JP7510285B2 - Multifunction device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a multifunction device, an information processing method, and a program.

Some information processing devices are equipped with a mechanism for touching an IC card (Integrated Circuit Card), and various behaviors can be performed by reading the card ID (IDentification) of the IC card. For example, there is a login function that uses the card ID for user authentication, and a function that registers the application to be used and the setting value as a shortcut in advance and associates the card ID with the shortcut, so that the shortcut can be called by touching the IC card. Such login management or shortcut management functions can provide a usability suitable for the owner of the IC card in a shared information processing device.

On the other hand, in a shared information processing device, settings such as language settings are shared between users. One method is to associate such settings with each individual, but if this is not the case, some users may find it inconvenient to use the information processing device. For example, it is difficult for a user who does not understand Japanese to use an information processing device that is set in Japanese. It is also difficult to change the language settings by operating the information processing device when the user does not understand the language displayed on the information processing device.

Patent document 1 discloses a method in which, when an IC card is touched, the owner of the card is identified and the display language is changed to the language used by the owner. This allows the display to be changed to the language used by the user even if the user does not understand the language displayed on the information processing device.

JP 2016-091145 A

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, changing the language setting by touching an IC card requires that the user is currently logged in, and that user management is performed using an authentication function. Therefore, in the case of an information processing device that is operated without user authentication management, it is not possible to change the language setting by touching an IC card, and it is not easy to change the language setting.

The present invention aims to enable easy language setting changes in multifunction devices without the need for user authentication management.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, for example, a multifunction machine according to one embodiment has the following configuration: That is, a multifunction machine equipped with a display and capable of managing user information and card information in an associated manner includes a default management means for managing a first display language used in default display on the display, a registration means for registering the first card information and a second display language for the display in an associated manner, a shortcut management means for managing shortcuts for calling up combinations of functions and setting values registered in advance , and a control means for controlling display on the display, wherein the shortcut management means manages the shortcuts in association with the first card information, and when the control means reads first card information that has been registered on the multifunction machine, the control means switches the display on the display to a display in the second display language and calls up the combination of functions and setting values corresponding to the shortcut, and when the control means reads the first card information again after reading the first card information on the multifunction machine, the control means returns the display on the display to a display in the first display language without calling up the combination of functions and setting values corresponding to the shortcut .

Allows easy language setting changes on multifunction devices without the need for user authentication management.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration including a multifunction peripheral according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the multifunction peripheral according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a card ID registration process according to the first embodiment. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an IC card registration screen on the multifunction peripheral according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing method according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing method according to a second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing method according to a third embodiment.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is an example of a system configuration diagram showing the entire system according to the present embodiment. The information processing device 110 and the operation terminal 120 are connected via a network 100. The information processing device 110 is a multifunction device that realizes, for example, copying or faxing as a plurality of types of functions. The information processing device 110 also includes a reading unit 217 (described later) and performs an operation corresponding to the card ID by reading card information (card ID) included in the IC card 130. The operation terminal 120 accesses the information processing device 110 via the network 100 using a web browser or the like, and can change the setting value of the information processing device 110 or register the card ID. The card ID according to the present embodiment is information for identifying a card, and is set for each IC card. In addition, in this embodiment, a language setting is linked to the card ID, and the default language setting of the information processing device 110 is switched to a setting corresponding to the card ID by the reading unit 217 reading the card ID. Note that the default language setting is not particularly specified, and a desired language may be set in advance.

The IC card 130 is a portable storage medium, such as an employee ID card, and has an IC chip that stores a card ID. The information processing device 110 according to this embodiment will be described as reading the card ID using an IC chip, but is not limited to this as long as the card ID can be identified.

Fig. 2(a) is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 110 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 110 is a multifunction device including a control unit 200, an operation unit 212, a printer control unit 213, a printer 214, a scanner control unit 215, a scanner 216, and a reading unit 217. The control unit 200 is a controller that manages information processing control related to the operation of the information processing device 110, and is connected to the operation unit 212. In addition, the control unit 200 is connected to the printer control unit 213 that controls the printer 214, which is an image output device, the scanner control unit 215 that controls the scanner 216, which is an image input device, and the reading unit 217.

