JP2017204195A - Image forming apparatus and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a method for designating an execution parameter for an operation defined in definition data.SOLUTION: The apparatus executes: first acquisition processing of acquiring definition data (S14); first extraction processing of extracting operation identification information from the definition data (S14: operation definition); second extraction processing of extracting data source information from the definition data (S17); reading processing of, when the operation identification information is extracted in the first extraction processing and the data source information is extracted in the second extraction processing, reading data stored in the data source specified in the data source information as a storage parameter indicating an execution condition for a first operation (S17); and first execution processing of executing the first operation according to the storage parameter read in the reading processing (S19).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that executes an operation defined in definition data.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus that reads a program from the recording medium and executes the read program in response to detection of attachment of the recording medium.

JP 2004-46802 A

  However, it cannot be said that the technique described in Patent Document 1 fully considers a method for specifying an execution parameter of a read program.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve a method for specifying an execution parameter of an operation defined in definition data.

  Various disclosures are provided herein. An image forming apparatus which is one of disclosed examples includes a memory, an image forming unit, and a controller. The controller executes a first acquisition process for acquiring definition data that can include operation identification information and data source information. The operation identification information is information for identifying one of a plurality of operations that can be executed using the image forming unit as a first operation. The data source information is information specifying one of a plurality of data sources provided in the memory. The controller extracts the operation identification information by a first extraction process for extracting the operation identification information from the definition data, a second extraction process for extracting the data source information from the definition data, and the first extraction process. In addition, when the data source information is extracted in the second extraction process, the data stored in the data source specified by the data source information is read as a storage parameter indicating the execution condition of the first operation. A read process and a first execution process for executing the first operation are executed according to the storage parameter read in the read process.

  According to the image forming apparatus according to the above disclosed example, when the data source of the storage parameter indicating the execution condition of the first operation is defined in the definition data, the first operation is performed according to the storage parameter stored in advance in the data source. Executed. In other words, the first operation can be executed without defining the parameter in the definition data or causing the user to input the parameter when the first operation is executed.

  A system which is one of disclosed examples includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing terminal. The image forming apparatus includes a memory, an image forming unit, an input interface, a first communication interface, and a first controller. The memory stores definition data specifying information for specifying definition data and data in each of a plurality of data sources each identified by a call name. The definition data includes operation identification information that identifies one of a plurality of operations that can be executed using the image forming unit as a first operation, and data source information that identifies one of the plurality of call names. . The first controller is configured to acquire a first acquisition process for acquiring the definition data specified by the definition data specifying information, and data stored in the data source specified by the data source information. A read process that is read as a storage parameter indicating an execution condition and a first execution process that executes the first operation according to the storage parameter read in the read process are executed. The first controller performs a first display process for displaying a plurality of source objects each having one of a plurality of the call names on the display, and a user operation for designating one of the plurality of source objects. A first reception process that is received through the input interface, and a second execution process that executes a second operation according to the storage parameter stored in the data source corresponding to the source object specified in the first reception process. Execute. The first controller stores the definition data specifying information and the call name from the information processing terminal through the first communication interface, stores the definition data specifying information in the memory, and stores the storage parameter. Is stored in the memory in association with the data source that is not stored. The information processing terminal includes a second communication interface and a second controller. The second controller includes a second acquisition process for acquiring the definition data, an extraction process for extracting the data source information included in the definition data acquired in the second acquisition process, and all of the image forming apparatuses. A generation process for generating the call name different from the call name stored in the memory as the call name for specifying the data source information extracted by the extraction process, and the definition data acquired by the second acquisition process And a transmission process for transmitting the definition data specifying information for specifying the call name generated in the generation process to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses through the second communication interface.

  According to the system according to the disclosed example, the definition data specifying information and the call name specified by the source information defined in the definition data specified by the definition data specifying information are transmitted to a plurality of image forming apparatuses. Can be stored in a batch. As a result, it is possible to simplify preparations for causing the image forming apparatus to execute the operation defined in the definition data. The definition data specifying information may be, for example, information indicating the location of the definition data or the definition data itself.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system 100 according to the embodiment. 2A is a block diagram of the multifunction machine 10, and FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the information processing terminal 50. FIG. 3 shows an example of information stored in the memory 32, where (A) shows a program list, (B) shows an ID list, and (C) shows a profile list. FIG. 4 shows an example of an XML file that realizes scan upload. (A) and (B) show screen definition XML, and (C) and (D) show operation definition XML. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing relating to the additional program function. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the execution condition determination process. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the PG registration process. FIG. 8A is a flowchart of the PF registration process, and FIG. 8B is a flowchart of the process related to the profile function. FIG. 9 is a display example of the display 23, where (A) shows a PG selection screen and (B) shows a resolution selection screen. FIG. 10 is a display example of the display 23, where (A) shows a format selection screen and (B) shows an error screen. FIG. 11 is a display example of the display 53, where (A) shows a PG registration screen and (B) shows a registration notification screen. FIG. 12 is a display example of the displays 23 and 53, where (A) shows a PF registration screen and (B) shows a PF selection screen.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the execution order of each process described below can be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 according to the present embodiment. A system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as “multifunction peripheral 10”), an information processing terminal 50, and servers 70, 80, and 90. It consists of. The multifunction device 10, the information processing terminal 50, and the servers 70 to 90 can communicate with each other via a communication network. Although the specific example of a communication network is not specifically limited, For example, the internet 101, wired LAN, wireless LAN102, or these combination may be sufficient.

  The multifunction machine 10 and the information processing terminal 50 belong to the wireless LAN 102. That is, the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 can communicate with each other via an access point (not shown) of the wireless LAN 102. The wireless LAN 102 is connected to the Internet 101 through the router 102A. Furthermore, the servers 70 to 90 are connected to the Internet 101. That is, the multifunction machine 10 and the information processing terminal 50 can communicate with the servers 70 to 90 via the Internet 101 from the router 102A.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the multifunction machine 10 includes a printer 11, a scanner 12, a FAX unit 13, a display 23, an input I / F 24, a communication I / F 25, a CPU 31, and a memory 32. And a communication bus 33. Each component constituting the multi-function device 10 is connected to each other through a communication bus 33. The configurations of the multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B may be the same or different. The multifunction machine 10 is an example of an image forming apparatus.

  The printer 11 executes a printing operation for recording an image indicated by the image data on a sheet. As a recording method of the printer 11, a known method such as an ink jet method or an electrophotographic method can be employed. The scanner 12 executes a scanning operation for reading an image recorded on a document and generating image data. The FAX unit 13 performs a FAX transmission operation for FAX transmission of image data to an external device and a FAX reception operation for FAX reception of image data from the external device. Note that the multifunction machine 10 only needs to include at least one of the printer 11, the scanner 12, and the FAX unit 13. The printer 11, the scanner 12, and the FAX unit 13 are examples of an image forming unit that forms an image or image data.

  The input I / F 24 is a user interface that receives an input operation by a user. Specifically, the input I / F 24 includes a button, and outputs various operation signals associated with the pressed button to the CPU 31. Further, the input I / F 24 may include a film-like touch sensor superimposed on the display surface of the display 23. An operation for designating an object displayed on the display surface of the display 23 and an operation for inputting a character string or a numeric string are examples of user operations. The “object” is, for example, a character string, icon, button, link, pull-down menu, or the like displayed on the display 23.

