COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20120243043A1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: ASAI, Norihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00435 arranged in a predetermined sequence, e.g. using next and previous buttons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0417 Conversion of standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0046 Software interface details, e.g. interaction of operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• 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 information processing apparatus includes: a data sharing unit configured to cause an application selected as a data output destination to process data which is output by an application which is a data output source; a process-object-data generation control unit configured to generate process object data in one of a first format and a second format based on image data acquired by an image information interface from an image information source; and an application-information display unit configured to display identification images for identifying applications which the data sharing unit can select as the data output destination if the data sharing unit is to process either data of the first format or data of the second format.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus including a display unit and a data sharing unit configured to cause an application selected as a data output destination to process data which is output by an application which is a data output source, the information processing program comprising:

a process-object-data generation control instruction that causes the computer to generate process object data in one of a first format and a second format based on image data acquired by an image information interface from an image information source; and

an application-information display control instruction that causes the display unit to display identification images for identifying applications which the data sharing unit can select as the data output destination if the data sharing unit is to process either data of the first format or data of the second format.

2. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein after the computer generates the process object data in one of the first format and the second format, the application-information display control instruction causes the display unit to display the identification images for identifying the applications.

3. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive an instruction, and

after the receiving unit receives the instruction to designate one of the first format and the second format, and before the application-information display control instruction causes the display unit to display the identification images of the applications, the process-object-data generation control instruction causes the computer to start generating the process object data in the format designated by the instruction received by the receiving unit.

4. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program further includes an identification-information notifying instruction that causes the computer to notify the data sharing unit of the identification information of the process object data generated by the data generating unit,

wherein, after the data generating unit generates the process object data, the identification-information notifying means notifies the identification information.

5. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the application-information display control instruction causes the display unit to display identification images of different applications in a first case where the number of items of the process object data of the first format generated by the data generating unit is two or more, and in a second case where the number of items of the process object data of the first format generated by the data generating unit is one.

6. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 5, wherein

the information processing program further includes a first search control instruction that causes the computer to search, by using format information designating the format and use information designating a kind of a process as search criteria, for applications capable of processing data of the format designated by the format information and supporting the kind of the process designated by the use information,

the first search control instruction uses different use information as the search criteria in the first case and the second case, and

the application-information display control instruction causes the display unit to display the identification images of the applications found by the first search unit.

7. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the first format is a JPEG format, and the second format is a PDF format.

8. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the image data is JPEG data or raw image data generated by a scanner which is the image information source.

9. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing program further includes a transmission-instruction control instruction that causes an instructing unit of the information processing apparatus to instruct the image information source to transmit image data, and

the process-object-data generation control instruction causes the computer to generate the process object data based on the image data transmitted from the image information source in response to the instruction transmitted by the instructing unit.

10. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing program further includes a selection-screen display control instruction that causes the display unit to display a format selection screen for allowing a user to select any one of the first format and the second format,

after the display unit displays the format selection screen, if a receiving unit of the information processing apparatus receives an instruction to designate any one of the first format and the second format, the process-object-data generation control instruction causes the computer to generate the process object data in the format designated by the instruction.

11. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein

the information processing program further includes a second search control instruction that causes the computer to search for a first kind of applications capable of processing data of the first format, and a second kind of applications capable of processing data of the second format, and

in the case that the second search unit finds at least one of the first kind of applications and the second kind of applications, if the receiving unit receives the instruction to cause the data sharing unit to perform a process, the selection-screen display control instruction causes the display unit to display the format selection screen to allow the user to select any one of the first format and the second format.

12. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the information processing program includes a search-result display control instruction that causes the display unit to display identification images of the applications found by the second search control instruction before displaying the format selection screen.

13. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the information processing program further includes an input restricting instruction that causes the computer to restrict an input of the instruction to cause the data sharing unit to perform the process if the second search unit cannot find any first kind of applications and any second kind of applications.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the information processing program further includes a selection restricting instruction that causes the computer to, if the computer finds one of the first kind of application and the second kind of application, restrict a selection of one format capable of being processed by the other of the first kind of applications and the second kind of applications.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the information processing program further includes:

a print-instruction-image display control instruction that causes the display unit to display a print instruction image for receiving an input of a print instruction if the computer finds only the information processing program; and

a print control instruction that causes a print device to print the image data acquired from the image information source if the receiving unit receives the print instruction after the display unit displays the print instruction image.

16. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing program further includes:

a third search control instruction that causes the computer to search for applications capable of processing the designated format from the first format and the second format by the instruction received by the receiving unit; and

an automatic-determination control instruction that causes the computer to, if the third search unit finds only one application as the data output destination application, determine the one application without performing display of the identification information of the one application.

17. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the application-information display control instruction instructs the display unit to display the identification images of the applications capable of the process object data.

18. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a data sharing unit configured to cause an application selected as a data output destination to process data which is output by an application which is a data output source;

a process-object-data generation control unit configured to generate process object data in one of a first format and a second format based on image data acquired by an image information interface from an image information source; and

an application-information display unit configured to display identification images for identifying applications which the data sharing unit can select as the data output destination if the data sharing unit is to process either data of the first format or data of the second format.

19. An information processing method which is performed in an information processing apparatus including a data sharing unit configured to cause an application selected as a data output destination to process data which is output by an application which is a data output source, the information processing method comprising:

generating process object data in one of a first format and a second format based on image data acquired by an image information interface from an image information source; and

displaying identification images for identifying applications which the data sharing unit can select as the data output destination if the data sharing unit is to process either data of the first format or data of the second format.