The control unit 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203. The control unit 200 also includes a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204, a Network 205, an operation interface (I/F) 206, a processing unit 207, a device I/F 208, a management unit 209, and a reading I/F 210. The CPU 201 starts up an OS (Operation System) using a boot program stored in the ROM 202. The CPU 201 executes an application program stored in the HDD 204 on the OS, thereby executing various processes. The RAM 203 is used as the working area of the CPU 201. RAM 203 provides a working area as well as an image memory area for temporarily storing image data.

The HDD 204 stores application programs, image data, various setting values, and history. The control unit 200 according to this embodiment uses an HDD, but an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card) may be used instead.

The CPU 201 is connected to the ROM 202 and RAM 203, as well as the Network 205, the operation I/F 206, the processing unit 207, the device I/F 208, the management unit 209, and the reading I/F 210 via the system bus 211. The Network 205 inputs and outputs information via the network 100 to and from the information processing device 110 on the network 100.

The operation I/F 206 is an interface with the operation unit 212, and outputs image data to be displayed on the operation unit 212 to the operation unit 212. The operation I/F 206 also sends information input by the user via the operation unit 212 to the CPU 201. The operation unit 212 according to this embodiment is capable of inputting information via a touch panel on the display, but the input format is not particularly limited to this. In this embodiment, the following description is given on the assumption that the information processing device 110 changes the language setting used in the default display on the display of the operation unit 212, but the language in another display may also be changed.

The processing unit 207 processes images output to the printer 214, as well as images input from the scanner 216, and performs processes such as image rotation, image compression, resolution conversion, color space conversion, and gradation conversion. The management unit 209 controls the power supply of the entire device. In addition to controlling power on/off, the management unit 209 may also control transition to a power saving state other than the normal power supply state, or return to the normal power supply state.

The device I/F 208 connects to the printer control unit 213 and the scanner control unit 215, and performs synchronous/asynchronous conversion of image data. The reading I/F 210 is an interface with the reading unit 217, and sends the card ID read by the reading unit 217 to the CPU 201. The reading I/F 210 according to this embodiment may send the card ID read from the IC card 130 to the CPU 201. In the following description, the reading unit 217 detects the touch of the IC card 130 and obtains the card ID of the detected IC card.

2B is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the operation terminal 120 according to this embodiment. The operation terminal 120 has a terminal control unit 220, an output device 228, and an input device 230. The terminal control unit 220 is a controller that controls information processing related to the operation of the operation terminal 120, and is connected to the output device 228 and the input device 230. In this example, the operation terminal 120 is described as a personal computer, but is not limited to this as long as it has similar functions. In this embodiment, the operation terminal 120 and the information processing device 110 are described as separate devices, but these configurations may be present in the same device, for example, the operation terminal 120 and the operation unit 212 are the same.

The CPU 221 starts the OS by a boot program stored in the ROM 222. The CPU 221 executes application programs stored in the HDD 224 on this OS, thereby executing various processes. The RAM 223 is used as the working area of the CPU 221. The RAM 223 provides a working area and a memory area for temporarily storing data.

The HDD 224 stores the above application programs and various setting values. The terminal control unit 220 according to this embodiment uses an HDD, but an SSD or eMMC may be used instead.

The CPU 221 is connected to the ROM 222 and RAM 223, as well as to the Network 225, the output device I/F 227, and the input device I/F 229 via the system bus 226. The Network 225 inputs and outputs information to and from the operation terminal 120 on the network 100 via the network 100.

The output device I/F 227 is an interface with an output device 228 such as a display or projector, and outputs image data to be displayed to the output device 228. The input device I/F 229 is an interface with an input device 230 such as a mouse or keyboard, and sends information input by the user via the input device 230 to the CPU 221.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 110 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, each process is realized by the CPU 201 executing a program stored in the RAM 203, the HDD 204, or the ROM 202. In addition, information generated by executing the following processes is stored in the RAM 203 or the HDD 204. Each functional unit of the software 300 of the information processing device 110 will be described below.