  The input I / F 24 implemented as a touch sensor outputs position information indicating the position on the display surface touched by the user. Note that “touch” in this specification includes all operations for bringing an input medium into contact with a display surface. In addition, even if the input medium is not touching the display surface, “hover” or “floating touch” that brings the input medium close to a position where the distance to the display surface is very small is based on the concept of “touch” described above. May be included. Furthermore, the input medium may be a user's finger or a touch pen. The user operation of tapping the position of the icon displayed on the display 23 is an example of a specifying operation for specifying the icon.

  The communication I / F 25 is an example of a first communication interface for communicating with an external device through a communication network. That is, the MFP 10 transmits various information to the information processing terminal 50 and the servers 70 to 90 through the communication I / F 25 and receives various data or various information from the information processing terminal 50 and the servers 70 to 90 through the communication I / F 25. To do. Although the specific communication procedure of communication I / F25 is not specifically limited, For example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance) is employable.

  The CPU 31 controls the overall operation of the multifunction machine 10. The CPU 31 acquires and executes various programs, which will be described later, from the memory 32 based on various signals output from the input I / F 24 and various information acquired from an external device through the communication I / F 25. That is, the CPU 31 and the memory 32 constitute an example of a first controller.

  The memory 32 stores an OS 34 and a device program 35. The device program 35 may be a single program or an aggregate of a plurality of programs. The memory 32 stores data or information necessary for executing the device program 35. The memory 32 is configured by, for example, a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, an HDD, a portable storage medium such as a USB memory attached to or detached from the multifunction machine 10, a buffer provided in the CPU 31, or a combination thereof.

  The memory 32 may be a computer readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. Non-transitory media include recording media such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM in addition to the above examples. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, an electrical signal that carries a program downloaded from a server on the Internet 101 is a computer-readable signal medium that is a kind of computer-readable medium, but can be read by a non-transitory computer. Not included in storage media.

  The device program 35 includes a program that realizes the additional program function of the multifunction machine 10. The additional program function is a function that causes the multifunction peripheral 10 to execute the operation defined in the definition data. When a program record is registered in a program list to be described later, the device program 35 can cause the multi-function device 10 to execute an operation defined in the definition data by the additional program function.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the memory 32 can store a program list. The program list includes one or more program records. When the device program 35 is installed, no program record is registered in the program list. The device program 35 registers the program record in the program list, for example, in a PG registration process described later.

  The program record includes a program ID and address information corresponding to the program ID. The program ID is information for identifying definition data used for the additional program function. Definition data used for the additional program function is also referred to as “additional program”. The definition data is described in XML, for example. That is, the XML file is an example of text format definition data. However, the definition data may be binary data or binary text data. The address information is an example of definition data specifying information for specifying definition data. The address information may be, for example, information indicating the location of definition data used for the additional program identified by the corresponding program ID. The address information includes, for example, a server ID for identifying the server 90 that stores the XML file, and file path information indicating the location path of the XML file. The address information may be URL format information, for example.

  As an example, the additional type program identified by the program ID “scan upload” is definition data that causes the multi-function device 10 to perform an operation of transmitting image data generated by the scanner 12 in the scan operation to the server through the communication I / F 25. is there. As another example, the additional program identified by the program ID “download print” is an operation in which the printer 11 records an image indicated by the image data received from the server through the communication I / F 25 on the sheet. Definition data to be executed.

  Further, the memory 32 can store an ID list as shown in FIG. 3B, for example. The ID list includes one or more ID records. The ID record includes a reference ID and a profile ID. At the time of installation of the device program 35, no ID record is registered in the ID list.

  The reference ID is information included in the <citation> tag extracted from the definition data by the device program 35 (S45). The profile ID is information for identifying a profile record to be described later. For example, in the PG registration process, the device program 35 generates a profile ID (S46), and registers an ID record including the generated profile ID and the extracted reference ID in the ID list (S47).

  The profile ID and the reference ID are, for example, text format information that can be easily recognized by the user. The profile ID is an example of a call name that represents the name of the profile record. However, the profile ID and the reference ID may be binary text data or the like. The area of the memory 32 that stores the profile parameters included in the profile record is an example of a data source. The profile ID is an example of data source information. The reference ID associated with the profile ID by the ID record is also an example of data source information. More specifically, the reference ID and profile ID included in the ID record are information for identifying one of a plurality of data sources provided in the memory 32.

  The device program 35 includes a program that realizes the profile function of the multifunction machine 10. The profile function is a function that causes the multifunction peripheral 10 to execute an operation corresponding to the profile record designated by the user according to the profile parameter included in the profile record. The so-called shortcut function is an example of a profile function.

  The memory 32 can store a profile list, for example, as shown in FIG. The profile list includes one or more profile records. The profile record includes a profile ID, an operation ID corresponding to the profile ID, and a profile parameter. At the time of installation of the device program 35, no profile record is registered in the profile list.

  The user of the system 100 inputs a newly created profile ID and profile parameters through the PF registration screen provided for the profile function in the PF registration process described later, thereby creating a profile record including the information as a multifunction machine 10. Can be registered. Also, the user can select a profile record by specifying a profile ID through the PF registration screen, and set profile parameters in the profile record. On the other hand, the user cannot select a profile record by specifying a reference ID through the PF registration screen.

  The profile ID is information that can be compared with the profile ID included in the ID record. The operation ID is an example of operation identification information for identifying an operation using the image forming unit. The operation identified by the operation ID is an example of a second operation. The operation ID “scan to server” identifies an operation of transmitting the image data generated by the scanner 12 in the scan operation to the server through the communication I / F 25. The operation ID “FAX to server” identifies the operation of transmitting the image data received by the FAX unit 13 to the server through the communication I / F 25 in the FAX reception operation.

  The profile parameter is data indicating the execution condition of the operation identified by the corresponding operation ID. The profile parameter is an example of a storage parameter stored in advance in the memory 32. For example, the profile parameter corresponding to the profile ID “scan upload” includes a server ID, resolution information, and format information. The profile parameter is an item value (for example, “server C”, “400 dpi”, “PDF”) associated with each of a plurality of item information (for example, “server ID”, “resolution information”, “format information”). And hereinafter referred to as “parameter”). The server ID is information for identifying a server to which image data is transmitted. The resolution information is information indicating the resolution of the image data transmitted to the server. The format information is information indicating the format of image data to be transmitted to the server.

  If a profile list is provided in association with each of a plurality of operations that can be executed by the multifunction machine 10, the operation ID may be omitted from each profile record. In this case, the device program 35 may cause the multi-function device 10 to execute an operation associated with the profile list including the profile record according to the profile parameter included in the profile record. The operation that can be defined in the profile record may be the same as the operation realized by the additional program function, or may be different from the operation realized by the additional program function.

  The profile record in the first line shown in FIG. 3C indicates an operation in which the scanner 12 generates image data in PDF format at 400 dpi and transmits the generated image data to the server 70 through the communication I / F 25. The profile record in the second row shown in FIG. 3C converts the image data received by the FAX unit 13 into the TIFF format at 300 dpi, and transmits the converted image data to the server 80 through the communication I / F 25. The operation to perform is shown. However, specific examples of operations indicated by profile records are not limited to these, and specific examples of profile parameters are not limited thereto.

