computer 30-n, and the help information display process is terminated. On the other hand, in step S6, an HTTP source signal that does not display the help button is returned to the corresponding client personal computer 30-n, and the help information display process is terminated.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of a screen at the time of a “transmission dialog” which is an instruction screen including a help button 151 for instructing to refer to a help file in the present embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a “Send Dialog” screen, which is a screen for inputting setting items when a predetermined document is transmitted by facsimile. In the facsimile transmission, an e-mail address of an e-mail such as a destination facsimile number, An e-mail body, transmission document, applied communication, distribution setting, history deletion instruction, priority, and the like can be set. Also, a button for instructing reference to the help file at the lower right portion of the screen, which is the location of the help file (for example, the location in the corresponding client personal computer 30-n, C: \ WebHelp \ Index) .Html), a “set” button 152 for instructing setting of the screen, and a “close” button 153 for instructing to close the screen. Here, when the “Help” button 151 is clicked with the mouse, it is possible to instruct the reference of the help file, and the screen can move to the next help file screen of FIG. At this time, the processing from step S1 to step S5 in FIG. 5 is executed.

  FIG. 7 is a front view showing an example of a help file screen when the help file is referred to in the present embodiment. In FIG. 7, a “Contents” button 201 for selecting a table of contents for the help file, an “Index” button 202 for specifying the index of the help file, and help when a predetermined item is selected in the table of contents of the help file An example of data is displayed in these right side columns 203.

  As described above, the digital multifunction device 20 according to the present embodiment has an HTTP server function, and the main control unit 1 provides help for the digital multifunction device 20 from the browser software of the client personal computer 30. In response to a source request signal for instructing display of an instruction screen (for example, a transmission dialog screen for instructing facsimile transmission in FIG. 6) including a help button 151 used when instructing to refer to a file, Reference is made to the help information management table 7a, which is image data in which the help button 151 on the instruction screen is linked to the location of the storage device of the client device in which the help file is stored. For example, the help information management table Referring to 7a, the client personal computer An HTTP source signal for displaying a help button 151 of help information with a link URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a help file including a base directory storing the help file 108a based on an IP address of 0 is sent to the client personal computer. Reply to 30. Therefore, it is possible to refer to the help file of the digital composite apparatus 20 as the information processing apparatus from the browser software of the client personal computer 30. Further, since the help file is stored in the client personal computer 30, even if the help file data has a large capacity, the storage resources of the main body of the digital composite apparatus 20 can be saved.

<Modification>
In the above embodiment, an example of the digital composite apparatus 20 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be widely applied to a facsimile apparatus or a facsimile server apparatus having a facsimile function.

  In the above embodiment, the digital composite apparatus 20 having an HTTP server function is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may have a server function using other communication procedures.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a LAN system including a digital composite apparatus 20 that is a facsimile apparatus having a copy, printer, and scanner function according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the client personal computer 30 of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the digital composite apparatus 20 of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the help information management table 7a in RAM7 of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the help information display process performed by the main control part 1 of the digital composite apparatus 20 of FIG. It is a front view which shows an example of the screen at the time of the "transmission dialog" which is an instruction | indication screen containing the help button 151 which instruct | indicates referring a help file in this embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the screen of a help file when a help file is referred in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... main control part,
2. Image reading unit,
3 ... image recording unit,
4 ... display part,
5 ... operation part,
6 ... ROM,
7 ... RAM,
7a ... Help information management table,
7b ... Memory box management table,
8 ... Image memory,
8a ... Memory box area,
9 ... Hard disk drive,
10. Fax modem,
11 ... NCU,
12 ... LAN interface,
13 ... Bus
20: Digital composite device,
30, 30-1 thru | or 30-N ... client personal computer,
60: Router device,
70: Local area network (LAN),
80 ... public telephone network,
90 ... Internet,
101 ... main control unit,
104 ... display part,
105 ... operation unit,
106 ... ROM,
107 ... RAM,
108: Hard disk drive,
108a ... help file,
108b ... Image data memory area,
108c ... Program memory area,
112 ... LAN interface,
113 ... Bus,
151 ... Help button,
152 ... Setting button,
153 ... Close button.

Claims (1)

In an information processing apparatus for a communication system configured by connecting an information processing apparatus and at least one client apparatus via a network,
The client device includes a storage device that stores a help file, which is a file for explaining operations and operations of the information processing device, in a predetermined location,
The information processing apparatus
Storage means for storing a help information management table including a location where the help file is stored in the storage device of the client device, corresponding to the unique address of the client device;
In response to an HTTP source request signal from the client device, a server that refers to the help information management table, generates an HTTP source signal including an HTML source corresponding to the HTTP source request signal, and returns it to the client device Control means,
The server control means includes
An HTTP source request signal transmitted from the client device and including a unique address of the client device, and instructing to read and display the help file from the storage device on the HTML display screen by the browser software of the client device An HTTP source request signal for requesting an HTML source for displaying an instruction screen including a help button with a link URL of a help file including a location where the help file is stored.
Obtaining the unique address of the client device from the received HTTP source request signal;
Based on the acquired unique address of the client device, refer to the help information management table, acquire the location where the help file is stored,
Based on the location where the obtained help file is stored, an HTTP source signal including an HTML source for displaying an instruction screen including a help button with a link URL of the help file including the location where the help file is stored is generated. An information processing apparatus that replies to the client apparatus .

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