The connection control unit 301 connects to the external network 100 via the network 205. The browser processing unit 302 generates and provides an operation screen on the browser to the operation terminal 120 via the connection control unit 301. In addition, the browser processing unit 302 issues instructions to the setting processing unit 304, the call processing unit 306, or the authentication processing unit 308 in response to an input from the operation terminal 120.

The ID acquisition unit 303 acquires the card ID from the reading unit 217 via the reading I/F 210. In this embodiment, the ID acquisition unit 303 acquires the card ID of the IC card 130 that has been touched to the reading unit 217. The ID acquisition unit 303 also provides the acquired card ID to the setting processing unit 304, the authentication processing unit 308, and the display processing unit 310.

When the setting processing unit 304 receives an instruction from the browser processing unit 302 to register the correspondence between the card ID and the language setting, the setting processing unit 304 registers the correspondence between the card ID and the language setting in the language setting database (DB) 305. The setting processing unit 304 can also search whether the card ID acquired from the ID acquisition unit 303 has already been registered in the language setting DB 305. Furthermore, when the card ID acquired from the ID acquisition unit 303 is registered in the language setting DB 305, the setting processing unit 304 transmits an instruction to the display processing unit 310 to change the language setting to a setting corresponding to that card ID. In this embodiment, the language setting is information indicating the setting of the language displayed on the operation unit 212, and the corresponding language is displayed by the display processing unit 310 by referring to it.

The language setting DB 305 stores the correspondence between the card ID and the language setting in the HDD 204. The correspondence between the card ID and the language setting in the language setting DB 305 is referenced, registered, or updated by the setting processing unit 304.

When the call processing unit 306 receives an instruction from the browser processing unit 302 to register the correspondence between the card ID and the shortcut setting, the call processing unit 306 registers the correspondence between the card ID and the shortcut setting in the call DB 307. The call processing unit 306 can also search whether the card ID acquired from the ID acquisition unit 303 is registered in the call DB 307. Furthermore, when the card ID acquired from the ID acquisition unit 303 is registered in the call DB 307, the call processing unit 306 may provide the display processing unit 310 with information indicating the shortcut app corresponding to the card ID and its setting value.

In this embodiment, a shortcut setting is a setting that includes information on an app to be used and its setting value, and the display processing unit 310 refers to the shortcut setting to call up the corresponding app and setting value. For example, functions such as fax, copy, or scan and setting values for these functions may be set as shortcut settings. Hereinafter, calling up such an app is referred to as a shortcut call, and the process related to shortcut calls will be described in detail in embodiment 2.

The call DB 307 stores the correspondence between the card ID and the shortcut settings in the HDD 204. The correspondence between the card ID and the shortcut settings in the call DB 307 is referenced, registered, or updated by the call processing unit 306.

When the authentication processing unit 308 receives an instruction from the browser processing unit 302 to register the correspondence between the card ID and the authentication information, the authentication processing unit 308 registers the correspondence between the card ID and the authentication information in the authentication DB 309. The authentication processing unit 308 can also search whether the card ID acquired from the ID acquisition unit 303 is registered in the authentication DB 309. Furthermore, if the card ID acquired from the ID acquisition unit 303 is registered in the authentication DB 309, the authentication processing unit 308 may send the authentication information corresponding to the card ID to the display processing unit 310. In this embodiment, the authentication information is user information required for user authentication, and the display processing unit 310 refers to the authentication information to execute the login process for the corresponding user.

The authentication DB 309 stores the correspondence between the card ID and the authentication information in the HDD 204. In addition, the correspondence between the card ID and the authentication information in the authentication DB 309 is referenced, registered, or updated by the authentication processing unit 308.

The setting processing unit 304 according to this embodiment registers the correspondence between the card ID and the language setting in the authentication DB 309, but the authentication information and the language setting may be linked and the correspondence between them may be registered. In this case, the authentication processing unit 308 acquires the authentication information associated with the card ID from the authentication DB 309, and the setting processing unit 304 can search for the language setting from the language setting DB 305 based on the acquired authentication information. An example of using the authentication information is, for example, touching a general login IC card, and the processing in such a case will be described later in the third embodiment. The login IC card is an IC card having a card ID corresponding to the authentication information, which is used in a login function that uses a card ID for user authentication.