  In the present specification, an example in which a program record, an ID record, and a profile record are stored in the memory 32 by the PG registration process and the PF registration process will be mainly described. However, at least one of the program record, the ID record, and the profile record may be registered, for example, by the manufacturer before the multifunction device 10 is shipped, or registered by the sales company or the like before the multifunction device 10 is installed. Also good.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the information processing terminal 50 mainly includes a display 53, an input I / F 54, a communication I / F 55, a CPU 61, a memory 62, and a communication bus 63. The display 53, the input I / F 54, the communication I / F 55, the CPU 61, the memory 62, and the communication bus 63 included in the information processing terminal 50 are the display 23, the input I / F 24, the communication I / F 25, Since it is the same structure as CPU31, the memory 32, and the communication bus 33, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The information processing terminal 50 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC. The memory 62 stores an OS 64 and a terminal program 65. The terminal program 65 may be, for example, an application for performing various settings on the multifunction machine 10. The communication I / F 55 is an example of a second communication interface, and the CPU 61 and the memory 62 are examples of a second controller.

  The servers 70 and 80 are so-called storage servers. For example, the servers 70 and 80 store the data transmitted from the multifunction device 10 in the server memory, read the data requested from the multifunction device 10 from the server memory, and transmit the data to the multifunction device 10. The server 90 stores the XML file shown in FIG. Then, the server 90 transmits the requested XML file to the multifunction device 10 in response to the request from the multifunction device 10 to transmit the XML file. The servers 70 to 90 are examples of external devices.

  The server 90 is a so-called Web server that transmits an XML file by HTTP, for example. For example, the server 70 is identified by “Server C”, the server 80 is identified by “Server D”, and the server 90 is identified by server identification information “www.server.com”. However, the protocol for transmitting the XML file is not limited to HTTP, and CIFS (abbreviation of Common Internet File System) may be used. The address information in this case is in the format of “file: // file path name”, for example. The file path name is information indicating the location of the XML file in the server memory of the server 90.

  In the XML file, information indicating an operation to be executed by the multifunction machine 10 is described in XML. The XML file is roughly divided into a screen definition XML shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B and an action definition XML shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D. The screen definition XML is an example of screen definition data that defines a screen to be displayed on the display 23 of the multifunction machine 10. The action definition XML is an example of action definition data that defines an action using the image forming unit. The operation defined in the operation definition XML is an example of the first operation.

  The operation of the system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The flowchart of this specification basically shows the processing of the CPU 31 in accordance with instructions described in the program. That is, processes such as “judgment”, “extraction”, “selection”, “calculation”, “decision”, “specification”, and “control” in the following description represent processes of the CPU 31. The processing by the CPU 31 includes hardware control via the OS 34. Further, “data” in this specification is represented by a bit string readable by a computer. Data having substantially the same semantic content but different formats are handled as the same data. The same applies to “information” in this specification.

[Additional program function]
The device program 35 can execute processing related to the additional program function in response to an instruction from the user through the input I / F 24, for example. With reference to FIG. 5, the details of the processing related to the additional program function will be described.

  First, the device program 35 displays the PG selection screen shown in FIG. 9A on the display 23 (S11). The PG selection screen is a screen for selecting one of a plurality of additional programs registered in the multifunction machine 10. The PG selection screen includes program icons 111 and 112. The program icons 111 and 112 correspond to one of a plurality of program records registered in the program list. Then, the device program 35 accepts a user operation on the PG selection screen through the input I / F 24 (S12).

  For example, the device program 35 executes the additional program function identified by the program ID “scan upload” in response to receiving the designation of the program icon 111 through the input I / F 24 (S12: Yes). More specifically, the device program 35 reads the address information of the program record corresponding to the program icon 111 from the program list. Next, the device program 35 sends, to the server 90 identified by the server ID “www.server.com”, XML request information for requesting transmission of the XML file indicated by the file path information “scan-upload1.xml”. Transmission is performed through the communication I / F 25 (S13). The XML request information is an example of transmission request information, and the process of S13 is an example of a transmission process.

  Next, the device program 35 receives the XML file shown in FIG. 4A from the server 90 through the communication I / F 25 as a response to the XML request information (S14). This process is an example of a first acquisition process. Then, the device program 35 determines whether the received XML file is a screen definition XML or an action definition XML. This process is an example of a determination process. More specifically, the device program 35 searches for a <screen> tag and a <command> tag in the XML file. Then, the device program 35 determines that the received XML file is the screen definition XML in response to detecting the <screen> tag (S14: screen definition).

  Next, in response to determining that the received XML file is the screen definition XML (S14: screen definition), the device program 35 displays a condition selection screen on the display 23 according to the element enclosed by the <screen> tag. It is displayed (S15). In the example of FIG. 4A, the resolution selection screen shown in FIG. 9B is displayed on the display 23 as an example of the condition selection screen. The resolution selection screen is a screen for selecting at least one of parameters “300 dpi” and “600 dpi” corresponding to the item “resolution” as a definition parameter to be described later. The resolution selection screen includes parameter icons 121 and 122 corresponding to each parameter. Then, the device program 35 accepts a user operation on the resolution selection screen through the input I / F 24 (S16). The process of S15 is an example of a second display process, and the process of S16 is an example of a second reception process.

  Next, the apparatus program 35 temporarily stores the parameter “600 dpi” associated with the parameter icon 122 in the memory 32 in response to, for example, receiving the designation of the parameter icon 122 through the input I / F 24 (S16: Yes). Let Next, the apparatus program 35 acquires address information “www.server.com/scan-upload2.xml” defined in the screen definition XML received in S14. More specifically, the device program 35 acquires the element of the <NextURL> tag of the screen definition XML as the address information of the next definition data.

  Next, the apparatus program 35 sends, to the server 90 identified by the server ID “www.server.com”, XML request information for requesting transmission of the XML file indicated by the file path information “scan-upload2.xml”. Transmission is performed through the communication I / F 25 (S13). This XML request information includes the parameter “600 dpi” temporarily stored in S16. Next, the device program 35 receives the screen definition XML shown in FIG. 4B from the server 90 through the communication I / F 25 (S14: screen definition).

  Next, the apparatus program 35 causes the display 23 to display a format selection screen shown in FIG. 10A as a condition selection screen defined in the received screen definition XML (S15). The format selection screen is a screen for selecting at least one of parameters “TIFF” and “PDF” corresponding to the item “format”. The format selection screen includes parameter icons 131 and 132 corresponding to each parameter. Then, the device program 35 accepts a user operation on the format selection screen through the input I / F 24 (S16).

  Next, the device program 35 temporarily stores the parameter “TIFF” associated with the parameter icon 131 in the memory 32 in response to, for example, accepting the designation of the parameter icon 131 through the input I / F 24 (S16: Yes). Let Next, the device program 35 acquires the element “www.server.com/scan-upload3.xml” of the <NextURL> tag of the screen definition XML received in S14 as the address information of the next definition data.

  Next, the device program 35 sends, to the server 90 identified by the server ID “www.server.com”, XML request information for requesting transmission of the XML file indicated by the file path information “scan-upload3.xml”. Transmission is performed through the communication I / F 25 (S13). This XML request information includes the parameters “600 dpi” and “TIFF” temporarily stored in S16. Next, the device program 35 receives the XML file shown in FIG. 4C from the server 90 through the communication I / F 25.

  Next, in response to the detection of the <command> tag in the XML file shown in FIG. 4C, the device program 35 determines that the XML file is the action definition XML (S14: action definition). ). Next, the device program 35 searches for an operation tag from elements surrounded by <command> tags. In the example of FIG. 4C, a <scan upload> tag that is an example of operation identification information is detected as an example of an operation tag. The apparatus program 35 reads the detected <scan upload> tag from the operation definition XML, and temporarily stores the read <scan upload> tag in the memory 32. This process is an example of a first extraction process.

