Information processing apparatus, method of controlling information processing apparatus, and storage medium

• US 8,699,044 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakahara, Hidetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, King
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNES, TED W
• Application Number:
  US12/708,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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 3/1231 Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3221 of a job number or identification, e.g. communication number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3232 of a page, copy or picture number

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that lightens the workload for a serviceman or an administrator who imports setting information into the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes an operation section via which the user can input data. The apparatus stores setting information containing a plurality of settings required for operation control and discriminating information on each setting for discriminating whether the setting is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item, changes the discriminating information on each setting of the setting information, according to a specific instruction given by the user via the user interface, and externally outputs the stored setting information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing first setting information containing IDs respectively indicating a plurality of settings required for operation control of the information processing apparatus, a first setting value corresponding to each of the IDs, and first discriminating information corresponding to each of the IDs for discriminating whether each of the settings indicated by each of the IDs is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item;

a user interface that allows a user to perform an input operation; and

a controller programmed to execute;

an acquisition task that externally acquires second setting information containing the IDs, a second setting value corresponding to each of the IDs, and second discriminating information corresponding to each of the IDs for discriminating whether each of the settings indicated by each of the IDs is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item;

a storing/reflecting task that, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to one of the IDs in the second setting information acquired by said acquisition task discriminates that a setting indicated by the one ID is of a common setting item, stores the second setting value corresponding to the one ID in the storage device to reflect the stored second setting value as the setting information of the information processing apparatus; and

a display control task that;

in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to another of the IDs in the second setting information acquired by said acquisition task discriminates that a setting indicated by the another ID is of an apparatus-specific setting item, displays an input screen on the user interface for prompting the user to input a specific setting value corresponding to the another ID; and

in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to the another ID in the second setting information acquired by said acquisition task discriminates that the setting indicated by the another ID is of a common setting item, does not display the input screen on the user interface,

wherein the storing/reflecting task stores, in the storage device, the specific setting value input by the user via the input screen to reflect as the setting information of the information processing apparatus, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to the another ID in the second setting information acquired by said acquisition task discriminates that the setting indicated by the another ID is of an apparatus-specific setting item.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the acquisition task externally acquires the second setting information from a non-transitory external recording medium,

in a case where a plurality of sets of the second setting information are stored in the non-transitory external recording medium, said display control task displays a selection screen on the user interface for enabling the user to select one of the plurality of sets of the second setting information, and

said acquisition task acquires the second setting information selected on the selection screen.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition task acquires the second setting information from a non-transitory external recording medium connected to the information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control task displays the input screen for prompting the user to input each value for the plurality of apparatus-specific setting items.

5. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus including a storage device and a user interface that allows a user to perform an input operation, the method comprising:

a storing step of storing, in the storage device, first setting information containing IDs respectively indicating a plurality of settings required for operation control, of the information processing apparatus, a first setting value corresponding to each of the IDs, and first discriminating information corresponding to each of the IDs for discriminating whether each of the settings indicated by each of the IDs is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item;

an acquiring step of externally acquiring second setting information containing the IDs, a second setting value corresponding to each of the IDs, and second discriminating information corresponding to each of the IDs for discriminating whether each of the settings indicated by each of the IDs is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item;

a storing/reflecting step of storing, in the storage device, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to one of the IDs in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step discriminates that a setting indicated by the one ID is of a common setting item, the second setting value corresponding to the one ID to reflect the stored second setting value as the setting information of the information processing apparatus;

a displaying step of displaying, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to another of the IDs in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step discriminates that a setting indicated by the another ID is of an apparatus-specific setting item, an input screen on the user interface for prompting the user to input a specific setting value corresponding to the another ID;

a non-displaying step of not displaying, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to the another ID in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step is of a common setting item, the input screen on the user interface; and

wherein the storing/reflecting step stores, in the storage device, the specific setting value input by the user via the input screen to reflect as the setting information of the information processing apparatus, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to the another ID in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step discriminates that the setting indicated by the another ID is of an apparatus-specific setting item.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program executable by a computer to execute a method of controlling an information processing apparatus including a storage device and a user interface that allows a user to perform an input operation, the method comprising the steps of:

a storing step of storing, in the storage device, first setting information containing IDs respectively indicating a plurality of settings required for operation control of the information processing apparatus, a first setting value corresponding to each of the IDs, and first discriminating information corresponding to each of the IDs for discriminating whether each of the settings indicated by each of the IDs is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item;

an acquiring step of externally acquiring second setting information containing the IDs, a second setting value corresponding to each of the IDs, and second discriminating information corresponding to each of the IDs for discriminating whether each of the settings indicated by each of the IDs is of a common setting item or of an apparatus-specific setting item;

a storing/reflecting step of storing, in the storage device, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to one of the IDs in second setting information acquired in the acquiring step discriminates that a setting indicated by the one ID is of a common setting item, the second setting value corresponding to the one ID to reflect the stored second setting value as the setting information of the information processing apparatus;

a displaying step of displaying, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to another of the IDs in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step discriminates that a setting indicated by the another ID is of an apparatus-specific setting item, an input screen on the user interface for prompting the user to input a specific setting value corresponding to the another ID;

a non-displaying step of not displaying, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to the another ID in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step is of a common setting item, the input screen on the user interface; and

wherein the storing/reflecting step stores, in the storage device, the specific setting value input by the user via the input screen to reflect as the setting information of the information processing apparatus, in a case where the second discriminating information corresponding to the another ID in the second setting information acquired in the acquiring step discriminates that the setting indicated by the another ID is of an apparatus-specific setting item.