The display processing unit 310 changes the screen displayed on the operation unit 212 in response to instructions received from the setting processing unit 304, the call processing unit 306, and the authentication processing unit 308. For example, when the display processing unit 310 receives an instruction from the setting processing unit 304, it changes the language displayed on the operation unit 212. For example, when the display processing unit 310 receives an application and its settings from the call processing unit 306, it can display the corresponding application and reflect the received setting value. The display processing unit 310 may also display an icon for executing the corresponding application on the operation unit 212. For example, when the display processing unit 310 receives authentication information from the authentication processing unit 308, it can perform a login process and display the name of the currently logged-in user on the operation unit 212. When the display processing unit 310 receives a card ID from the ID acquisition unit 303, it may display it on the operation unit 212.

Figure 4 (a) is a flow chart showing an example of a process executed by the software 300 to register the card ID of the IC card 130 used when changing the language setting. In step S401, the display processing unit 310 displays a screen on the operation unit 212 for registering an IC card for changing the language setting.

Figure 5 (a) is an example of a screen for registering an IC card for changing language settings, displayed by the display processing unit 310 in response to an instruction from the setting processing unit 304. In the example of Figure 5 (a), an area 501 for displaying the card ID to be registered and an area 502 for selecting a language setting to be linked to the card ID are displayed on the operation unit 212. The display processing unit 310 may also display a button 503 for accepting cancellation of registration and a button 504 for accepting confirmation of registration. In this example, the ID of the IC card touched by the reading unit 217 is displayed in area 501. Furthermore, a language setting to be linked to the card ID is specified in area 502, and in this embodiment, the language selected by the user is displayed, but the method of specifying the language setting is not limited to this.

In step S402, the display processing unit 310 registers a callback to the ID acquisition unit 303. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 310 registers a callback process so that when the ID acquisition unit 303 acquires the card ID of the IC card 130, the card ID is sent to the display processing unit 310. This callback process is performed when the ID acquisition unit 303 acquires the card ID, and the card ID stored in the RAM 203 by the callback process is referenced in the subsequent processes of steps S404 to S405.

Figure 4 (b) is a flowchart showing an example of a callback process executed when the ID acquisition unit 303 acquires a card ID. In step S411, the ID acquisition unit 303 transmits the acquired card ID to the display processing unit 310. The display processing unit 310 stores the received card ID in the RAM 203. In step S412, the display processing unit 310 updates the screen displayed on the operation unit 212 and ends the callback process. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 310 updates the display in area 501 of the screen in Figure 5 (a) to the acquired card ID. Figure 5 (b) is an example of a screen for registering an IC card for changing language settings, with the display in area 501 updated, and has the same configuration as Figure 5 (a) except for the display in area 501, so duplicated explanations will be omitted.

In step S403, the display processing unit 310 determines whether pressing of the registration button 504 has been detected based on an input from the operation unit 212. If pressing is detected, the process proceeds to step S404, otherwise the process proceeds to step S406. In step S404, the display processing unit 310 determines whether the card ID has been acquired by the callback process. Specifically, it determines whether the card ID held in step S411 exists in the RAM 203, that is, whether the process of step S412 has been performed. If the card ID exists in the RAM 203, the process proceeds to step S405, otherwise the process returns to step S403. When returning to step S403, the display processing unit 310 may display a message encouraging the user to touch the IC card 130.

In step S405, the setting processing unit 304 registers the correspondence between the card ID and the language setting held in step S411 in the language setting DB 305. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 310 transmits the card ID displayed in area 501 (acquired in step S411) and the language setting specified in area 502 to the setting processing unit 304. Next, the setting processing unit 304 links the received card ID and language setting and registers them in the language setting DB 305. After the processing of step S405, the process proceeds to step S407.

In step S406, the display processing unit 310 determines whether pressing of the cancel button 503 has been detected based on the input from the operation unit 212. If pressing of the cancel button 503 has been detected, the process proceeds to step S407; otherwise, the process returns to step S403.

In step S407, the display processing unit 310 deletes the callback registration and ends the card ID registration process. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 310 deletes the registration of the callback process that the display processing unit 310 registered in the ID acquisition unit 303 in step S402.