  Next, the device program 35 executes an execution condition determination process (S17). The execution condition determination process is a process for determining an execution condition for the first operation defined in the operation definition XML. Details of the execution condition determination process will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the device program 35 sets the first value “OFF” to the error flag stored in the memory 32 (S31). Further, the device program 35 initializes the condition structure stored in the memory 32. The condition structure is a memory area for temporarily storing an execution parameter of an action defined in the action definition XML. The data structure and data size of the condition structure are defined in advance for each operation identified by the operation tag.

  Next, the device program 35 searches for the <citation> tag in the action definition XML (S33). Next, the device program 35 extracts the <quote> tag from the action definition XML in response to detecting the <quote> tag (S33: Yes). That is, the device program 35 reads the detected <quote> tag from the action definition XML, and temporarily stores the read <quote> tag in the memory 32. This process is an example of a second extraction process. The <citation> tag according to the example of FIG. 4C includes a reference ID “UPLOAD1”.

  Next, the device program 35 reads the profile parameter from the data source specified by the <citation> tag (S34). More specifically, the apparatus program 35 reads the profile ID “scan upload” corresponding to the reference ID “UPLOAD1” from the ID list. Then, the apparatus program 35 reads a profile record including the read profile ID “scan upload” from the profile list (S34: Yes). That is, it can be said that the <quotation> tag is information for specifying one of a plurality of profile records registered in the profile list. This process is an example of a reading process. Next, the apparatus program 35 stores the read profile parameters “server C”, “400 dpi”, and “PDF” in the condition structure (S35).

  Next, the device program 35 searches for a condition tag (for example, <resolution> tag, <format> tag, etc.) corresponding to each item in the action definition XML (S36). Next, in response to the detection of the condition tag (S36: Yes), the device program 35 extracts the element of the condition tag from the action definition XML. That is, the apparatus program 35 reads the detected condition tag element from the action definition XML, and temporarily stores the read condition tag element in the memory 32. This process is an example of a third extraction process. The element of the condition tag is an example of a definition parameter defined in the action definition XML as an execution condition for the first action. In other words, the element of the condition tag is a parameter designated by the user in S16 as a parameter corresponding to the item indicated by the condition tag.

  Next, the device program 35 stores the definition parameter temporarily stored in the memory 32 in the condition structure (S37). Here, after storing the profile parameter in the conditional structure, the device program 35 stores the definition parameter in the conditional structure. That is, when the parameter of the same item as the profile parameter stored in the condition structure is included in the definition parameter, the device program 35 overwrites the profile parameter with the definition parameter.

  Specifically, the device program 35 overwrites the profile parameters “400 dpi” and “PDF” with the definition parameters “600 dpi” and “TIFF”. On the other hand, the profile parameter “server C” corresponding to the item “server ID” is not overwritten. The process of S36 is an example of an overwrite process. The resolution information and the format information are examples of the first item, and the server ID is an example of the second item. For example, the condition structure after the execution of S37 includes a server ID “server C”, a resolution “600 dpi”, and a format “TIFF”.

  On the other hand, in response to not detecting the <quotation> tag in the action definition XML (S33: No), the apparatus program 35 skips the processes of S34 and S35 and executes the processes after S36. Further, in response to not detecting the condition tag in the action definition XML (S36: No), the apparatus program 35 skips the process of S37 and ends the execution condition determination process. Furthermore, in response to determining that the profile parameter is not stored in the data source specified by the reference ID included in the <citation> tag (S34: No), the device program 35 replaces S35 to S37. The second value “ON” is set in the error flag (S38), and the execution condition determination process is terminated.

  Next, returning to FIG. 5, the device program 35 determines the set value of the error flag (S18). Then, in response to determining that the first value “OFF” is set in the error flag (S18: OFF), the device program 35 executes the operation “scan upload” defined in the operation definition XML as an execution condition. The process is executed according to the execution parameters stored in the condition structure in the determination process (S19). In the example of FIG. 4C, the apparatus program 35 causes the scanner 12 to generate image data in the TIFF format at 600 dpi, and transmits the generated image data to the server 70 through the communication I / F 25.

  The process of S19 according to only the profile parameter (S33: Yes & S36: No) is an example of the first execution process, and the process of S19 according to only the definition parameter (S33: No & S36: Yes) is an example of the second execution process. Yes, the process of S19 according to both the profile parameter and the definition parameter (S33: Yes & S36: Yes) is an example of a third execution process. That is, the action definition XML includes at least one of a <citation> tag and an action tag.

  On the other hand, the apparatus program 35 displays the error screen shown in FIG. 10B on the display 23 in response to determining that the second value “ON” is set in the error flag (S18: ON). (S20). The error screen is a screen for notifying that the profile parameter is not registered in the data source specified by the <citation> tag. The error screen includes a message “Please set parameters for profile name“ scan upload ”.” And an [OK] icon 141. Then, in response to accepting the designation of the [OK] icon 141 through the input I / F 24, the apparatus program 35 skips the process of S19 and ends the process related to the additional program function.

  The device program 35 may receive the operation definition XML shown in FIG. 4D from the server 90 instead of the operation definition XML shown in FIG. The action definition XML shown in FIG. 4D is different from the action definition XML shown in FIG. 4C in that the <citation> tag further includes an item ID. The item ID is an example of item identification information that identifies one of a plurality of profile parameter items. Hereinafter, the execution condition determination process when the operation definition XML of FIG. 4D is received will be described focusing on differences from the above process.

  First, the apparatus program 35 reads the profile ID “received fax storage” corresponding to the reference ID “UPLOAD2” included in the <citation> tag from the ID list. Next, the apparatus program 35 reads a profile record including the read profile ID “received fax storage” from the profile list (S34: Yes). Then, the device program 35 stores the parameter “server D” of the item “server ID” identified by the item ID among the profile parameters included in the read profile record in the condition structure (S35). Further, the device program 35 stores the parameters “600 dpi” and “TIFF” of the items “resolution” and “format” included in the definition parameters in the condition structure (S37).

  That is, the <citation> tag shown in FIG. 4C indicates that all the profile parameters specified by the reference ID are stored in the conditional structure. On the other hand, the <quote> tag shown in FIG. 4C indicates that only the parameter of the item indicated by the item ID among the profile parameters specified by the reference ID is stored in the condition structure. A plurality of item IDs may be defined in the <quotation> tag.

  Further, the item ID is not limited to being defined in the <citation> tag as shown in FIG. For example, a condition tag surrounding the <citation> tag may be used as the item ID. For example, in the example of FIG. 4D, the device program 35 sets the text “server” constituting the <server> tag to the item ID in response to the detected <citation> tag surrounded by the <server> tag. The above-described processing may be executed. In this case, the item ID in the <citation> tag is omitted.

[PG registration processing]
Further, the device program 35 can execute PG registration processing in response to an instruction from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25, for example. The PG registration process is a process for registering a program list and the like. Referring to FIG. 7, the PG for registering the first-line program record in FIG. 3A, the first-line ID record in FIG. 3B, and the first-line profile record in FIG. Details of the registration process will be described.

  First, the device program 35 transmits PG registration instruction information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 (S41). The PG registration instruction information is information for instructing acquisition of information to be included in the program record. The PG registration instruction information includes screen information that defines a PG registration instruction screen. For example, in response to receiving an HTTP request for requesting transmission of PG registration instruction information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25, the device program 35 receives the PG registration instruction information as an HTTP reply through the communication I / F 25. What is necessary is just to transmit to the processing terminal 50.

