Computer readable recording medium, information processing apparatus, and information processing method

• US 8,957,901 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Asai, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Yuehan
• Application Number:
  US13/422,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20120243043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 345/501, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 345/501
• 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 format designation instruction that causes the computer to receive a designation corresponding to whether a process object data file is to be generated in a first format or a second format;

a process-object-data generation control instruction that causes the computer to generate process object data file in one of the first format and the second format according to the designation 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;

a first identification image for identifying first output destination applications, each of the first output destination applications configured to process data of the first format and can be selected by the data sharing unit as the data output destination if the process object data file is generated in the first format, and

a second identification image for identifying second output destination applications, each of the second output destination applications configured to process data of the second format and can be selected by the data sharing unit as the data output destination if the process object data is generated in the second format.

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

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

wherein the information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a specific instruction to designate one of the first format and the second format, and

after the receiving unit receives the specific 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 one of the first identification images and the second identification image, the process-object-data generation control instruction causes the computer to start generating the process object data file in the format designated by the specific 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 file generated by the data generating unit,

wherein, after the data generating unit generates the process object data file, 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 file 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 file 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 one of the first identification image and the second identification image 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 file 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 anyone 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 a specific instruction to designate anyone of the first format and the second format, the process-object-data generation control instruction causes the computer to generate the process object data file in the format designated by the specific 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 the first output destination applications and the second output destination applications, and

in the case that the second search unit finds at least one of the first output destination applications and the second output destination 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 anyone 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 a third identification image of the at least one of the first output destination applications and the second output destination 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 at least one of the first output destination applications and the second output destination applications capable of processing the process object data file in a format designated by a specific instruction to designate one of the first format and the second format 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 a fourth identification image of the at least one of the first output destination applications and the second output destination applications capable of processing the process object data file.

20. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information processing program further comprises:

an application selection instruction that causes the computer to receive a designation indicating which one of the first output designation applications and the second output designation applications is to be designated as the data output designation.

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 processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive a designation corresponding to whether a process object data file is to be generated in a first format or second format;

a process object data file in one of the first format and the second format according to the designation based on image data acquired by an image information interface from an image information source; and

display a first identification image for identifying first output destination applications, each of the first output destination applications configured to process data of the first format and can be selected by the data sharing unit as the data output destination if the process object data file is generated in the first format, and

display a second identification image for identifying second output destination applications, each of the second output destination applications configured to process data of the second format and can be selected by the data sharing unit as the data output destination if the process object data file is generated in 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:

receiving a designation corresponding to whether a process object data file is to be generated in a first format or a second format;

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

displaying a first identification image for identifying first output destination applications, each of the first output destination applications configured to process data of the first format and can be selected by the data sharing unit as the data output destination if the process object data file is generated in the first format; and

displaying a second identification image for identifying second output destination applications, each of the second output destination applications configured to process data of the second format and can be selected as the data output destination if the process object data file is generated in the second format.

21. 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 file which is output by an application which is a data output source, the information processing program comprising:

a format designation instruction that causes the computer to receive a designation corresponding to whether a process object data file is to be generated in a first format or a second format;

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

an application-information display control instruction that causes the display unit to;

if the process object data file is generated in the first format, display identification images for identifying first output destination applications configured to process data of the first format and not to display identification images for identifying second output designation applications configured to process data of the second format, and

if the process object data file is generated in the second format, display the identification images for identifying the second output destination applications and not to display the identification images for identifying the first output designation applications; and

an application selection instruction that causes the computer to receive a designation indicating which one of the first output designation applications and the second output designation applications is to be designated as the data output designation.