An example of the correspondence between the card ID and the language setting recorded in the language setting DB when the process of registering the card ID of the IC card 130 is performed multiple times is shown in Table 1. In the language setting DB 305, one language setting is associated with one card ID and registered. Note that in the language setting DB 305, the same language setting may be associated with multiple card IDs.

In addition, although a method using the operation unit 212 has been described as a method for registering the card ID of the IC card 130, the operation terminal 120 may be used instead of the operation unit 212. Fig. 4(c) is a flowchart for explaining an example of a process using the operation terminal 120 executed by the software 300 to register the card ID of the IC card 130.

In step S421, the browser processing unit 302 displays a screen for registering an IC card for changing language settings on the operation terminal 120. FIG. 5(c) is an example of a screen for registering an IC card for changing language settings, which is generated by the browser processing unit 302 and displayed on the browser running on the operation terminal 120 via the connection control unit 301. In FIG. 5(c), area 502, button 503, and button 504 have the same configuration as in FIG. 5(a), so duplicated explanations will be omitted. The screen shown in FIG. 5(c) displays a field 505 in which the user inputs a card ID, and the card ID input in field 505 is linked to the language setting specified in area 502.

In step S422, the browser processing unit 302 determines whether a registration request has been acquired from the operation terminal 120. In this embodiment, a registration request is issued when button 504 is pressed. The registration request issued includes information on the card ID entered in field 505 and the language setting specified in area 502. If the information specified in field 505 or area 502 is missing, the above information is not included in the registration request issued. If a registration request has been acquired, processing proceeds to step S423; if not, processing proceeds to step S425.

In step S423, the browser processing unit 302 determines whether a card ID has been entered in the field 505. In this embodiment, the browser processing unit 302 refers to the acquired registration request and determines whether card ID information is included. If it is determined that card ID information is included, the process proceeds to step S424, and if not, the process returns to step S422. When returning to step S422, the browser processing unit 302 may display a display on the operation terminal 120 prompting the user to enter a card ID in the field 505.

In step S424, the setting processing unit 304 registers the card ID and the language setting linked to the card ID in the language setting DB 305, and ends the card ID registration process. In this embodiment, the browser processing unit 302 refers to the registration request and transmits the card ID and language setting included in the registration request to the setting processing unit 304. Next, the setting processing unit 304 links the received card ID with the language setting and registers it in the language setting DB 305.

In step S425, the browser processing unit 302 determines whether pressing of the cancel button 503 has been detected based on the input from the operation terminal 120. If pressing of the cancel button 503 has been detected, the process ends, and if not, the process returns to step S422.

Note that, while a method for registering an IC card for language setting has been described with reference to FIG. 4, an IC card for shortcut setting or an IC card for login may also be registered by the same process as in FIG. 4, or by a different method. When registration is performed by the process shown in FIG. 4, an area for specifying an app and its setting value, or an area for specifying authentication information, is displayed instead of area 502 for specifying language settings, and information entered in that area is linked to the card ID.

Figure 6 (a) is a flow chart showing an example of processing for changing the language setting of the operation unit 212, which is executed by the software 300 when the IC card 130 is touched to the reading unit 217. In step S601, the ID acquisition unit 303 acquires the card ID of the IC card 130 when the reading unit 217 detects the touch of the IC card 130. In step S602, the setting processing unit 304 determines whether the card ID acquired in step S601 matches any of the card IDs registered in the language setting DB 305. If it matches any of the card IDs, the processing proceeds to step S603, and if it does not match any of the card IDs, the processing ends.

In step S603, the setting processing unit 304 acquires the value of the language setting flag. The language setting flag is a value stored in the RAM 203, and the following description will be given assuming that the initial value is false. In step S604, the setting processing unit 304 determines whether the value of the language setting flag acquired in step S603 is false. If the value of the language setting flag is false, the process proceeds to step S605, and if not, the process proceeds to step S606.

In step S605, the display processing unit 310 changes the language setting to the language setting associated with the card acquired in step S601. FIG. 6(b) is a flowchart showing an example of the language setting change process performed in step S605.