  Next, the terminal program 65 of the information processing terminal 50 receives PG registration instruction information from the multifunction machine 10 through the communication I / F 55. Then, the terminal program 65 displays the PG registration screen shown in FIG. 11A on the display 53 according to the received PG registration instruction information. The PG registration screen is a screen for prompting input of information to be included in the program record. Then, the terminal program 65 receives a user operation for the PG registration screen through the input I / F 54.

  The PG registration screen includes text boxes 151 and 152, an [OK] icon 153, and a [Cancel] icon 154. The text box 151 is an area for displaying the program ID input through the input I / F 54. The text box 152 is an area for displaying address information input through the input I / F 54. The [OK] icon 153 corresponds to an instruction to register the program record including the information displayed in the text boxes 151 and 152 in the multifunction machine 10. [Cancel] icon 154 corresponds to an instruction to end the PG registration process without registering the program record.

  Next, the terminal program 65 displays the program ID and address information input through the input I / F 54 in the text boxes 151 and 152 and temporarily stores them in the memory 62. The terminal program 65 transmits the PG registration information to the multi-function device 10 through the communication I / F 55 in response to accepting the designation of the [OK] icon 153 through the input I / F 54. The PG registration information includes, for example, a program ID “scan upload” temporarily stored in the memory 62 and address information “www.server.com/scan-upload1.xml”.

  Next, the device program 35 of the multifunction machine 10 receives the PG registration information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 (S42: YES). Next, the apparatus program 35 registers a program record including the program ID “scan upload” and address information “www.server.com/scan-upload1.xml” included in the received PG registration information in the program list. As a result, the program record in the first line in FIG. 3A is registered in the program list. The processing of S41 to S43 is an example of registration processing. The device program 35 displays a PG registration screen on the display 23 instead of transmitting / receiving PG registration instruction information and PG registration information to / from the information processing terminal 50, and inputs various information through the input I / F 24. May be accepted. The same applies to S48 described later.

  Next, the device program 35 is shown in FIG. 4C or FIG. 4D using the address information “www.server.com/scan-upload1.xml” included in the program record registered in S43. The operation definition XML is received from the server 90 through the communication I / F 25 (S44). Then, the device program 35 extracts a <citation> tag from the received action definition XML (S45). The process of S44 may be the same as the processes of S13 and S14. The process of S45 is an example of a fourth extraction process, and may be the same as the process of S33.

  Note that the XML file identified by the address information “www.server.com/scan-upload1.xml” does not include the <quotation> tag as shown in FIG. Also, the action definition XML shown in FIG. 4C or FIG. 4D cannot be obtained directly from the address information “www.server.com/scan-upload1.xml”. The XML file indicated by the <NextURL> tag can be acquired only after it is acquired in order.

  Therefore, the device program 35 determines whether the XML file received in S44 is the screen definition XML or the action definition XML. Next, the apparatus program 35 receives the XML file indicated by the <NextURL> tag of the received screen definition XML from the server 90 through the communication I / F 25 in response to determining that it is the screen definition XML. This process is repeatedly executed until the operation definition XML is received. Then, the device program 35 extracts the <citation> tag from the received operation definition XML in response to determining that it is the operation definition XML (S45).

  As another example, an XML file indicated by address information, that is, an XML file used first in the additional type program may include a <quotation> tag included in the action definition XML used in the additional type program as a comment. However, the <citation> tag included as a comment is not analyzed and executed in S15. In this case, the apparatus program 35 may receive the XML file indicated by the address information in S44, and extract the <quotation> tag included as a comment in the received XML file in S45. This eliminates the need to repeatedly receive the screen definition XML until the operation definition XML is received.

  Next, in response to the fact that the <citation> tag could not be extracted from the XML file (S45: No), the apparatus program 35 skips the processing of S46 to S48 described later and ends the PG registration processing. On the other hand, in response to the extraction of the <citation> tag from the XML file (S45: Yes), the device program 35 generates a profile ID “scan upload” associated with the reference ID “UPLOAD1” of the <citation> tag ( S46). The process of S46 is an example of a generation process.

  As an example, the apparatus program 35 may automatically generate a profile ID according to a predetermined naming rule so as to be different from any of the profile IDs already registered in the ID list. Further, the device program 35 may intentionally generate a text that is generally difficult to use as a profile name, such as “$$$ 01”, as a profile ID. As another example, the apparatus program 35 compares the profile ID input through the input I / F 24 with the profile ID already registered in the ID list, and if the information overlaps, the device program 35 re-enters the profile ID through the display 23. The profile ID entered when notifying and not overlapping may be adopted.

  Next, the apparatus program 35 registers an ID record including the reference ID “UPLOAD1” included in the <citation> tag extracted in S45 and the profile ID “scan upload” generated in S46 in the ID list. As a result, the ID record in the first row in FIG. 3B is registered in the ID list. The apparatus program 35 registers a profile record including the profile ID “scan upload” generated in S46 and not including the operation ID and the profile parameter in the profile list (S47). As a result, the profile list on the first line in FIG. 3C is registered in the profile list without including the operation ID and the profile parameter. These processes are examples of the storage process or the second storage process.

  Note that the device program 35 may extract a plurality of <citation> tags in S45. For example, a plurality of <quotation> tags may be included in one action definition XML, and a plurality of action definitions XML may be used for an additional program function as will be described later. If different reference IDs are included in the plurality of <citation> tags, the device program 35 generates a plurality of profile IDs corresponding to the plurality of reference IDs in S46, and each of the reference IDs and A plurality of ID records including profile IDs may be registered in the ID list.

  As another example, the address information input through the PG registration screen may indicate the action definition XML shown in FIG. In this case, the apparatus program 35 acquires the operation definition XML shown in FIG. 4D in S44, generates a profile ID “received fax storage” in S46, and extracts the reference ID “citation” tag extracted in S45. An ID record including “UPLOAD2” and the profile ID “received fax storage” generated in S46 is registered in the ID list in S46. As described above, the XML file indicated by the address information is not limited to the screen definition XML, but may be an operation definition XML. In this case, the elements of the <resolution> tag and the <format> tag shown in FIG. 4D are not specified by the user using the screen definition XML, but are defined by the administrator of the server 90. It may be fixedly set in XML.

  That is, the condition tag included in the action definition XML is not limited to including the parameter specified by the user using the screen definition XML as an element, but a fixed parameter specified by the administrator of the server 90 as an element. May be included. In other words, the operation definition XML is created by the administrator regardless of the <quotation> tag, the condition tag including the definition parameter specified by the user using the screen definition XML in the processing of the additional program function, and the processing of the additional program function. It is only necessary to include at least one condition tag including a fixedly specified definition parameter as an element.

  Further, the XML file for realizing the additional program may be only the action definition XML, or the screen definition XML file may be omitted. That is, the system 100 may not allow the user to specify the definition parameter. The action definition XML in this case includes at least one of a <citation> tag and a condition tag including a fixed definition parameter as an element. Then, an execution parameter fixed for each multifunction device 10 may be specified by a <quotation> tag, and an execution parameter fixed for all the multifunction devices 10 may be defined in the action definition XML. Alternatively, the action definition XML may not include a condition tag. Then, the execution parameter may be specified only by the <citation> tag included in the action definition XML.

