REMOTE INSTRUCTION SYSTEM, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20080250324A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Chie
• Application Number:
  US12/045,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250324A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An image forming apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus via a network acquires display data to be used when an operation screen for entering an instruction to be given to the information processing apparatus is displayed, analyzes the acquired display data, outputs a first instruction sheet to be filled in with an instruction to the information processing apparatus according to a result of the analysis, reads a second instruction sheet that is the first instruction sheet filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction, and transmits, to the information processing apparatus, instruction information indicating content of the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the read second instruction sheet.

Claims

1. A remote instruction system comprising:

an information processing apparatus; and

an image forming apparatus,

wherein the information processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are interconnected via a network,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes;

a storage unit configured to store display data to be used when an operation screen for entering an instruction to be given to the information processing apparatus is displayed;

a display data transmission unit configured to transmit the display data stored in the storage unit to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus;

an instruction information receiving unit configured to receive, from the external apparatus, instruction information indicating content of an instruction entered by a user using the operation screen displayed based on the display data in the external apparatus; and

a control unit configured to control an operation of the information processing apparatus based on the instruction information received by the instruction information receiving unit, and

wherein the image forming apparatus includes;

a display data receiving unit configured to receive the display data from the information processing apparatus;

an analysis unit configured to analyze the display data received by the display data receiving unit;

an output unit configured to output a first instruction sheet to be filled in with an instruction to the information processing apparatus according to a result of analysis by the analysis unit;

a reading unit configured to read a second instruction sheet that is the first instruction sheet output by the output unit and filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction; and

an instruction information transmission unit configured to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, instruction information indicating content of the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the second instruction sheet read by the reading unit.

2. The remote instruction system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a multifunction peripheral, and the information processing apparatus comprises a household electric appliance.

3. An image forming apparatus connectable to an information processing apparatus via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire display data to be used when an operation screen for entering an instruction to be given to the information processing apparatus is displayed;

an analysis unit configured to analyze the display data acquired by the acquisition unit;

an output unit configured to output a first instruction sheet to be filled in with an instruction to the information processing apparatus according to a result of analysis by the analysis unit;

a reading unit configured to read a second instruction sheet that is the first instruction sheet output by the output unit and filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the information processing apparatus, instruction information indicating content of the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the second instruction sheet read by the reading unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display data includes a file of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a requesting unit configured to request the display data to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the acquisition unit is configured to receive and acquire the display data from the information processing apparatus.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, if items to be instructed in the operation screen displayed using the display data include an item in which one option is selectable from among a plurality of options, the output unit is configured to output the first instruction sheet in which the plurality of options are written in a list format.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the output unit is configured to output the first instruction sheet in which a plurality of check boxes corresponding to the plurality of options are written, and

wherein the transmission unit transmits, as the instruction information, information indicating an option corresponding to a check box selected by the user from among the plurality of check boxes.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit configured to display the operation screen using the display data obtained by the acquisition unit,

wherein, when receiving an output instruction from a user while the display unit displays the operation screen, the output unit outputs the first instruction sheet.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, after the reading unit reads the second instruction sheet, the display unit displays the operation screen in which the user'"'"'s instruction written in the second instruction sheet is reflected.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a selection unit configured to select one of a first output mode for outputting the operation screen in a layout displayed by the display unit and a second output mode for outputting the operation screen as the first instruction sheet,

wherein, when the selection unit selects the second output mode, the output unit outputs the first instruction sheet.

11. An image forming apparatus connectable to a server apparatus via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a requesting unit configured to request display data to be used when an operation screen for entering an instruction to be given to the image forming apparatus is displayed to the server apparatus;

a display unit configured to display the operation screen based on the display data transmitted from the server apparatus in response to a request from the requesting unit;

an analysis unit configured to analyze the display data transmitted from the server apparatus;

an output unit configured to output a first instruction sheet to be filled in with an instruction to the image forming apparatus according to a result of analysis by the analysis unit;

a reading unit configured to read a second instruction sheet that is the first instruction sheet output by the output unit and filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction; and

a control unit configured to control an operation of the image forming apparatus according to one of content instructed by a user via the operation screen displayed by the display unit and information indicating the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the second instruction sheet read by the reading unit.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the server apparatus includes a web server apparatus configured to store the display data in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format.

13. An image forming apparatus connectable to a web server apparatus via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a requesting unit configured to request a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) file stored in the web server apparatus to the web server apparatus;

a receiving unit configured to receive the HTML file transmitted from the web sever apparatus in response to a request from the requesting unit;

an analysis unit configured to analyze the HTML file received by the receiving unit;

an output unit configured to output a first instruction sheet to be filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction according to a result of analysis by the analysis unit;

a reading unit configured to read a second instruction sheet that is the first instruction sheet output by the output unit and filled in with the user'"'"'s instruction; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the web server apparatus, information indicating the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the second instruction sheet read by the reading unit.

14. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

acquiring display data to be used when an operation screen for entering an instruction to be given to the information processing apparatus is displayed;

analyzing the acquired display data;

outputting a first instruction sheet to be filled in with an instruction to the information processing apparatus according to a result of the analyzing;

reading a second instruction sheet that is the output first instruction sheet filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction; and

transmitting, to the information processing apparatus, instruction information indicating content of the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the read second instruction sheet.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to claim 14.

15. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus connected to a server apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

requesting display data to be used when an operation screen for entering an instruction to be given to the image forming apparatus is displayed to the server apparatus;

displaying the operation screen based on the display data transmitted from the server apparatus in response to the requesting;

analyzing the display data transmitted from the server apparatus;

outputting a first instruction sheet to be filled in with an instruction to the image forming apparatus according to a result of the analyzing;

reading a second instruction sheet that is the output first instruction sheet filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction; and

controlling an operation of the image forming apparatus according to one of content instructed by a user via the displayed operation screen and information indicating the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the read second instruction sheet.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to claim 15.

16. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus connected to a web server apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

requesting a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) file stored in the web server apparatus to the web server apparatus;

receiving the HTML file transmitted from the web sever apparatus in response to the requesting;

analyzing the received HTML file;

outputting a first instruction sheet to be filled in with a user'"'"'s instruction according to a result of the analyzing;

reading a second instruction sheet that is the output first instruction sheet filled in with the user'"'"'s instruction; and

transmitting, to the web server apparatus, information indicating the user'"'"'s instruction recognized from the read second instruction sheet.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to claim 16.