In step S611, the setting processing unit 304 acquires the language setting linked to the card ID acquired in step S601. In this embodiment, the setting processing unit 304 acquires the language setting corresponding to the card ID by searching the language setting DB 305 with the card ID. In step S612, the setting processing unit 304 acquires the current language setting of the operation unit 212 from the display processing unit 310. Next, in step S613, the setting processing unit 304 stores the current language setting of the operation unit 212 in the RAM 203 as the default language setting.

In step S614, the display processing unit 310 changes the language setting of the operation unit 212 to the language setting acquired in step S611. In this embodiment, the setting processing unit 304 transmits the language setting acquired in step S611 to the display processing unit 310, and the display processing unit 310 changes the language setting of the operation unit 212 to the received setting. In step S615, the setting processing unit 304 changes the value of the language setting flag to true and ends the process.

In step S606, the display processing unit 310 returns the language setting to the default language setting. FIG. 6(c) is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed in step S606 to return the language setting to the setting before it was changed.

In step S621, the setting processing unit 304 acquires from the RAM 203 the default language setting set in step S613. In step S622, the setting processing unit 304 changes the language setting of the operation unit 212 to the default language setting acquired in step S621. In this embodiment, the setting processing unit 304 transmits the language setting acquired in step S621 to the display processing unit 310, and the display processing unit 310 changes the language setting of the operation unit 212 to the received setting. In step S623, the setting processing unit 304 changes the value of the language setting flag to false and ends the process.

According to this configuration, in response to reading information from an IC card for changing the language setting, the language setting linked to the card ID can be called and the language setting can be switched. Therefore, even if the information processing device does not have a user authentication function enabled, or if the user uses the information processing device without logging in, the language setting can be changed by reading information from the IC card. Also, by referring to the language setting flag, the first time the flag is read, the language setting is switched to the language setting linked to the card ID because the flag is false, and the second time the flag is read, the language setting can be restored because the flag is true. Therefore, when restoring the changed language setting, the setting can be easily restored by touching the same IC card again.

In the present embodiment, the information linked to the card ID has been described as a language setting, but what is linked to the card ID is not limited to this. For example, settings that may be difficult to operate unless the setting is appropriate, such as a setting that prompts the user to operate the information processing device 110 by voice, or a screen color setting for people who have difficulty distinguishing colors, may be linked to the card ID and changed in response to reading of the card ID.

In addition, the information processing device according to this embodiment changes the language setting in response to reading the card ID, and restores the language setting when the card ID is read again. However, the timing of restoring the language setting is not particularly limited to this, and for example, the language setting may be restored when the language setting is changed once in response to reading the card ID, and then the card ID is not read again and no user operation is performed for a certain period of time. For example, when the display processing unit 310 detects that no operation such as copying, scanning, or input from the operation unit 212 has been performed for a predetermined period of time, the language setting of the operation unit 212 may be restored to the default setting. According to such processing, by restoring the language setting when a no-operation state is detected, it is possible to prevent interference with the operation of the user who next uses the information processing device.

[Embodiment 2]
The information processing device according to the first embodiment reads the card ID of the IC card and changes the language setting of the operation unit 212 using the language setting linked to the card ID. However, if the language setting is changed only, it is necessary to search for the shortcut to be used from the home screen. On the other hand, if only the shortcut is called without changing the language setting, the operation becomes difficult because the language is not understood. From such a viewpoint, in this embodiment, the shortcut setting is further linked to the card ID, and the information processing device according to this embodiment reads the card ID to change the language setting and call the shortcut. Note that the system including the information processing device according to this embodiment has a configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 in the first embodiment, and a duplicated description will be omitted.

Figure 7 is a flow chart showing an example of processing executed by the software 300 according to this embodiment to set the language by reading the card ID and to call up a shortcut. In Figure 7, processing similar to steps S601 to S606 shown in Figure 6 is performed, except that processing in steps S701 to S702 following step S605 is performed.

In step S701 following step S605, the call processing unit 306 determines whether the card ID acquired in step S601 matches any of the card IDs registered in the call DB 307. If it matches any of them, the process proceeds to step S702, otherwise the process ends. In step S702, the call processing unit 306 calls the app and setting values registered in the shortcut settings linked to the card ID acquired in step S601, and ends the process.