  Next, the device program 35 transmits notification instruction information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 (S48). The broadcast instruction information is information for suggesting that various types of information to be included in the profile record are designated. The notification instruction information is an example of screen information necessary for displaying a registration notification screen that is an example of an suggestion screen. In other words, the registration notification screen is information that defines an suggestion screen that suggests specification of an operation ID and profile parameters associated with the profile ID generated in S46. The notification instruction information includes the profile ID “scan upload” generated in S46. The process of S48 is an example of an output process.

  Next, the terminal program 65 of the information processing terminal 50 receives registration notification information from the multifunction machine 10 through the communication I / F 55. Next, the terminal program 65 displays the registration notification screen shown in FIG. 11B on the display 53 according to the received registration notification information. The registration notification screen includes a message “Please set parameters for profile“ scan upload ”.” And an [OK] icon 161. Then, the terminal program 65 ends the PG registration process in response to accepting the designation of the [OK] icon 161 through the input I / F 54.

  The main steps of the PG registration process are not limited to being executed by the device program 35, and may be executed by the terminal program 65. In this case, the terminal program 65 may collectively register common program records, ID records, and profile records for the plurality of multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B connected to the wireless LAN 102. Hereinafter, the details of the PG registration process executed by the terminal program 65 will be described focusing on differences from the above-described process.

  First, the processing of S41 to S43 may be the same as the above-described example. However, the terminal program 65 may cause the display 53 to display the PG registration screen according to the screen information stored in the memory 62, regardless of the PG registration instruction information transmitted from the multifunction device 10. Next, the terminal program 65 receives the operation definition XML from the server 90 through the communication I / F 55 using the address information received through the PG registration screen (S44). Next, the terminal program 65 extracts a <citation> tag from the received action definition XML (S45). This process is an example of an extraction process.

  Next, the terminal program 65 generates a profile ID that is different from any of the profile IDs registered in the ID lists of the multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B as a profile ID associated with the extracted <citation> tag reference ID (S46). This process is an example of a generation process. Next, the terminal program 65 transmits the generated profile ID to the MFPs 10A and 10B through the communication I / F 55. The process of transmitting the address information and the profile ID to the multifunction machine 10 is an example of a transmission process. Furthermore, the terminal program 65 displays a registration notification screen on the display 53 (S48). On the other hand, the device program 35 of the multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B executes the process of S47 in response to receiving the profile ID from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25.

  For example, in S46, the terminal program 65 may transmit inquiry information for inquiring about all profile IDs registered in the ID list to the MFPs 10A and 10B through the communication I / F 55. The device programs 35 of the multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B may transmit the ID list information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 in response to receiving the inquiry information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25. The ID list information includes all profile IDs included in the ID list. Next, the terminal program 65 may receive the ID list information from the multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B through the communication I / F 55. Then, the terminal program 65 may generate a profile ID that is different from any of the profile IDs included in the received plurality of ID list information according to a predetermined naming rule.

[PF registration processing]
Further, the device program 35 can execute the PF registration process in response to an instruction from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25, for example. The PF registration process is a process for registering a profile record in the profile list. As an example, the PF registration process may be started by a user who intends to use the profile function. As another example, the PF registration process may be started by a user who viewed the registration notification screen in order to register the profile parameter corresponding to the profile ID displayed on the registration notification screen in the multifunction machine 10. Details of the PF registration process will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the device program 35 transmits PF registration instruction information to the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 (S51). The PF registration instruction information is information that instructs acquisition of information to be included in the profile record. The PF registration instruction information includes screen information that defines a PF registration instruction screen. The device program 35 receives the PF registration instruction information as an HTTP reply through the communication I / F 25 in response to receiving an HTTP request for requesting transmission of the PF registration instruction information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25, for example. What is necessary is just to transmit to the processing terminal 50.

  Next, the terminal program 65 of the information processing terminal 50 receives the PF registration instruction information from the multifunction machine 10 through the communication I / F 55. Then, the terminal program 65 displays the PF registration screen shown in FIG. 12A on the display 53 according to the received PF registration instruction information. The PF registration screen is a screen for prompting input of information to be included in the profile record. The PF registration screen includes a text box 171, pull-down menus 172, 173, 174, 175, an “OK” icon 176, and a “Cancel” icon 177. Then, the terminal program 65 receives a user operation for the PF registration screen through the input I / F 54.

  The text box 151 is an area for displaying the profile ID input through the input I / F 54. The pull-down menu 172 is an object for accepting designation of an action ID. The pull-down menus 173 to 175 are objects for accepting specification of profile parameters stored in association with the operation ID specified through the pull-down menu 172. The [OK] icon 176 corresponds to an instruction to register a profile record including information specified through the PF registration screen in the multifunction machine 10. The [Cancel] icon 177 corresponds to an instruction to end the PF registration process without registering the profile record.

  Next, the terminal program 65 temporarily stores in the memory 62 information specified through the text box 151 and the pull-down menus 172 to 175. The user, for example, the profile ID “scan upload”, the operation ID “scan to server”, the profile parameters “server C”, “400 dpi”, “PDF” displayed on the registration notification screen shown in FIG. "Is specified through the input I / F 54. Then, the terminal program 65 transmits the PF registration information to the multifunction machine 10 through the communication I / F 55 in response to accepting the designation of the [OK] icon 176 through the input I / F 54. The PF registration information includes a profile ID, an operation ID, and a profile parameter temporarily stored in the memory 62. Various information included in the PF registration information is an example of input parameters input by the user.

  Next, the device program 35 of the multifunction device 10 receives the PF registration information from the information processing terminal 50 through the communication I / F 25 (S52). Then, the apparatus program 35 registers a profile record including information included in the received PF registration information in the profile list (S53). Note that if the profile record including the profile ID included in the received PF registration information is already registered in the profile list, the device program 35 includes the operation ID and profile parameter of the profile record in the received PF registration information. May be overwritten with the operation ID and profile parameter.

  As a result, the operation ID and the profile parameter are registered in the profile record on the first line in FIG. That is, in S53, the apparatus program 35 associates the profile ID stored in S47 with the data source that stores the profile parameter acquired in S52. The process of S52 is an example of a second acquisition process, and the process of S53 is an example of a first storage process.

  The apparatus program 35 displays a PF registration screen on the display 23 instead of transmitting and receiving PF registration instruction information and PF registration information to and from the information processing terminal 50, and inputs various information through the input I / F 24. May be accepted. On the other hand, the main steps of the PF registration process are not limited to being executed by the device program 35, and may be executed by the terminal program 65. In this case, the terminal program 65 may collectively register a common profile record for the plurality of multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B connected to the wireless LAN 102.

  That is, the terminal program 65 may cause the display 53 to display the PF registration screen according to the screen information stored in the memory 62, regardless of the PF registration instruction information transmitted from the multifunction device 10. Next, the terminal program 65 may transmit the PF registration information including the profile ID, the operation ID, and the profile parameter received through the PF registration screen to each of the MFPs 10A and 10B through the communication I / F 55. The processing of the multifunction peripherals 10A and 10B is the same as that described above.

[Profile function]
Furthermore, the device program 35 can execute processing related to the profile function in response to an instruction from the user through the input I / F 24, for example. The process related to the profile function is a process for executing an operation defined in a designated profile record. Details of processing related to the profile function will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the device program 35 displays the PF selection screen shown in FIG. 12B on the display 23 (S56). The PF selection screen is a screen that prompts the user to select one of a plurality of profile records registered in the profile list. Then, the device program 35 accepts a user operation on the PF selection screen through the input I / F 24 (S57). The process of S56 is an example of a first display process, and the process of S57 is an example of a first reception process.

