Image processing apparatus, screen selection method, and screen selection program embodied on computer readable medium

• US 8,286,234 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kano, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIE, OSCAR A
• Application Number:
  US12/557,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

Abstract

In order to improve operability by decreasing the number of times of switching between screens, an MFP includes an authentication portion which authenticates a user using authentication information input into one of first to third user I/Fs, a process executing portion which executes processes according to settings input, a first association data storing portion which stores first association data associating input data with the authenticated user, a second association data storing portion which stores second association data associating processes executed for the input data with the respective user I/Fs, and a determining portion which determines, in response to authentication by the authentication portion, a screen for the process associated by the second association data with one of the first to third user I/Fs that accepted the authentication information used for the authentication, if data associated with the authenticated user by the first association data is stored.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a first memory configured to store first association data which associates input data targeted for processing with user identification information;

a plurality of types of user interfaces configured to accept an instruction from a user, said plurality of types of user interfaces includes;

a first interface which includes a display portion and an operation accepting portion, the display portion configured to display said screen, the operation accepting portion configured to accept an operation from a user; and

a second interface which includes a communication portion configured to communicate with an external device;

an authentication portion configured to authenticate a user based on authentication information input into one of said plurality of types of user interfaces;

a process executing portion configured to execute at least one of a plurality of types of processes according to settings input into the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces;

a second memory configured to store second association data which associates a respective one of said plurality of types of user interfaces with a respective one of plurality of different processes, corresponding to the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces, as a process to be executed for said input data targeted for processing;

a judging portion configured to judge whether or not data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of a user authenticated by said authentication portion is stored;

a specifying portion configured to specify a process associated by said second association data with the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces through which said authentication information has been accepted, in a case where it is judged by said judging portion that data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of said authenticated user is stored; and

a determining portion configured to determine a screen for accepting settings for causing said process executing portion to execute the process corresponding to the user interface through which said authentication information has been accepted and having been specified by said specifying portion for data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of said authenticated user, wherein;

said second interface includes an interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a personal computer, and an interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a mobile communication terminal; and

said first interface is associated with a process of printing said input data targeted for processing by the image processing apparatus, said interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a personal computer is associated with a process of causing the personal computer to acquire said input data targeted for processing, and said interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a mobile communication terminal is associated with a process of deleting said input data targeted for processing.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second memory is configured to store a workflow defining a plurality of series of processes.

3. A screen selection method executed by an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus including a plurality of types of user interfaces for accepting an instruction from a user, the screen selection method comprising the steps of:

storing first association data which associates input data targeted for processing with user identification information, said plurality of types of user interfaces includes;

display portion configured to display said screen, the operation accepting portion configured to accept an operation from a user; and

a second interface which includes a communication portion for communicating with an external device;

accepting authentication information input into one of said plurality of types of user interfaces and authenticating a user based on said authentication information;

executing at least one of a plurality of types of processes according to settings input into the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces;

storing second association data which associates a respective one of said plurality of types of user interfaces with a respective one of plurality of different processes, corresponding to the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces, as a process to be executed for said input data targeted for processing;

judging whether or not data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of a user authenticated in said authenticating step is stored;

specifying a process associated by said second association data with the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces through which said authentication information has been accepted, in a case where it is judged in said judging step that data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of said authenticated user is stored; and

determining a screen for accepting settings for the process to be executed in said executing step, the process corresponding to the user interface through which said authentication information has been accepted and having been specified in said specifying step for data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with said user identification information of the authenticated user, wherein

said second interface includes an interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a personal computer, and an interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a mobile communication terminal; and

said first interface is associated with a process of printing said input data targeted for processing by the image processing apparatus, said interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a personal computer is associated with a process of causing the personal computer to acquire said input data targeted for processing, and said interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a mobile communication terminal is associated with a process of deleting said input data targeted for processing.

4. The screen selection method according to claim 3, wherein said step of storing the second association data includes the step of storing a workflow defining a plurality of series of processes.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a screen selection program executed by a computer controlling an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus including a plurality of types of user interfaces for accepting an instruction from a user, the screen selection program causing said computer to execute the steps of:

storing first association data which associates input data targeted for processing with user identification information;

accepting authentication information input into one of said plurality of types of user interfaces and authenticating a user based on said authentication information;

executing at least one of a plurality of types of processes according to settings input into the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces;

storing second association data which associates a respective one of said plurality of types of user interfaces with a respective one of plurality of different processes, corresponding to the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces, as a process to be executed for said input data targeted for processing;

judging whether or not data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of a user authenticated in said authenticating step is stored;

specifying a process associated by said second association data with the one of said plurality of types of user interfaces through which said authentication information has been accepted, in a case where it is judged in said judging step that data targeted for processing and associated by said first association data with the user identification information of said authenticated user is stored; and

determining a screen for accepting settings for the process to be executed in said executing step, the process corresponding to the user interface through which said authentication information has been accepted and having been specified in said specifying step for data associated by said first association data with said user identification information of the authenticated user,

wherein said plurality of types of user interfaces includes;

a first interface which includes a display portion and an operation accepting portion, the display portion configured to display said screen, the operation accepting portion configured to accept an operation from a user; and

a second interface which includes a communication portion for communicating with an external device, and

said second interface includes an interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a personal computer, and an interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a mobile communication terminal; and

said first interface is associated with a process of printing said input data targeted for processing by the image processing apparatus, said interface to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a personal computer is associated with a process of causing the personal computer to acquire said input data targeted for processing, and said interface configured to accept a remote operation of the image processing apparatus from a mobile communication terminal is associated with a process of deleting said input data targeted for processing.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with the screen selection program according to claim 5, wherein said step of storing the second association data includes the step of storing a workflow defining a plurality of series of processes.