In the process according to this embodiment, if the IC card 130 is touched again to change the language setting and to call a shortcut, the language setting will return to the default setting, but the shortcut will not be called. This is to prevent unintended shortcut calls, considering that the second touch of the IC card will be made when the user has finished the operation, but the configuration may also be such that the shortcut is called when the IC card is touched a second time.

This process allows the language setting to be changed while also calling up a shortcut by reading information from an IC card that changes the language setting. In addition, in this embodiment, by linking the card ID to both the language setting and the shortcut setting, it is possible to change the language setting and call up a shortcut with a single touch of the card. This simultaneously solves two problems: the difficulty of operating when the displayed language is not understandable, and the time and effort required to call up an app and change the settings.

[Embodiment 3]
The information processing device according to the first and second embodiments changes the language setting in response to reading a card ID, and restores the language setting when the card ID associated with the language setting is read again. On the other hand, the information processing device according to the present embodiment changes the language setting in response to reading a card ID, and restores the language setting from the setting associated with the card ID when any card ID is subsequently read. In addition, the information processing device according to the present embodiment may perform processing based on information associated with the card ID after restoring the language setting (for example, calling a shortcut). Note that the system including the information processing device according to the present embodiment has a configuration similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 in the first embodiment, and a duplicated description will be omitted.

Figure 8 is a flow chart showing an example of processing executed by the software 300 according to this embodiment, taking into account the change state of the language setting when the card ID is read. Note that steps S801 to S804 in Figure 8 are similar to steps S601, S603, S604, and S606 in Figure 6, respectively. Also, steps S807 and S808 are similar to steps S802 and S605, and steps S810 to S811 are similar to steps S701 to S702 in Figure 7. Duplicate explanations of these processes will be omitted.

In step S803, the setting processing unit 304 determines whether the value of the language setting flag acquired in step S802 is false. If the value of the language setting flag is false, the process proceeds to step S807, otherwise the process proceeds to step S804. In step S804, the display processing unit 310 returns the language setting to the default language setting. In step S805, the display processing unit 310 acquires the card ID of the IC card touched when changing the language setting. This card ID is recorded in step S809, and details will be described later. In step S806, it is determined whether the card ID acquired in step S801 and the card ID acquired in step S805 match. If they match, the process ends, otherwise the process proceeds to step S807.

In step S807, the setting processing unit 304 determines whether the card ID acquired in step S801 matches any of the card IDs registered in the language setting DB 305. If it matches any, the process proceeds to step S808, and if it does not match any, the process proceeds to step S810. In step S808, the display processing unit 310 changes the language setting to the language setting associated with the card acquired in step S801, and the process proceeds to step S809. Since the value of the language setting flag was checked in step S803, it does not need to be checked in step S808.

In step S809, the display processing unit 310 stores the card ID acquired in step S801 in the RAM 203 as the card ID used when changing the language setting. By referring to this value in steps S805 and S806, it is possible to determine whether the card touch is for ending a series of operations and returning the language setting to its original state, or for another user to start an operation. The processing in steps S810 and S811 is the same as that in steps S701 and S702 in FIG. 7 as described above, and the processing in FIG. 8 ends after step S811.

According to this type of processing, by reading the information of the IC card that changes the language setting and then reading an arbitrary card ID, the language setting changed by the previous user can be restored to the default setting. Furthermore, if a shortcut setting is linked to the arbitrary card ID that was read, the shortcut can be called while restoring the language setting. Therefore, the user can restore the language setting by reading the card ID and start using the information processing device without waiting for the termination process by the previous user or the automatic termination process after a certain period of time has passed.

The information processing device according to this embodiment has been described as being capable of calling up a shortcut linked to a card ID after restoring the language setting. For example, when the information processing device according to this embodiment reads card information of an IC card for login, it may further acquire authentication information linked to the card ID and perform login processing after restoring the login language setting. In this case, in step S810, the authentication processing unit 308 determines whether the card ID acquired in step S801 matches any of the card IDs registered in the authentication DB 309. If it matches any of the card IDs, the process proceeds to step S811, and if it does not match any of the card IDs, the process ends. In the following step S811, the authentication processing unit 308 acquires authentication information linked to the card ID acquired in step S801 and transmits it to the display processing unit 310. The display processing unit 310 performs login processing based on the received authentication information and displays the user name corresponding to the authentication information on the operation unit 212.