  The PF selection screen includes profile icons 181 and 182. The profile icons 181 and 182 correspond to one of profile records registered in the profile list. In other words, the profile icons 181 and 182 are examples of source objects corresponding to one of the data sources provided in the memory 32. Profile icons 181 and 182 describe profile IDs included in the corresponding profile records.

  Next, for example, when the device program 35 receives the designation of the profile icon 181 through the input I / F 24 (S57: Yes), the operation defined in the profile record associated with the designated profile icon 181 is performed. Is executed (S58). The tap of the profile icon 181 is an example of a user operation that instructs execution of the second operation or a user operation that specifies one of the data sources. The process of S58 is an example of a second execution process or a fourth execution process.

  For example, in S58, the device program 35 reads the profile record corresponding to the designated profile icon 181 from the profile list. Then, the device program 35 executes the second operation indicated by the operation ID of the read profile record according to the profile parameter of the read profile record. For example, the apparatus program 35 causes the scanner 12 to generate image data in PDF format at 400 dpi, and transmits the generated image data to the server 70 through the communication I / F 25.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the above embodiment, by defining the <quotation> tag in the operation definition XML, the first operation is executed according to the profile parameter stored in advance in the data source of the multifunction machine 10 that has received the operation definition XML. Is done. That is, it is possible to execute the first operation without defining the execution parameter of the first operation in the definition data or causing the user to input the execution parameter when executing the first operation.

  More specifically, the execution parameter of the first operation is determined by combining the profile parameter read by the <quotation> tag and the definition parameter specified by the user using the screen definition XML. As a result, the execution parameter fixed for each MFP 10 can be specified by the <quotation> tag, and the execution parameter to be changed each time the additional program is executed can be designated using the screen definition XML. The execution parameter designation method for executing the first operation is improved.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to execute the first operation by diverting the profile parameter registered for use in executing the profile function already installed in the existing multifunction machine 10. That is, it is possible to set a profile parameter used for executing the first operation by using the PF registration process already installed in the multifunction machine 10. Thus, the first operation can be executed without greatly modifying the existing multifunction device 10 in order to set the profile parameter. In other words, the user simply performs an operation of specifying the call name specified by the <quotation> tag of the definition data and the profile parameter in accordance with the procedure implemented in the existing multifunction device 10. The definition operation can be executed with the specified parameters.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, in the PG registration process, the user is notified of the profile ID of the profile record in which the profile parameter is to be registered. This allows the user to recognize the profile ID corresponding to the profile parameter to be registered. As a result, a user operation for specifying a profile parameter necessary for executing the newly registered additional program is facilitated.

  Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, a new profile ID that does not overlap with an already registered profile ID is automatically generated, and a profile record including the generated profile ID is registered in advance. The work of the user who registers the profile parameter used for the first operation is further simplified, and the use of the profile record necessary for the execution of the first operation for other purposes can be suppressed. However, the process of S47 may be omitted.

  Further, the administrator of the server 90 can define a desired additional program function simply by describing the text indicating the first operation and the text specifying the call name in the XML file in the text format. Furthermore, by configuring the multifunction machine 10 as described above, the administrator of the server 90 can flexibly create an XML file corresponding to the application of the additional program.

  More specifically, the administrator creates only the screen definition XML corresponding to the items “resolution information” and “format information” to be specified by the user among a plurality of items included in the execution parameter, and uses profile parameters. It is not necessary to create a screen definition XML corresponding to “server ID”. In addition, the administrator can specify the item from which the parameter should be acquired from the profile parameter in the action definition XML shown in FIG. In other words, the administrator can clearly specify the definition parameters that are desired to be defined in the XML file and the profile parameters that are desired to be read from the memory 32.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the multifunction machine 10 acquires the XML file from the server 90 has been described. However, the acquisition destination of the XML file is not limited to this. As an example, the multifunction machine 10 may include a mounting unit to which a portable storage medium such as a USB memory is attached or detached. Then, the device program 35 may acquire an XML file from a USB memory attached to the attachment unit. The address information in this case may be file path information for specifying the XML file in the USB memory. The device program 35 may read the XML file from the USB memory attached to the attachment unit in S14 and S44.

  As another example, the XML file may be stored in the memory 32. In this case, the device program 35 may acquire the XML file indicated by the address information designated by the user through the PG registration screen in the PG registration process, and store the acquired XML file in the memory 32. In S43, the device program 35 registers a program record including a program ID designated by the user through the PG registration screen and address information indicating the file path of the XML file stored in the memory 32 in the program list. Also good. In addition, the device program 35 may read the XML file from the memory 32 in S14 and S44.

  Further, the information shown in FIG. 3C is not limited to information used for the profile function as long as it is preset by the user to be applied to a specific operation. Information indicating a default execution condition may be used. Furthermore, the information shown in FIG. 3C may be preset by the user through a dedicated interface for use in the additional program function. That is, the information shown in FIG. 3C may be stored in a dedicated data source provided for the additional program function.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the reference ID included in the <citation> tag of the XML file is associated with the profile ID included in the profile record by the ID record has been described. However, the method for specifying the profile record by the <quotation> tag is not limited to this. For example, the <quotation> tag may include a profile ID instead of the reference ID. Thereby, the ID list is omitted, and the profile record is directly specified by the <citation> tag.

  In this case, S46 of the PG registration process is omitted. In S47, the device program 35 registers a profile record including the profile ID of the <citation> tag extracted in S45 in the profile list. Further, the apparatus program 35 reads the profile record including the profile ID of the <citation> tag extracted in S33 from the profile list, and stores the profile parameter of the read profile record in the condition structure in S35. That is, the <citation> tag may be any tag that directly or indirectly specifies the profile record.

  In the example of FIG. 4, the <NextURL> tag is included only in the screen definition data and not included in the operation definition data. However, the <NextURL> tag may be included in the action definition data. In other words, after the operation defined in the operation definition data, the multifunction device 10 may further execute the operation. As an example, after the operation definition data in FIG. 4C or FIG. 4D, the MFP 10 may further execute a scan operation according to the same or different execution parameters. As another example, the printer 11 may be caused to execute a print operation for recording an image indicating a scan upload result on the sheet after the operation definition data in FIG. 4C or 4D.

  Moreover, in each extraction process of said embodiment, the specific text (for example, tag) was searched in the XML file which is text data, and the example which extracted the detected text was demonstrated. However, a specific example of the extraction process is not limited to this. As another example, the apparatus program 35 may previously store a position where the extraction target text may exist in the XML file. Then, the device program 35 may read the text described at the position and determine whether the read text is the text to be extracted.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 10 and the information processing terminal 50 according to the above-described embodiment, the various programs stored in the memories 32 and 62 are executed by the CPUs 31 and 61, thereby realizing each process executed by the controller of the present invention. An example was described. However, the configuration of the controller is not limited to this, and part or all of the configuration may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit.

  Furthermore, the present invention may be realized not only as the multifunction device 10 and the information processing terminal 50 but also as a program that causes the multifunction device 10 and the information processing terminal 50 to execute processing. Then, the program may be provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium may include a memory mounted on a server that can be connected to the MFP 10 and the information processing terminal 50 through a communication network, in addition to a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and the like. And the program memorize | stored in the memory of the server may be distributed through communication networks, such as the internet 101, as the information or signal which shows the said program.

