Image processing system with ease of operation

• US 8,471,914 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakiyama, Daisuke, Morikawa, Takeshi, Minami, Takeshi, Ozawa, Kaitaku, Anezaki, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US13/296,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/207.2, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/211.8, 455/556.1, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1289 in server-client-printer device configuration, e.g. the server does not see the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data

Abstract

When a shot is taken by a portable terminal, the position and orientation at the time of shooting is transmitted to an information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus, which stores information including the position of equipment, detects the equipment included in the shot image by the portable terminal, based on the position and orientation of the portable terminal and the position of the equipment, and transmits information about the equipment to the portable terminal. The portable terminal obtains an operation history on an image processing apparatus in the equipment based on the received information, and displays an operation screen presenting the operation history in a selectable manner on a display unit. Then, when a selection of operation history is accepted, a control signal for allowing the image processing apparatus to execute image processing indicated by the operation history is transmitted to the image processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

a portable terminal;

equipment; and

an information processing apparatus,

wherein at least one of said equipment is an image processing apparatus including a controller,

said portable terminal including

a shooting unit,

an obtaining unit for obtaining positional information and orientation information of said portable terminal,

a display unit, and

an input unit for inputting an instruction on an operation screen displayed on said display unit,

said information processing apparatus including

a storage unit for storing, as information about said equipment, positional information of said equipment and communication information for communicating with said equipment, wherein

said portable terminal transmits positional information and orientation information at a time of shooting by said shooting unit to said information processing apparatus,

said information processing apparatus detects said equipment included in an image shot by said shooting unit of said portable terminal, based on the positional information and orientation information at a time of shooting at said portable terminal, and transmits information about said detected equipment to said portable terminal, and

said portable terminal further includes a controller for executing a process of obtaining an operation history on said image processing apparatus in said equipment, based on said received information about said equipment, allowing said display unit to display an operation screen presenting said operation history in a selectable manner, and when accepting a selection of said operation history at said input unit, transmitting a control signal for allowing said image processing apparatus to execute image processing specified by said selected operation history, to said image processing apparatus.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein

said information processing apparatus further stores an operation history on said image processing apparatus in said equipment as said information about said equipment, and

said controller of said portable terminal allows said display unit to display said operation screen using said operation history included in said received information about said equipment.

3. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said controller of said portable terminal requests an operation history on said image processing apparatus from said equipment, based on said communication information for communicating with said equipment that is included in said received information about said equipment, and obtains said operation history received from said equipment.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein

said portable terminal further includes a storage unit for storing positional information and orientation information at a time when said equipment is shot, in association with information specifying said equipment, and

when accepting a selection of said equipment, said portable terminal transmits positional information and orientation information at a time when said selected equipment is shot, to said information processing apparatus.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said equipment includes a controller for controlling said image processing apparatus.

6. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said operation history includes information specifying an image processing apparatus that has executed image processing designated by the operation, a function of said image processing apparatus that is necessary for said image processing, and image data subjected to said image processing.

7. The image processing system according to claim 6, wherein when allowing said display unit to display said operation screen, said controller of said portable terminal sorts said operation history so as to be displayed for each image processing apparatus that has executed image processing designated by said operation history.

8. The image processing system according to claim 6, wherein when allowing said display unit to display said operation screen, said controller of said portable terminal sorts said operation history so as to be displayed for each function of said image processing apparatus that is necessary for image processing designated by said operation history.

9. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein

said operation history includes information specifying an image processing apparatus that has executed image processing designated by the operation, a function of said image processing apparatus that is necessary for said image processing, image data subjected to said image processing, and a storage location of image data obtained by said image processing, and

when allowing said display unit to display said operation screen, said controller of said portable terminal sorts said operation history so as to be displayed for each storage location of image data obtained by image processing designated by said operation history.

10. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein said controller of said portable terminal allows said display unit to display said operation history in a selectable and changeable manner on said operation screen, and when accepting an instruction to change said operation history on said operation screen, transmits a control signal for allowing said image processing apparatus to execute image processing specified by said changed operation history, to said image processing apparatus.

11. A control method for an image processing system including a portable terminal having a shooting unit and a display unit, equipment, at least one of which is an image processing apparatus, and an information processing apparatus,

wherein said information processing apparatus stores, as information about said equipment, positional information of said equipment and communication information for communicating with said equipment,

said control method comprising the steps of:

causing said portable terminal to transmit positional information and orientation information at a time of shooting by said shooting unit of said portable terminal to said information processing apparatus;

causing said information processing apparatus to detect equipment included in an image shot by said shooting unit of said portable terminal, based on said positional information and orientation information transmitted from said portable terminal and the positional information included in said information about said equipment, and to transmit said information about said detected equipment to said portable terminal;

causing said portable terminal to obtain an operation history on said image processing apparatus in said equipment, based on said information about said equipment transmitted from said information processing apparatus, and to allow said display unit to display an operation screen presenting said operation history in a selectable manner;

when accepting a selection of said operation history, causing said portable terminal to transmit a control signal for allowing said image processing apparatus to execute image processing specified by said selected operation history, to said image processing apparatus; and

executing corresponding image processing based on said signal in said image processing apparatus.

12. A portable terminal comprising:

a shooting unit;

an obtaining unit for obtaining positional information and orientation information of said portable terminal;

a display unit;

an input unit for inputting an instruction on an operation screen displayed on said display unit; and

a controller,

wherein said controller executes

a process of transmitting positional information and orientation information at a time of shooting by said shooting unit to an information processing apparatus,

a process of obtaining an operation history on an image processing apparatus in equipment based on information about equipment that is received from said information processing apparatus, and allowing said display unit to display an operation screen presenting said operation history in a selectable manner, and

a process of accepting a selection of said operation history at said input unit and then transmitting a control signal for allowing said image processing apparatus to execute image processing specified by said selected operation history, to said image processing apparatus.

13. The portable terminal according to claim 12, wherein said controller further executes

a process of requesting said operation history from said equipment based on communication information for communicating with said equipment that is included in said received information about said equipment, in the process of allowing said display unit to display an operation screen, and

a process of receiving said operation history from said equipment.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a control program for causing a portable terminal to execute processing,

said portable terminal including a shooting unit and a display unit,

said control program causing said portable terminal to execute the steps of:

transmitting positional information and orientation information at a time of shooting by said shooting unit to an information processing apparatus;

obtaining an operation history on an image processing apparatus in equipment based on information about equipment that is received from said information processing apparatus, and displaying an operation screen presenting said operation history in a selectable manner on said display unit; and

accepting a selection of said operation history and then transmitting a control signal for allowing said image processing apparatus to execute image processing specified by said selected operation history, to said image processing apparatus.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 14, wherein said step of said control program of displaying an operation screen on said display unit includes the steps of:

requesting said operation history from said equipment based on communication information for communicating with said equipment that is included in said received information about said equipment; and

receiving said operation history from said equipment.