Other Examples
The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to disclose the scope of the invention.

301: Connection control unit, 302: Browser processing unit, 303: ID acquisition unit, 304: Setting processing unit, 305: Language setting DB, 306: Call processing unit, 307: Call DB, 308: Authentication processing unit, 309: Authentication DB, 310: Display processing unit

Claims (9)

A multifunction machine having a display and capable of linking and managing user information and card information,
a management means for managing a first display language used in a default display on the display;
a registration means for registering the first card information and the second display language for the display in association with each other;
a shortcut management means for managing shortcuts for calling up combinations of preregistered functions and setting values;
A control means for controlling the display of the display,
the shortcut management means manages the shortcut by linking it to the first card information;
when the control means reads the first card information registered in the multifunction device, the control means switches the display on the display to a display in the second display language and calls up a combination of a function and a setting value corresponding to the shortcut;
The multifunction device is characterized in that when the control means reads the first card information again after reading the first card information with the multifunction device, the control means returns the display on the display to the first display language without calling up the combination of function and setting value corresponding to the shortcut . The multifunction device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first card information is registered in association with the second display language, without being managed in association with user information in the multifunction device. When the control means reads card information that is associated with a specific display language and registered in the multifunction device,
When the display on the display is in the first display language, the display on the display is controlled to be switched to the specific display language;
3. The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1, wherein, when the display on the display is in the second display language, the display on the display is controlled so as to return to the first display language. The multifunction machine according to claim 3 , wherein the control means performs a process based on information linked to the card information after returning the display on the display to the first display language. A multifunction peripheral having a display,
A login management means for managing a login process based on user information;
a management means for managing a first display language used in a default display of the display;
A registration means for registering card information and a display language for the display in association with each other;
a shortcut management means for managing shortcuts for calling up combinations of preregistered functions and setting values;
A control means for controlling the display of the display,
the registration means registers the first card information and the second display language on the display in association with each other;
the shortcut management means manages the shortcut by linking it to the first card information;
when the control means reads the first card information registered in the multifunction device, the control means switches the display on the display to a display in the second display language, and calls up a combination of a function and a setting value corresponding to the shortcut;
The multifunction device is characterized in that when the control means reads second card information registered in the multifunction device in association with the user information, it switches the display on the display to the display language associated with the user information when performing login processing based on the user information. The multifunction device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control means controls the display to return to the first display language when a predetermined time has elapsed after the display on the display is switched to the second display language. An information processing method performed by a multifunction device that has a display and is capable of managing user information and card information in association with each other, comprising the steps of:
managing a first display language for use in a default display on the display;
registering the first card information and the second display language for the display in association with each other;
A step of managing shortcuts for calling up combinations of preregistered functions and setting values;
and controlling the display of the display.
The step of managing the shortcut includes managing the shortcut by linking it to the first card information,
The control step includes, when the multifunction device reads registered first card information, switching the display on the display to a display in the second display language and calling up a combination of a function and a setting value corresponding to the shortcut;
The information processing method is characterized in that the control process, when the first card information is read again by the multifunction device after the first card information has been read, returns the display on the display to the first display language without calling up the combination of function and setting value corresponding to the shortcut . An information processing method performed by a multifunction peripheral having a display, comprising:
managing a login process based on user information;
managing a first display language used as a default display on the display;
A step of registering the card information and the display language on the display in association with each other;
A step of managing shortcuts for calling up combinations of preregistered functions and setting values;
and controlling the display of the display.
The registering step includes registering the first card information and the second display language on the display in association with each other;
The step of managing the shortcut includes managing the shortcut by linking it to the first card information,
The control step includes, when the multifunction device reads the first card information registered in the multifunction device, switching the display on the display to a display in the second display language and calling up a combination of a function and a setting value corresponding to the shortcut;
The information processing method is characterized in that the control process, when second card information registered in the multifunction device in association with the user information is read, switches the display on the display to a display language associated with the user information when performing login processing based on the user information. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the multifunction device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .

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