10: MFP 11 ... Printer 12 ... Scanner 13 ... FAX 23, 53 ... Display 24, 54 ... Input I / F
25, 55 ... Communication I / F
31, 61 ... CPU
32, 62 ... Memory 35 ... Device program 50 ... Information processing terminal 60 ... Terminal program 70, 80, 90 ... Server

Claims (14)

Memory,
An image forming unit;
An image forming apparatus comprising a controller,
The controller executes a first acquisition process for acquiring definition data that can include operation identification information and data source information, and the operation identification information includes a plurality of operations that can be executed using the image forming unit. Information identifying one of the operations as a first operation, the data source information is information identifying one of a plurality of data sources provided in the memory;
The controller is
A first extraction process for extracting the operation identification information from the definition data;
A second extraction process for extracting the data source information from the definition data;
When the operation identification information is extracted in the first extraction process and the data source information is extracted in the second extraction process,
A reading process of reading data stored in the data source specified by the data source information as a storage parameter indicating an execution condition of the first operation;
An image forming apparatus that executes a first execution process for executing the first operation in accordance with the storage parameter read in the reading process. The definition data includes the operation identification information and at least one of the data source information and a definition parameter, and the definition parameter is data indicating an execution condition of the first operation,
The controller is
Performing a third extraction process for extracting the definition parameters from the definition data;
When the operation identification information is extracted in the first extraction process and the data source information is extracted in the second extraction process, the reading process and the first execution process are executed,
When the action identification information is extracted in the first extraction process and the definition parameter is extracted in the third extraction process, the first action is executed according to the definition parameter extracted in the third extraction process. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second execution process is executed. The definition data includes the operation identification information, the parameter identification information, and a definition parameter, and the definition parameter is data indicating an execution condition of the first operation,
The execution condition includes a first item and a second item,
The controller is
Performing a third extraction process for extracting the definition parameters from the definition data;
When the definition parameter extracted in the third extraction process includes only the first item of the first item and the second item, the first item of the definition parameter and the second of the storage parameter The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a third execution process for executing the first operation is executed according to an item. The controller is
Overwriting processing for overwriting the first item of the storage parameter with the first item of the definition parameter when the definition parameter includes only the first item of the first item and the second item. Run,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the third execution process, the first operation is executed according to the storage parameter overwritten by the overwriting process. The data source information includes source identification information for identifying the data source and item identification information for identifying the second item,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller reads only the second item identified by the item identification information among the storage parameters identified by the source identification information in the reading process. The image forming apparatus includes a display and an input interface,
The controller is
A second acquisition process of acquiring an input parameter input by a user as an execution condition of a second operation that can be executed using the image forming unit;
A first storage process for storing the input parameter acquired in the second acquisition process in the data source as the storage parameter;
A first receiving process for receiving a user operation for instructing execution of the second operation through the input interface;
Executing the second operation instructed to be executed in the first reception process according to the storage parameter stored in the data source;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data source information is information specifying the data source that stores the storage parameter used in the fourth execution process. The controller is
Performing a first display process for causing a plurality of source objects each corresponding to one of a plurality of data sources to be displayed on the display;
In the first reception process, a user operation for designating one of the plurality of source objects is received,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in the fourth execution process, the second operation is executed according to the storage parameter stored in the data source corresponding to the source object specified in the first reception process. . The controller is
In the second acquisition process, a call name specified by a user is further acquired, and the call name is information for identifying the corresponding data source,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, in the first storage process, the call name acquired in the second acquisition process is associated with the data source in which the storage parameter is stored. The controller is
A registration process for registering the definition data in the image forming apparatus;
A fourth extraction process for extracting the data source information from the definition data registered in the registration process;
An output process for outputting screen information necessary for displaying a suggestion screen that suggests specifying the storage parameter in association with the call name specified by the data source information; and
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the definition data registered in the registration process is acquired in the first acquisition process. The controller is
Executing a second storage process for storing the call name specified by the data source information extracted in the fourth extraction process in the memory;
In the output process, the screen information of the suggestion screen including the call name stored in the memory is output, and the suggestion screen is a screen that suggests input of the input parameter associated with the call name. Yes,
10. The call name stored in the second storage process is associated with the data source in which the input parameter acquired in the second acquisition process is stored as the storage parameter in the first storage process. Image forming apparatus. The controller is
A generation process for generating the call name different from the call name already stored in the memory;
In the second storage process, the data source information extracted in the fourth extraction process and the call name generated in the generation process are associated with each other and stored in the memory,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in the reading process, the call name corresponding to the data source information is read from the memory, and the storage parameter is read from the data source identified by the read call name. The definition data is text data,
The controller is
In the first display process, the source object in which a call name for identifying the corresponding data source is described is displayed on the display,
In the first extraction process, a text that identifies one of the plurality of actions is searched, and the detected text is extracted as the action identification information.
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in the second extraction process, a text specifying the call name is searched, and the detected text is extracted as the data source information specifying the call name. . The image forming apparatus includes a communication interface, a display, and an input interface.
The controller is
Execute transmission processing for transmitting transmission request information for requesting transmission of the definition data to an external device through the communication interface;
In the first acquisition process, the definition data indicated by the transmission request information is received from the external device through the communication interface;
A determination process for determining whether the definition data acquired in the first acquisition process is screen definition data or action definition data;
In response to determining that the screen definition data is the determination process,
A second display process for displaying a condition selection screen defined in the screen definition data on the display;
A second receiving process for receiving a user operation for designating at least one of a plurality of parameters displayed on the condition selection screen through the input interface;
The transmission that transmits the transmission request information that includes the parameter specified in the second reception process and requests transmission of the next definition data defined in the screen definition data to the external device through the communication interface. And the parameter included in the transmission request information is information included in the operation definition data as the definition parameter,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller executes the third extraction process in response to the determination process determining that the operation definition data is the operation definition data. A system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an information processing terminal,
The image forming apparatus includes:
Memory,
An image forming unit;
An input interface;
A first communication interface;
A first controller,
The memory stores definition data specifying information for specifying definition data and data in each of a plurality of data sources each identified by a call name, and the definition data is executed using the image forming unit. Action identification information identifying one of a plurality of possible actions as a first action, and data source information identifying one of the plurality of call names;
The first controller includes:
A first acquisition process for acquiring the definition data specified by the definition data specifying information;
A reading process of reading data stored in the data source specified by the data source information as a storage parameter indicating an execution condition of the first operation;
Executing a first execution process for executing the first operation according to the storage parameter read in the read process;
The first controller includes:
A first display process for causing the display to display a plurality of source objects each describing one of the plurality of call names;
A first receiving process for receiving a user operation for specifying one of the plurality of source objects through the input interface;
Executing a second execution process for executing a second operation in accordance with the storage parameter stored in the data source corresponding to the source object specified in the first reception process;
The first controller includes:
Receiving the definition data specifying information and the call name from the information processing terminal through the first communication interface;
Storing the definition data specifying information in the memory, and storing the call name in the memory in association with the data source in which the storage parameter is not stored,
The information processing terminal
A second communication interface;
A second controller,
The second controller is
A second acquisition process for acquiring the definition data;
An extraction process for extracting the data source information included in the definition data acquired in the second acquisition process;
A generation process for generating the call name different from the call name stored in the memory of all the image forming apparatuses as the call name for specifying the data source information extracted by the extraction process;
A transmission process for transmitting definition data specifying information for specifying the definition data acquired in the second acquisition process and a call name generated in the generation process to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses via the second communication interface. And running system.